Presenter: Jack Bland, MBAA District Mid-Atlantic. Coauthor(s): Rick Brundage, MBAA District New England; Tom Soukup, MBAA District Mid-Atlantic; Scott Pavlich, Kevin Emery, and Dave Duff.
With few exceptions, virtually all of the tunnel-type pasteurizers in modern breweries are 304 stainless-steel (SS) construction. While this metallurgy offers excellent corrosion resistance in brewery packaging area environments, it is critical that stains or deposits not be allowed to remain on internal or external pasteurizer surfaces. Any debris or deposition on the 304 SS surface will rapidly reduce its corrosion resistance. Hot, humid conditions on the packaging floor, coupled with volatile hypohalous amines from the pasteurizer water treatment program, will amplify the rate of corrosion underneath any deposits on the stainless-steel surface. Previous standards for deposit removal and re-passivation of 304 SS involved the use of hydrofluoric and nitric acid. This procedure is no longer acceptable as an onsite method due to strict environmental regulations. ChemTreat, in conjunction with an equipment manufacturer, has developed an effective, safe, and environmentally friendly alternate process for onsite cleaning and passivation of brewery pasteurizers with 304 SS metallurgy. This paper will detail the process and show before and after photographs of a variety of internal/external pasteurizer surfaces. Conclusions will summarize best practices for maintaining the passivation of 304 SS metallurgy following cleaning.
Jack Bland, ChemTreat director of technical support, Brewing Services Division, has more than 35 years of experience in the water treatment of brewery pasteurizer and utilities boiler/cooling water systems. He has authored numerous MBAA papers on a variety of topics related to best practices for water treatment in these systems and has been an active lecturer at the annual MBAA packaging course for many years. Jack has been an active MBAA member since 1982.
VIEW PRESENTATION
