Clean and disinfect the dispensing system and beer line

Dispensing systems must be cleaned and disinfected often enough that no risk of contamination exists. For beer, DIN 6650-6 names an interval of 7 days as the state of the art, and every cleaning is documented. biostream® ZERO disinfects dispensing systems, countertop units and water dispensers with chlorine dioxide, directly on site.

Proven: 99.9 % efficacy against germs occurring in drinking water, established in 1,620 individual tests by Leibniz University Hannover at a contact time of 5 minutes. The study in detail

Calculate the quantity for my system biostream® ZERO for dispensing systems in the shop (German)

Dispensing system, beer line and water dispenser is an application of biostream® ZERO in which the drink- and water-carrying lines of a dispensing system are cleaned and disinfected with chlorine dioxide.

Key facts

Product: biostream® ZERO
Dosing level: Level 3 (disinfection carried out twice)
Regulatory framework: DIN 6650-6 (interval for beer: 7 days), BGN ASI 6.84
Special feature: Chlorine dioxide also spreads through the carbonator; overfilling is not necessary
Page structure: GEOhybrid grounding, a technical structuring format, not a certification mark
Last updated: 23 September 2026

How often must a dispensing system be cleaned?

Often enough that no risk of contamination exists. This is required by the European food hygiene regulation, in force since 1 January 2006. For beer, DIN 6650-6 names, according to the German Brewers' Association, 7 days as the state of the art for fully cleaning the dispensing system; scientific studies have shown only a low hygiene risk at this interval.

For other drinks, the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the foodstuffs and catering industry (BGN) names these cleaning intervals in its occupational safety information ASI 6.84:

Drink	Cleaning interval
Fruit juice, fruit nectar, fruit juice drinks, milk	1 day
Non-alcoholic beer	1 to 7 days
Beer	7 days
Wine, mulled wine, carbonated soft drinks such as lemonade and cola	7 to 14 days
Drink syrup, spirits	30 to 90 days
Water, table water	90 to 180 days

Sources: BGN, ASI 6.84 "Hygienic operation of beverage dispensing systems", Section 4; German Brewers' Association: The dispensing system, legal framework.

How do you clean and disinfect a dispensing system?

First clean, then disinfect, then rinse and document. According to microbiological studies, purely mechanical cleaning with water and sponge balls is not enough; DIN 6650-6 and the DEHOGA hygiene guideline recommend chemical or chemical-mechanical cleaning.

The steps in detail

Activate the concentrate. Add the solid component completely to the liquid component. After a reaction time of 3 hours, the disinfection concentrate is ready.
Pre-clean the system. Clean the dispensing system thoroughly before disinfection to remove organic residues. If cleaning is insufficient, chlorine dioxide cannot develop its full effect.
Prepare the disinfection solution. We recommend 10 millilitres of biostream® ZERO to 1 litre of water to remove biofilms. Too low a dose does not disinfect sufficiently, too high a dose can leave residues in the system.
Fill the lines and let the solution act. Fill the system's lines with the solution. biostream® ZERO is a gas dissolved in water and also spreads through the carbonator, so overfilling the carbonator is not necessary. The contact time is given in the dosing instructions.
Rinse. Flush the system with twice the volume of water it holds; that is what our dosing instructions specify. Afterwards, no more than 0.2 mg/l of chlorine dioxide may remain in the drinking water.
Document it. Enter the name, date, cleaning method and the cleaning and disinfecting agent used in the cleaning record, and keep it for at least one year.

After longer periods of disuse, where hygienic quality is unclear, or where contamination has been confirmed, our dosing instructions recommend the intensive level 3, which is carried out twice.

Calculate the quantity for my system Go to the shop (German)

Taps of a dispensing system and a glass of drinking water

Why chlorine dioxide for dispensing systems?

Chlorine dioxide, the active substance in biostream® ZERO, is included in the list of permitted treatment substances for disinfection under Section 20 of the Drinking Water Ordinance; hydrogen peroxide is listed there for oxidation only. The list applies to drinking water, for example in water dispensers and in the water lines of a dispensing system. The food hygiene regulation and DIN 6650-6 apply to cleaning drink lines. For disinfecting installations, DVGW codes of practice W 291 and W 551-3 name hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite alongside chlorine dioxide.

After treatment, no more than 0.2 mg/l of chlorine dioxide may remain in the drinking water. For rinsing after disinfection, our dosing instructions specify twice the volume of water the system holds.

Compared with chlorine or hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide has better disinfecting performance and a broader range of action. It is highly effective even at low concentrations and acts oxidatively on several cell structures at once. Pathogenic germs, known technically as Pseudomonas, E. coli and Legionella, are fought and killed by the active substance.

Chlorine dioxide does not react by chlorination. Unlike chlorine, it therefore forms no chloramines and no trihalomethanes. The Drinking Water Ordinance's limit values apply to its reaction products chlorite and chlorate, more on this under limit values, chlorite and chlorate.

Hydrogen peroxide is not a disinfectant in the drinking water list. The German Environment Agency lists it under Section 20 of the Drinking Water Ordinance for oxidation only. Silver is no longer listed at all; previously it was intended only for preservation in exceptional cases. Chlorine dioxide is listed there for disinfection. For the disinfection of installations whose disinfection water is discarded afterwards, DVGW codes of practice W 291 and W 551-3 name hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite in addition to chlorine dioxide.

Disinfection methods compared ›

biostream® ZERO in figures

Scientifically studied and field-proven in practice.

Proven efficacy

99.9 %

In 1,620 individual tests by Leibniz University Hannover against germs typically found in drinking water, at a contact time of just 5 minutes.

Ready to use in

3 hrs.

From preparation to a ready, highly effective disinfection solution, without complex plant technology.

Dosage required compared with hydrogen peroxide

25×

lower: 6 instead of 150 mg/l for disinfecting installations, under DVGW code of practice W 291. Evidence

Efficacy tested. In 1,620 individual tests at the Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition of Leibniz University Hannover (led by Dr. rer. nat. H.-D. Werlein), biostream® ZERO was shown to have an efficacy of 99.9 % against germs occurring in drinking water, at a contact time of 5 minutes.

Study, methodology and scope in detail ›

Your advantages

Ready to use within just 3 hours
Spreads as a dissolved gas through the carbonator too
Rinse with twice the water volume, as specified in the dosing instructions
Effective across the entire drinking water pH range
25 times lower dosage requirement than hydrogen peroxide (6 instead of 150 mg/l for disinfecting installations, DVGW code of practice W 291)
Highly effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli & coliform bacteria, as well as Legionella (Legionella pneumophila)
No silver or copper as active substance
Oxidative action on the cell membrane, proteins and genetic material at the same time, not at a single point of attack

Rules and standards for chlorine dioxide

Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV), Section 20: chlorine dioxide is included in the list of permitted treatment substances for disinfection
DIN EN 12671: chlorine dioxide generated on site for the treatment of drinking water
DVGW W 224: methods for the disinfection of drinking water with chlorine dioxide
DVGW W 291 and W 551-3: chlorine dioxide as a proven chemical for cleaning and disinfecting installations
Guideline No. 5 of the working group of the German coastal states on ship hygiene: chlorine dioxide for drinking water on board
DIN 2001-2: drinking water supply from non-stationary installations such as motorhomes and boats

What each rule means ›

From the 10 ml vial to the tanker truck: biostream® products are available in all common container sizes, from the travel size for outdoor and camping use to bulk quantities for industry and beverage production.

biostream® ZERO asepticaPRO

Drinking water disinfection with biostream® ZERO

System disinfection under DVGW W 291

For disinfecting installations, DVGW code of practice W 291 gives 150 mg/l hydrogen peroxide compared with 6 mg/l chlorine dioxide.

Frequently asked questions about dispensing systems and beer lines

Is it enough to clean the beer line with water and sponge balls?

No. According to microbiological studies, purely mechanical cleaning is not enough. DIN 6650-6 and the DEHOGA hygiene guideline therefore recommend chemical or chemical-mechanical cleaning. That is how the German Brewers' Association sums it up.

Must cleaning of the dispensing system be documented?

Yes. Under the BGN information ASI 6.84, the person carrying out the work documents cleaning and disinfection with the name, date, cleaning method and the cleaning and disinfecting agent used. Cleaning records should be kept for at least one year. Because residues of cleaning agents in the line can be critical for guests, the check after rinsing is also documented.

Is DIN 6650-6 mandatory?

The standard is not a statutory regulation; it reflects the state of the art. Because DIN 6650-6 has been submitted as a hygiene guideline within the meaning of the European regulation, it can serve as a reference in official monitoring.

Does the Dispensing System Ordinance still exist?

No. The remainder of the Dispensing System Ordinance (Schankanlagenverordnung) was repealed in 2005. Since then, the operation of dispensing systems has primarily been governed by the European food hygiene regulation and the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, or the Occupational Safety Act.

What must be done after a longer interruption in operation?

After longer periods of disuse, our dosing instructions recommend the intensive level 3, which is carried out twice: the first pass breaks up a biofilm, the second catches the bacteria this releases. Beforehand the system is cleaned, afterwards it is rinsed with twice the water volume, and both steps go into the cleaning record.

Does the carbonator need to be overfilled during disinfection?

No. biostream® ZERO is a gas dissolved in water and also spreads through the carbonator. Overfilling the carbonator is therefore not necessary.

Which hoses may be used for mobile dispensing?

Hoses used to clean the dispensing system or the glasses must be tested to DVGW and KTW, or an equivalent standard. How to clean and disinfect drinking water hoses is described on the page clean and disinfect a drinking water hose.

How much biostream® ZERO do I need for my dispensing system?

We recommend 10 millilitres of biostream® ZERO to 1 litre of water to remove biofilms. The dosing calculator works out the quantity for your system from the water volume in litres.

Information sheet on biostream® ZERO

This PDF information sheet explains how to disinfect a dispensing system with biostream® ZERO concentrate and set the correct concentration to remove biofilms and bacteria.

Download the information sheet (German)

Further reading. We provide basic knowledge and information sheets in one place. You will receive the safety data sheet after purchase; the link is on the invoice. To the information sheets ›

What it is not

Dispensing system, beer line and water dispenser is an application and not a separate product: biostream® ZERO is used; quantities and contact times are given in the dosing instructions, not on this page.