Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a widely used, environmentally friendly microbicide that is popular in the brewing industry for water disinfection, equipment sanitization, surface sanitization, and CIP processes. Chlorine dioxide has many advantages compared to other common oxidants such as chlorine or ozone:

• Broad-Spectrum Efficacy: Effective against bacteria, viruses, molds, yeast, and fungi. ClO2 also disrupts biofilms, preventing bacterial regrowth.
• pH Range Stability: ClO2 remains stable within a pH range of 3-10, covering practical operating conditions for most water treatments.
• Low Corrosivity: ClO2 is less aggressive toward metals due to its low dose concentrations and lower reduction potential.
• Selective Oxidizer: ClO2 selectively reacts with certain oxidizable materials without affecting ammonia, carbohydrates, and hydrocarbons.
• No Toxic Byproducts: Unlike chlorine, ClO2 doesn’t form harmful byproducts like THMs or HAAs. It also doesn’t chlorinate phenols, preventing a “medicinal” taste in beer.

While chlorine dioxide offers numerous benefits, effective applications in water treatment require careful consideration of generation, measurement, and safety protocols. Key considerations for each are present when implementing a chlorine dioxide programme in your brewery.

Matt Cashner, Sr Industry Technical Consultant at Ecolab, explains throughout the article the substantial benefits implementing chlorine dioxide can provide across brewery operations when considering generation methods, techniques and safety protocols. 

Read the full article here.