June 2019 Monthly Management

Chlorine Free Cleaning of Bulk Tanks

It is becoming extremely difficult to achieve dairy product specification, when chlorine - based products are used as part of the equipment cleaning routines on farm.

Non-chlorine based cleaning protocols are now becoming part of the industry and will reduce the levels of trichloromethanes (TCMs) and chlorates found in dairy products.

The first step towards chlorine free is to remove the use of chlorine from the bulk tank wash. The bulk tank is at least 60% of the problem for TCMs and chlorate residues.

The three main components of alternate non-chlorine cleaning protocols involve the use of various combinations of:

1. Caustic detergents e.g Multisan CF
2. Increased use of acid-based products
   • Acid Descaler e.g Ecolab Descaler, Deosan Acidbrite, Biocel Supercleen.
   • Peracetic acid e.g Serpent, Romit
   • Acid based ‘One for all products’ e.g Osan
3. Hot water

Automatic washing units must have dosing pumps recalibrated when different detergent products are used.

Hot water is critical in chlorine free. Water temperature settings in some instances are determined by the bulk tank manufacturer and may need to be adjusted.

For fully automatic detergent dosing systems (two pumps connected to two dosing plastic tubes) there are a number of strategies that can be used.

1. Dosing unit can be programmed to use the caustic detergent (Multisan CF) and the acid descaler (Acidbrite/ Supercleen) on alternate milk collection days or the acid detergent may be used after every third collection using hot water (60/75C).
2. The tank can be programmed to use the caustic detergent (Multisan CF) with hot water and the second pump could be used to add peracetic acid (Serpent) to the final rinse after each collection. Where peracetic acid is used, it is not necessary to use acid descale.
3. If an acid based ‘one for all product’ (e.g Osan) is used, this is used after every collection and only one automatic dosing pump is required.

For semi-automatic tanks where detergent is manually filled into a bowl before washing commences, then option 1 is most suitable.

For more information on this issue talk to Tim Regan or Darren Lynch.

Biorefinery Glas: Farm Bioeconomy Demonstration Day

Carbery Group are participating in a new project Biorefinery Glas. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme, it is Ireland’s first grass biorefinery project, biorefinery is a process that converts biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts.

Harvested grass will be fed through the small scale biorefinery unit. The biorefinery unit will process grass into a number of products:

1. A dried feed for cattle, this feed will be sent to UCD Lyons Research Farm and methane emissions will be monitored from dairy cows with this feed incorporated into their diets.
2. A co-product protein for use in pig feed diets
3. A high-value sugar stream with high nutritional value and a stream for use in biogas or fertiliser applications.

The project will host a free demonstration day at Shinagh Farm in Bandon on July 11th at 11am and 2pm.

Teagasc Land Drainage Event

Teagasc in association with Drinagh Co-op will be holding a land drainage event on the farm of

Martin Buckley, Scart, Bantry on Wednesday 26th of June at 12 noon.

The main speaker at the event will be Pat Tuohy, Teagasc drainage specialist.

This is a KT approved Beef & Dairy event.

All are welcome to attend.

Please see local press for more details nearer the day