Ice Machines and "Cold Mold"

[StonesRyan]

We've been having trouble with our tasting room ice maker accumulating "cold mold" to the point that the drain becomes clogged and the ice bin fills with water. We lease the machine and the guy we lease from is now telling us the fast accumulation of "cold mold" is the result of the yeast we use - despite my insistence that yeast needs certain conditions, including somewhat specific temperatures and a food source. He tells me that this is an issue in all the distilleries he leases machines to.

Is anyone else having this issue with their ice maker?    

[adamOVD]

Yes. I've heard it is a problem for anyone with a distillery, brewery, bakery, Kim chi factory, or any other fermented or yeast using product. I've also recently discovered the same mold that wants to grow in the ice maker, and requires a regular tear down of the machine, is also growing in the swamp cooler. It's pretty disgusting.

[fstmatt]

https://www.google.com/search?q=ice+machine+black+mold&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS771US771&oq=ice+machine+black&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.2590j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

.  What we found to be the most cost effective is to burn the ice once a week and then spray down everything with sani.  And learn how to tear down the machine for a deep clean because it will go down when you least want it to.

[Local Goat]

You need to burn that ice weekly

[Porkchop]

We have the same drain issues but we have set up a bimonthly deep clean schedule of the ice machine and that takes care of it. The six month cleaning schedule the manufacturer suggests is wayyyyyy to long !

[navenjohnson]

My experience is that there is only one way to combat this issue and that is to deep clean the f-ing thing at least once a month. completely drain, take-apart, scrub every nook and accessible cranny and let completely dry before assembling and making ice.