144 CAN WASHING 



After the cans are freed from the remnants of milk or 

 cream they should be thoroughly rinsed. This is usually done 

 by inverting them over a water jet attached to one end of the 

 wash tank. Or in the case of hydraulic can washers the cans 

 pass from the washing jets to the rinsing jets. In hand 

 washing the rinsing process is too often neglected and 

 remnants of the unclean wash water remain in the cans serving 

 as an active starter to pollute the next batch of cream. The 

 cans should be thoroughly rinsed after they are washed. The 

 rinsing is preferably done with hot water, so as to make more 

 effective the subsequent steaming and drying. 



Fig*. 21. Mechanical can washer 



Courtesy Rice & Adams Corp. 



The properly rinsed cans are then ready for the steam- 

 ing process. This is accomplished by inverting them over a 

 steam jet and blowing steam into them until they are "piping" 

 hot. In the case of hand wash tanks the steam jet is usually 

 installed in close proximity to the water jet so that the cans 

 can be rinsed and steamed in one operation. In the hydraulic 

 can washers the cans pass on automatically from the rinsing 

 jets to the steaming jets. The purpose of steaming is to destroy 

 the germs still contained in the cans and to render the cans as 

 nearly sterile as possible. The length of time required for thor- 

 ough steaming depends much on the steam pressure, the size of 

 the steam pipe and the distance between the steam jet and the 

 boiler. Under ordinary creamery conditions the steaming should 

 last at least 30 seconds. A shorter time is insufficient to insure 

 effective germ-killing action. Steaming for 5 to 10 seconds, as is 



