What causes beer line contamination?
(Excerpt from - draughtquality.org) In addition to alcohol and carbon dioxide, finished beer contains proteins, carbohydrates and hundreds of other organic compounds. Yeast and bacteria routinely enter draught systems where they feed on beer and attach to draught lines. Oxygen entering through the faucet and the coupler at each change of KEGs nourishes these flavor-changing microbes and makes them grow faster. Minerals also precipitate from beer leaving deposits in lines and fixtures. Within weeks of installing a brand new draught system, deposits begin to build up on the beer contact surfaces.
Why does it matter if beer lines are dirty?
Beer is a food product. Therefore the equipment to serve draught beer needs to adhere to the same standards of hygiene as kitchens, plates and cutlery. Hygiene is essential - not only to maintain the beer quality but also to to prevent a food safety hazard. Dirty lines can cause cloudy, over-foaming or flat beers with a off- flavors and can even cause sickness. Without proper cleaning, deposits in the line soon affect beer flavor and undermine the system’s ability to pour quality beer. Thus, a well-designed and diligently executed maintenance plan ensures trouble-free draught system operation and fresh, flavorful beer. (Partly taken from draughtquality.org)
Why does TM DESANA MAX turn from purple to green during
cleaning?
The color indicator in TM DESANA MAX is a chemical "must" and not a dye. The changing of colors is a convenient "side effect" caused by a complex chemical reaction. The indicator species in an unused TM DESANA MAX solution is at level 7. When the solution is exposed to organic material, such as sugars or yeast in a dirty beer line, the solution attacks it and at the same time the color spectrum of the solution is reduced to manganese 6 (green) or 2 (yellow).
Is the mixed solution of TM DESANA MAX corrosive?
NO. The mixed solution is only “Xi – irritating” according to the classification of the chemical law (such as normal household cleaning chemicals). If your skin gets in touch with the mixed solution rinse it off with water of even beer. However, the powder of TM DESANA MAX is “C-corrosive”. Take caution when opening the package and only open it wearing protective gloves and -glasses. We recommend to always use safety glasses and safety gloves when handling chemicals!
What's the price of TM DESANA MAX and what's the minimum
order quantity?
USA: $ 1.50 for one 1.6 oz packet which is good to prepare 1.2 gal of mixed solution (price per gal of mixed solution: $ 1.25; good to fill appr. 200ft of 3/8'' tubing). Minimum order: 1 case of 265 packets.
EU: € 0,85 for one 45 g packet which is good to prepare 4,5 l of mixed solution (price per liter of mixed solution: € 0.19; good to fill appr. 110 m of 7mm tubing). TM DESANA MAX comes in cases of 265 single packages. Our recommended price per case is $ 397.50 / € 225,25. Costs of shipping is not included in this price.
The chemical I use now cleans for less money. How is the
price of TM DESANA MAX justified?
How do you know your chemical is CLEANING for less money? Do you know it REALLY cleans the lines? The problem with hygiene for food products is: With the human eye you can't see lack of hygiene. So to really know if something is properly cleaning you would need to verify the status of hygiene with one of the validation methods available on the market (e.g. ATP testing, micro testing or TM DESANA MAX). If you do that you will see that cleaning and verifying in 2 different steps is not only more expensive it also takes more time. That's probably why most people don't do it every time. However, if you don't verify your cleaning there is no way you can KNOW whether the cleaning was successful! So to really know that your chemical is cleaning for less money we recommend to verify your cleaning - for example by using TM DESANA MAX. Only if TM DESANA MAX doesn't change color in your lines you know that the chemical solution you used really cleaned successfully. Do that and then evaluate again how much money you need to really clean your lines.
Wouldn’t a bulk container of TM DESANA MAX be cheaper?
A bigger container (eg. a 5 kg/11 lb bucket) to scoop out powder is not offered, because TM DESANA MAX is very hydrophilic. As soon as it is exposed to moisture (e.g. from the air, from a wet spoon) it would start building chunks and start changing its color. The product would waist within days. Also the powder of TM DESANA MAX is corrosive and handling with the powder in an open bucket would be a safety hazard. That's why we only offer it in super-dry mono-dose packages which allow approximately 5 years shelf life in hot and cold.
How much cleaning solution do I need to fill my dispensing
system?
How often should beer lines be cleaned?
A lot of breweries recommend to clean the beer lines every 7 or 14 days. We recommend to clean the lines at a frequency that best suits the consumption at the respective outlet (the longer the beer sits in the line the worse for the quality of the beer), the age and type of construction of the draught system, the type of beer and its storage temperature as well as the efforts of the waiters and bartenders to daily take care of the hygiene of the faucets. That's why we can't really recommend any cleaning frequency. TM DESANA MAX however can help you to gauge the best frequency for each tap and outlet. How?
How can TM DESANA MAX help me to evaluate my cleaning intervals?
In the first week clean each line according to the application guidelines of TM DESANA MAX until the color of the cleaning solution from the tap matches the color of the blank in the container. After two weeks do the following:
- Pre-rinse all lines with tap water and measure the volume of each line.
- Fill each line with TM DESANA MAX, let the solution soak for 3 minutes.
- Empty each line separately and collect the exact volume of each line into a glass or bucket. Try to be accurate and only tap the volume of each single line!
- Take notes of the color of the solution of each line. For example: line 1: PURPLE, line 2: BLUE, line 3: GREEN, line 4-5: YELLOW.
- All lines that matched the color of the blank (purple) or even had a blue color are in good shape. You can rinse these with tap water and put the beer back on these lines. Evaluate these lines again after a longer period of time to test if an even longer interval works as well.
- In all lines where the solution came out green or yellow critical contamination built up during the 2 weeks. Clean these with TM DESANA MAX until the solution matches the color of the blank. Tip: Do a special cleaning of the couplers and faucets of these lines!
- Now you know: The lines where green or yellow solution came out in the first shot need more cleaning (clean them again in 1 or 2 weeks) than the lines where purple and blue solution came out (extend the cleaning frequency on these lines).
Evaluate all your lines in all outlets on a regular basis. A once prolonged cleaning frequency might need reconsideration due to change of beer on that line, aging of equipment, change in consumption etc. Also a once shortened cleaning frequency could allow extension.
Can I also use cold water to prepare the solution?
YES. It has to be considered though, that TM DESANA MAX dissolves much faster in luke warm (30-35°C or 86-95°F) water. A higher temperature accelerates the cleansing success. One could also theoretically use hot (70-80°C or 160-175°F) water, but the synthetic material parts of the beverage-dispensing unit (seals etc.) would suffer by doing so. TM DESANA MAX is formulated to be used in cold water; this is an added benefit where coolers and accompanying cooling systems cannot be turned off during the cleansing process.
What do I put into the container first: water or the powder?
Add the powder of TM DESANA MAX to the flowing jet of water. If that's not possible fill the container with water first and then add TM DESANA MAX to reduce the risk of "splash back".
When does the product expire?
The unopened (and unharmed) sachet has a shelf life of approximately 5 years.
Is the powder sensitive to hot and / or cold storage temperatures?
NO. Changes in temperatures do not influence the quality of the product in any way. You can store TM DESANA MAX for approximately 5 years in hot and cold temperatures.
Can I save the solution that has not been used for another
cleaning?
A freshly ready made solution should not be kept longer than 3 hours afterwards. The solution can be kept for more than 3 hours in some cases (if particularly good drinking water was used). So you can use remaining, fresh solution for a second customer. If you are using a cleaning pot/cleaning KEG be careful to de-pressurize the container before you move it! Transport the container under CO2 pressure will neutralize the lye. When you carry over a half full cleaning pot to another account always disinfect couplers before attaching them to the cleaning pot to avoid cross contamination from one bar to another. Also make sure to pull a new blank from the pot before you start cleaning the other account, as the color in the pot might have changed over time.
Why do you recommend to take a blank out of the tank before
starting to clean?
TM DESANA MAX oxidizes ALL organics and consequently changes its color already in soiled containers. The cleaning is successful if TM DESANA MAX couldn't find any organics on its way through the pipes and is taped in its original color. The original color in the cleaning container might range from light purple to dark bluish purple because in some places, tap water contains some organics or sometimes the container might be slightly contaminated - which would both cause a slight color change. So only then the solution doesn't change color on its way through the dispensing system and remains the color of the original solution it's a reliable sign that there are no organics anymore on the lines. The aim is always to get to the same color as original - that's why we recommend to always take a blank.
Why does it sometimes take such a long time until the line
is free from organics and the solution comes out purple?
Several possibilities can be the cause for this:
- The coatings in the pipes are very old, or the beverage pipes were treated with the wrong cleaning chemicals over a long period of time; or the beverage dispensing unit was not cleaned at all. Our experience shows that the time needed to clean the installations a second or a third time decreases tremendously, because TM DESANA MAX has already dissolved the old, dried up residues in the pipes. One thing is for sure: When it takes a long time until the solution comes out purple again it does not mean that TM DESANA MAX is weak, it rather indicates extremely heavy soiling of the pipes!
- The inside of your cleaning pot, sink or bucket (where you prepared the TM DESANA MAX solution) is soiled. This sometimes happens when some water was standing over night on the bottom of the tank or bucket or if the container was not properly rinsed from other liquids. This contamination already triggers a color change of the fresh TM DESANA MAX solution inside the tank (to blue or even green). This is a one-way reaction which means that the solution that comes out of the tap will always be green. You can still use it for cleaning (even in the blue or green state TM DESANA MAX is very effective); but you won't be able to see the color change to purple. To fully take advantage of the color indicator always start with a purple solution.
- A piece of the beverage pipe, or a seal is made out of PVC.
PVC contains elasticizers such as DEHP for example, which
are washed out through fluids in general (especially alcoholic
fluids). TM DESANA MAX recognizes these and changes its color.
The use of PVC in the beverage area is often discussed by
many experts in the industry, because the suspicion that it
is harmful to our health can not be ruled out.
Why is the needed TM DESANA MAX amount so high, when POM
- installations are used?
It is more useful to rinse with a lot of water in POM- installations, because of the high sugar content in the syrup. Sugar dissolves very well in water and therefore leaves the pipes very quickly. One should only begin with the chemical cleaning process, when the rinsing water comes out almost clear. This way, you not only save valuable working time, but you also help reduce the amount of chemicals used.
The inner surface of the cleaning container turns brown.
What happened?
In some cases the tap water contains higher amounts of metal ions (iron, manganese). When using higher temperatures (above 35°C or 95°F), TM DESANA MAX may lead to this brown deposits caused by this metal ions when preparing the solution. These brown deposits do not effect the quality of the cleaning process and they can be removed easily with the a cleaner for ironoxyde deposits. Contact us if you would like more information about this cleaner.
Is TM DESANA MAX an environmental friendly product?
TM DESANA MAX contains NO Chlorine and NO surfactants. After cleaning with TM DESANA MAX you'll find only natural mineral water components in the drained solution. The compatibleness of the used cleaning solution with sludge in waist water treatment plants has been approved by the Technical University of Vienna/Austria (source: publication by the Institute for Water Quality and Waste Management, Prof. N.Matsché, Feb. 11th 2003).
How long can you soak TM DESANAMAX in the line?
We recommend 2 hours soaking time maximum for deep cleaning purposes. Everything longer than that might cause corrosion on the material due to the heavy duty power of the product.
What’s the product’s effect on sensitive material (e.g.
membranes)?
TM DESANA MAX causes no corrosion on state of the art material (stainless steel, fittings, membranes etc, ) and no leaching of plastic tubes. In our labs, we simulate long-term effects (10+ years) of TM DESANAMAX on any kind of material within a couple of weeks and provide technical reports including pictures taken with up light microscopes in two thousand fold magnification. We have already accumulated analysis information about more than 200 different materials in our material library. For TM DESANA MAX customers we offer a free check of any pipe materials you use. Contact us if you would like to learn more!
Does a regular application of TM DESANAMAX improve cleaning
results over time?
Yes, because when you reach the color of the blank at the end of your cleaning there are no residual organics left in the line. Also the lime scale protection effect in TM DESANAMAX prevents lime scale build up during the cleaning process (like it would occur with simple alkaline cleaners) and the inner surfaces are left smooth and organic-free after a successful cleaning. All this delays the build-up of new organics which leads to better cleaning results over time.
The time to mix the powder with water is an extra, time
consuming step. Especially when more than 4,5 liters or 1.2
gal is needed.
If you need to fill very long lines (e.g. 275 m or 900 ft) and need 19 liters or 5 gal do the following: Dissolve 4 packages of TM DESANA MAX in 4 liters or 1 gal of water in a clean pail by adding the powder into the flowing jet of lukewarm water. The solubility in this high concentration might be marginal and not as good as in the recommended concentration of 4,5 l or 1.2 gal per package. However, if you swing around the pail between adding the content of each package and rinse the remaining residues in the pail out afterwards, up to 4 sachets can dissolve in 4 liters or 1 gal of water. Then pour this highly concentrated premix into a cleaning KEG or large bucket holding 19 liters or 5 gal and fill it up with tap water. Use this solution immediately to maintain the best color change results. If you can't access the water faucet with the cleaning pot consider using a jumper pipe.
Is TM DESANA MAX available in liquid form?
Yes, we sell a liquid beer line cleaner (available in Europe only). However, we found out that TM DESANA MAX is our best quality product and especially designed to effectively clean and verify beer dispensing lines. Plus: You save money on shipping and storage space by not handling hazardous liquids.
What do I do if the color in the pot turned pink?
When cleaning with a pressurized cleaning pot always make sure to open the CO2 valve before you move the pot! As soon as the cleaning pot is pressurized move it only gently to avoid blending of the CO2 with the alkaline solution. This is a general rule and accounts for TM DESANA MAX as well as other alkaline cleaners. CO2 neutralizes the alkalinity of the solution (normal chemical reaction) and makes the solution ineffective! TM DESANA MAX shows you that the solution is ineffective by changing its color to bright pink. In this case dump the ineffective solution and prepare a fresh one.
In some long draw lines the TM DESANA MAX solution comes
out yellow and remains yellow for a long time and only comes
out blue or purple after multiple shots.
TM DESANA MAX shows you which accounts are in good shape and which need more attention. Only when the color of TM DESANA MAX comes out the same color as the blank it's a reliable sign of cleanliness. You might consider spending less time with accounts where the solution comes out purple already after the first or second shot - or even go there less often. We recommend to rather spend the saved time with accounts where the lines are more dirty and take multiple shots to get back to the color of the blank. This way you can spend your time more effectively while maintaining the good quality of the beer. And the purpose of cleaning lines is to have clean lines in order to maintain the quality of the beer, isn't it?
What do I put into the container first: water or the powder?
WATER first!… always water, then the lye, otherwise it gets
into your eye…
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