John Lindam (1); (1) Ozone Tech Systems OTS AB, Hägersten, Sweden
Cleaning/Sanitation
Supplier Poster
Cleaning and sanitizing process equipment such as fermentation tanks,
pipes and mechanical equipment, including filling machines, remain a
vital part of brewing unit operations for craft brewers and large-scale
facilities alike. This study aims to compare ozone with traditional
chemical agents and heat used for cleaning and disinfection and the
opportunities and challenges it presents. In addition, the results from
actual brewery ozone applications will be discussed. Clean-in-place
(CIP) operations in breweries, where cleaning and disinfection of closed
process equipment takes place, are typically separated into five
phases: pre-rinsing, cleaning, rinsing, disinfection and final rinsing.
Ozone is a potent and strongly oxidizing substance whose disinfection
capacity can be used to deactivate all types of microorganisms. Its
oxidizing characteristics also make it a potential cleaning agent, as
covalent bonds in proteins and fats can be broken up upon ozone
exposure. Compared to traditionally used chemicals agents such as
hypochlorite (HClO), peracetic acid (PAA) and hot water or steam, which
are common in breweries, ozone presents an opportunity to significantly
reduce total CIP cycle time due to 1) low CT (concentration × time for
microbial deactivation) values; 2) cold application that eliminates the
time required to heat and cool water and steam; and 3) avoidance of the
final rinse phase since ozone breaks down to natural oxygen , leaving no
harmful by-products. On average, brewery CIP cycles can be reduced by
at least 30 min combined with added opportunities for water recycling.
Ozone, at the concentrations required to achieve a streamlined CIP
cycle, is gentle toward materials used in brewery process equipment,
which affects long-term wear and maintenance. This review also covers
safety aspects that need to be addressed when installing and operating
integrated ozone systems. In summary, ozone applications are a viable
alternative to traditional CIP operations in breweries and present major
opportunities in the industry in terms of maximizing production,
reducing operational costs and chemical handling, in addition to serving
as an environmentally friendly alternative in terms of mitigating
energy and water consumption.
John Lindam graduated with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering
from Uppsala University, Sweden, in 2006 and subsequently earned an M.S.
degree in environmental engineering from the University of Queensland,
Australia, in 2007. He has since held various positions in wastewater
treatment, covering process engineering, marketing and sales in Europe,
Asia and North America at Xylem Inc. and Ozonetech. John has always had a
keen interest and been involved in technical projects for minimized
energy and water consumption through technologies within pumps,
aeration, ozone, UV and control systems.
