Distilleries
Effectively sanitize and restore vats, tanks, fermenters, and more equipment with the power of steam
Cleaning all the equipment you use to make all kinds of liquor can be a grueling and time-consuming task, but there is a better way with dry steam cleaning. Compared to the traditional process of using vinegar, a specialized cleaning solution, water, and a brush, steam cleaning removes visible grime, bacteria, microbes, mold, mildew, and more with a significant reduction in effort and time. Additionally, steam cleaning can effectively sanitize both the interior and exterior of all your equipment – no need to have separate cleaning solutions and processes for each. Steam cleaning with the Optima Steamer also allows you to swell, rehydrate, or restore your vats and foeders more efficiently, extending their lifespan and reducing your water
usage.
Swell, rehydrate, and restore vats and foeders with the Optima Steamer
While the Optima Steamer and power of dry steam can effectively and efficiently clean all sorts of equipment, they really shine when you need to rehydrate, swell, or restore the large wooden vessels at your distillery. Whether you call them vats or foeders, you know how annoying and tricky the upkeep can be. Without swelling them before use, all the good liquid inside can leak out, so you have to rehydrate them often. These huge barrels are a big investment, so you to prevent them from drying out to the
point that they become unusable. The Optima Steamer will not only lengthen the lifespan of your vats and foeders but speed up the rehydration process as well! With our dry steamer, the process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, compared to a full day or two using water. In addition to saving on time, you’ll also save on water because you won’t have to fill the entire vessel with water. The Optima Steamer will use just 2-10 gallons, depending on the barrel’s capacity(for a 500-2500 gallon foeder for example).
The Optima Steamer…
KILLS MOLD, BACTERIA and YEAST
Heat, especially moist heat (a.k.a. steam), can effectively and rapidly inactivate most microorganisms. A temperature of 175 °F (80 °C) for 5–10 min, for example, will destroy all active bacteria, yeast, and fungi. While some yeast strains are known to be resistant to low pH, high alcohol and/or SO2, high temperatures delivered by dry steam can combat these spoilage microbes.
EXCEEDS SAFETY STANDARDS
The Optima SE-II is designed to the highest international standards, including OSHA-approved (bearing ASME and NB stamps) and CSA-certified (Canadian-compliance) models, all with a sleek, self-contained design so that you can be rest assured your business and staff are safe operating an Optima Steamer.
GIVES YOU SUSTAINABLE SANITATION
The Optima Steamer uses a fraction of water creating high temperature steam to kill microbes. The lack of wastewater and the eliminated need for chemicals is eco-friendly and allows breweries to operate in compliance with the Clean Water Act.
Why dry steam is superior to plant steam
Common distillery equipment like fermenters, mash tuns, and stills are all fairly large, and most have lots of little nooks and crannies that are difficult to reach when cleaning, but not when using an Optima Steamer. Unlike hot water or wet steam (water vapor), the steam produced by an Optima Steamer is saturated steam (dry steam). The dry steam can reach areas that hot water and other liquid cleaning solutions can’t while also penetrating deeper into surfaces, meaning you’ll get a better clean without having to do more work. A dry steamer like ours can penetrate deep into wooden staves much quicker and sanitizes better than wet plan steam can. Steam cleaning is also completely natural and doesn’t use any chemicals – just hot, pressurized steam.
Benefits for you and the environment
In addition to saving you time, effort, and energy, distillery steam cleaning with Optima can also save you money. Fermenters, mash tuns, and stills can take several gallons of water each to fully clean, but the Optima Steamer uses a fraction of this amount. Not having to heat up hundreds of gallons of water will reduce costs on your power bill, and the steam cleaning method does not produce any wastewater that needs to be disposed of. Using less water and energy is better for both your distillery and the environment.
Making distilled products like whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, and other hard alcohols requires equipment that is clean and safe to use. Get a better, easier clean with an Optima Steamer today!