Toon Ale Delivered To Your Fridge!

You can now buy Toon Ale online, where ever you are in the U.K. All first orders come with a FREE gift - The Geordie Gizzabit album by Clear Cut. Find Out More...



Cleaning & Sanitation

All brewing equipment must be kept scrupulously clean and sanitized to avoid contamination by microorganisms. Good cleaning and sanitation has become especially necessary with the growing use of nonpasteurized products and the reduced use of additives. Cleaning and sanitizing may be separate or combined processes.

There are literally hundreds of detergent mixtures available that are specifically tailored to the needs of the brewer. A detergent must be capable of wetting surface(s) to allow it to penetrate the soil deposits and to thus act more quickly and efficiently. The detergent must have the capacity to break the soil into fine particles and to hold them in suspension so that they do not redeposit on the cleaned surface. Detergents also must have good sequestering power to keep calcium and magnesium salts (beerstone) in solution. There are two types of cleaning detergents: alkaline or acid that are often formulated with surfactants, chelating agents, and emulsifiers to enhance the effectiveness of the detergents. The most effective detergents in the brewery today are formulated with alkaline solutions that have chelators and surfactants.