The topic of this bulletin is cleaning and the steps necessary in a proper
wash up. I hope that you find it interesting and informative.
There are several components to a proper wash up of your dairy. These include
temperature, chemical concentration, and washing action; if any of these
factors are ignored they will eventually lead to major problems. The surface
being cleaned also needs to be taken into consideration.
The first thing I would like to do is define two terms that are sometimes
used interchangeable. That is cleaning, the removal of dirt, and sanitizing,
the treatment of a cleaned surface usually with a chemical agent in order
to kill bacteria. Remember that a surface can appear clean, but if it has
not been treat with a sanitizing product it has not been sanitized.
Temperature is very important in any cleaning operation. Research has shown
that for every rise in temperature of 18 degrees Fahrenheit the effectiveness
of cleaning doubles, this is true to a point. Butterfat begins to melt at
98 degrees, but to fully be in a liquid state the temperature should be
100-110 degrees. To ensure that all the fats and proteins are flowing freely
the return water should be at least 130 degrees. However, it is very important
to remember that the pre-rinse of the system is done with cold water. If
hot water is used instead of rinsing away the milk residue it will be cooked
inside the pipes making its removal harder.
Chemical concentration should always be in manufactures recommended amounts.
To little will not be affective and to much will be harder to rinse out
of the system, maybe harmful to your equipment, and will be a waste of your
money. One example of over using a cleaner is chlorine. High amounts will
cause the deterioration of rubber fitting and gaskets. Chlorine is corrosive
to nearly everything it comes into contact with, especially stainless steel
and rubber. Its use should be limited and controlled. Remember NEVER mix
chemicals, some chemical when mixed can producer poisonous gases.
The action or physical force exerted on the surface to clean it is another
factor to consider. The degree of action in pipes is determined by the velocity
or pressure inside the pipe. If there is not enough pressure to completely
fill the pipe only the bottom half will get cleaned and a bio film will
build up on the top half and in bends.
The question is not, Can we save some time and money now? But should we
spend a little time and money now, or a lot more later trying to fixed the
problems caused by improper cleaning. I hope that this information will
be helpful in the management of your dairy. |
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