S.2 E.7 - Spring Cleaning

What this episode covers

Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness is essential to brewing beer, and many brewers could produce a better product by taking sterilization more seriously. Today we have Dana Johnson and George Allen from Birko on the show to share their expertise on best practices for sterilization in the brewing lifecycle. Dana is Technical Director of Craft Brewing and Distilling at Birko, and George is the Business Development Director for Brewing and Distilling at the same firm. Our conversation starts with George and Dana giving listeners a window into their different careers the how they got to occupy their current roles at Birko. We then take a deep dive into brewing hygiene's technicalities, talking about the other chemicals and processes for cleaning tanks, cans, heat exchangers, lines, and more. On the subject of passivation, George and Dana weigh in on techniques old and new and share their thoughts on the best method to use, especially considering the lower grade stainless that many brewers have to work with nowadays. George and Dana talk about using different acids, caustics, and surfactants in the cleaning process. They share their views on temperature and dose, how to best apply them under which conditions, and how flavor, longevity, and more will be affected depending on the choices brewers make in this regard. We explore some common mistakes smaller-scale breweries make and what they should consider as they transition into professional ones. So, for an expert briefing on keeping things clean no matter your process or scale, be sure to tune in today!

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