Cold Water Detergent Home Brew Cleaner

Brew clean, brew better. This cold water detergent is trusted by home brewers across New Zealand to remove grime, residue, and organic build-up from brewing gear — no hot water or scrubbing required. Ideal for cleaning your fermenters, bottles, siphons, and brewing equipment before sanitising.

Contains Alkaline Salts. 

 

Use as a general brewing cleaner for beer, wine or cider.

Ease of Use:
Mix with cold or warm water and soak your equipment for 10–20 minutes. The detergent works by breaking down tough organic residues left behind from fermentation or brewing. Simply rinse with fresh water before sanitising.

Effectiveness:
Cold water detergent is especially good at cutting through proteins, hop resins, and dried yeast — the kind of gunk that builds up in fermenters, bottles, airlocks, and taps. A proper clean helps reduce the risk of infection later in the process.

Versatility:
Use it for cleaning plastic, glass, and stainless steel brewing equipment. Suitable for fermenters, bottling gear, kegging equipment, and more. Works great even in cold water — no need to boil or use harsh cleaners.

Home Brew Cleaner Dosage Rates:

Use the following amounts depending on the size of your cleaning batch:

Volume of Water	Sanitiser Required	Approx. in Grams (based on 1 tbsp = 15g)
2.5 litres	1 tablespoon	15g
5 litres	2 tablespoons	30g
7.5 litres	3 tablespoons	45g
10 litres	4 tablespoons	60g
12.5 litres	5 tablespoons	75g

 

Everything You Need to Know About Cold Water Detergent

Why use detergent in brewing?

Cleaning is the first — and often most overlooked — step in making great beer, wine, or cider. While sanitiser kills microbes, it won’t remove grime. Detergent breaks down the dirt, residue, and proteins that can lead to off-flavours or infection. Clean equipment means fewer problems and better tasting brews.

What is Cold Water Brewing Detergent?

It’s a simple, unscented, food-safe cleaning agent designed specifically for home brewing. Unlike household cleaners that leave residues or fragrances, this detergent rinses clean and won’t interfere with fermentation or flavour.

How Cold Water Detergent Works:

Alkaline salts soften water and helps lift organic soils off your equipment. It’s particularly effective in cold water, making it faster and easier to get your gear clean without boiling water or long scrubbing sessions.

When to Use Detergent:

Use before every brew to clean fermenters, bottles, spoons, siphons, and anything else that will touch your wort or wine. Cleaning is the first step, and sanitising comes next — always in that order.