Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 08-08-2025 Origin: Site
Stainless steel cans play a critical role in beer brewing and other industrial applications. Its corrosion resistance and durability make it ideal for storing and handling a wide range of liquids. However, even the highest-quality stainless steel requires regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure its optimal performance and hygiene standards. Clean stainless steel tanks not only prevent the accumulation of contaminants and residues but also extend the life of the tank body, ensuring the quality of the final product. In this article, we show you how to clean stainless steel tanks safely and efficiently.
This paper mainly describes the maintenance principles, steps, and common problems:
1.Regular standard cleaning
Use a special cleaner for stainless steel and strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions
Establish a cleaning cycle: clean food/beer cans after each batch, and chemical cans at least once a month
2.Systematic patrol inspection
Focus on inspection of welds, seals, and inner walls to identify corrosion/leakage risks as early as possible
Recommended frequency: weekly visual inspection+quarterly depth inspection
3.Preventive maintenance (PM)
Regular replacement of seals, valves, and other vulnerable parts (recommended replacement period: 12-24 months)
Implement maintenance log tracking to record part replacement and exception handling
Industry warning: Pharmaceutical/food tanks shall comply with GMP/HACCP specifications, and cleaning records shall be kept for ≥ 3 years
Step 1: Pre-treatmentEmpty the medium → pre-flush with high-pressure water gun (≥ 50Bar) → remove the surface residue
Preparation tools: food-grade soft brush, non-woven cloth, and pH test paper
Step 2: Detergent selection
Residue Type Cleaner Mechanism
Grease/Organic Alkaline Cleaner (pH 10-12) Saponification Decomposition Organic Residue
Scale/Mineral Acid Cleaner (pH 2-4) Dissolves Calcium and Magnesium Deposits
Brewing detergent for hops/yeast Enzyme hydrolysis biomembrane
Step 3: five-steps cleaning method
Key control points:
Flushing water quality: conductivity ≤ 5 μ S/cm (secondary pollution prevention)
Drying method: sterile compressed air purging+65 ℃ hot air drying
Step 4: Cleaning Verification
Visual inspection: no visible residue on the inner wall, bright welds, and no pitting
White cloth test: wipe the inner wall without stain
Physicochemical test: pH value/conductivity meet process water standard
Microbial sampling inspection (required for pharmaceutical/food): total number of colony ≤ 10CFU/100mL
Q1: How to determine the cleaning frequency?
Food/beer cans: after each batch production
Chemical tank: when the medium changes or once a month
Pharmaceutical pure water tank: weekly sterilization+72 hours cleaning
Q2: Which chemicals are prohibited?
❌ Chlorinated cleaning agents (e.g., sodium hypochlorite → induced stress corrosion)
❌ Hydrofluoric acid (corrosion passive layer)
✅ Safe substitution: peracetic acid, nitric acid (concentration ≤ 5%)
Q3: When is professional deep cleaning required?
Presence of persistent scale/biofilm (calcified layer>1mm)
Weld corrosion depth ≥ 0.5mm
Regular annual passivation treatment (recovery of anticorrosive coating)
Protection of welding area: after cleaning, apply nitric acid passivation paste (improve pitting resistance)
Seal ring maintenance:
EPDM/FKM food-grade rubber gasket shall be selected
Smear silicone grease to prevent aging during storage
Water quality control:
Chloride ion ≤ 25ppm (prevention of chloride embrittlement)
Dissolved oxygen ≤ 0.1ppm (reduce oxidation corrosion)
