Maintenance Methods for Beer Production Equipment and Accessories
To run just about anything in life, is to put in the time and effort needed.
This holds true for everything ranging from things in your personal life, to those related to your profession and career.
All of this is required, as just about everything you do in life, requires active maintenance, to be in top condition and run smoothly.
And this holds true for individuals as well as other entities.
When it comes to industries, this is very much applicable, wherein there is a constant need to take care of the equipment, facility and other aspects of the business process.
In the case of the beer industry, it is pretty much the same case. With a host of different machinery, pipes, containers and dispensers around, along with other paraphernalia that keeps everything together, it is clear that maintenance is something that one cannot ignore, if they are to be running at peak capacity.
Given in the steps below are some of the most important maintenance methods for beer production equipment and accessories.
- Routine Inspections
This is by far the most important steps that are to be taken up, if the beer making equipment is to be in top order.
That the equipment breaks down, at least in the long run is a given. It is not something that can be contested. At the same time however, it is also not something that can be ascertained with any degree of certainty.
It is here that the routine inspections come into existence. Having someone or a group of individuals take up routine inspection of the way things are running in the facility is a great way to identify problems before the happen, and apply the necessary measures before it is too late.
It is usually done every couple of weeks, with the actual maintenance process being something done at similar intervals. Depending on the intensity of equipment use, inspection frequencies may also vary.
- Outsourcing the Work
If there is one trend that has emerged in the world of modern business, it is that of outsourcing.
Simply put, outsourcing helps a company to shift a part of its work load to another company, in an effort to focus on its core product or service, while the other company takes care of the less important work.
The tasks that are related to maintaining the equipment, as well as its inspection, can be outsourced to a third party. Also to note here, is that the third party can be the manufacturer of the equipment, or someone authorized by it.
- Setting up a Fund for Repairs & Maintenance
Spend some time to check up on the balance sheets of any company.
You will notice that there is a specific section in it called repairs and maintenance, or something like it. There is a reason why this section exists.
It is there to ensure that there is a certain amount of funds available, in the case where there is any sudden breakdown of machinery or other such emergency.
And if something like that were to take place, things can be brought back to normal before something negative happens to the company.
- Sterilizing the Equipment
This is by far one of the most important steps of hygiene when it comes to maintaining beer equipment.
It is important that the beer equipment be properly sterilized, at regular intervals, so as to ensure the right production environment for manufacturing beer.
There are several things that should be sterilized here, including the fermentation tank, connecting pipes, hoses, and taps and so on. And these have to be done in a way that leaves them sterilized, without in any way contaminating the next batch with cleaning solvents and what not used during the sterilization process.
While there is no specific chemical or technique used by brewery, one of the most common ways of cleaning equipment is using bleach. The bleach, when dissolved in cold water, helps to eliminate any and all organic deposits as well as other residue that may exist in the mixture. In addition to this, there are several other chemicals, many of which are patented, which can be used as well.
Regardless of the chemical being used, it is important to ensure that the chemicals are thoroughly washed away with water, before the next beer batch is prepared. As much as these chemicals may be of use, they are also dangerous when ingested.
- Using Plain Hot Water
Another way of cleaning up the equipment is plain old hot water.
As rudimentary and primitive as it may sound, hot water is a great way to kill just about anything that may be living on the surface of the equipment.
If one is reluctant to use hot water, one could use other sources of heat, such as steam, autoclaves or any other such machinery.
- Application of Vinegars
There are a host of different chemicals that are currently used for cleaning beer making equipment.
One of the more traditional ones used for cleaning, is somewhat like the one mentioned in the previous point; vinegar.
Vinegars come in a variety of different preparation styles, all of which are made up of acetic acid. It is a great way for one to strip equipment of any deposits that may have accumulated over the years.
If one is interested in using vinegars to clean the surface, it should be noted that the affected layer will have to be soaked in vinegar for a certain period of time, usually a couple of hours, to effectively strip away accumulated deposits.
- Scrubbing a Humble Brush
This is a great way to get rid of any accumulated mineral or organic deposits, particularly one that is resistant to other materials.
Rubbing with a hard brush can usually eliminate even the toughest of deposits on beer equipment.
- Maintain a Clean Work Environment
Last but not the least, it is important to ensure that a clean workplace environment is maintained at all times.
This is because quite often, the maintenance issues have more to do with the place where the equipment is housed, rather than the equipment itself.
For example, a good proportion of the dust in machinery comes from the factory, rather than the machinery itself. Likewise, there is a possibility that the equipment may be damaged by rats living in the facility, which tend to be attracted to the ingredients stored in the factory.
In simple words, maintaining a clean working environment helps to ensure that the equipment can avoid much of the issues that it would have otherwise encountered.
In all, these steps and others like it are a great way to ensure that the machinery used by the business, will help out immensely when it comes to maintaining the equipment in working condition.
It may seem like a hassle to go about doing it all, but this is what is required if one has to keep the business running at a capacity of optimum productivity and profitability.
