Five Star Chemicals & Supply

What Five Star Chemicals & Supply does

Five Star Chemicals & Supply, LLC is a privately held specialty chemical formator founded in 1980 and headquartered in Arvada, Colorado, operating as a subsidiary of the PurposeBuilt Brands conglomerate. The company develops and sells a focused portfolio of cleaning, sanitizing, and brewing adjunct chemicals — notably PBW (alkaline cleaner available in powder, liquid, and tablet formats), Star San and Saniclean acid-based no-rinse sanitizers, Acid #5 and Acid #6 stainless steel passivation cleaners, and peracetic-acid formulas such as Saniclean PAA Pro — for craft beverage producers (breweries, distilleries, cideries, wineries) and homebrewing enthusiasts.

The underlying technology is rooted in proprietary blended chemistries: PBW is a non-caustic alkaline cleaner designed to remove organic soils without damaging stainless steel, rubber, soft metals, or plastics; Star San is an EPA-registered, self-foaming acid-based no-rinse sanitizer; the Acid #5 / Acid #6 line combines nitric and phosphoric acid ratios for passivation and beer stone removal. Products are sold in homebrew-friendly sizes (oz to 8lb) and commercial volumes (up to 55 gallon drums and 450lb sacks).

Revenue is generated through three channels: (1) a self-serve direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at fivestarchemicals.com, shipping via FedEx to the 48 contiguous US states; (2) wholesale distribution through 400+ independent homebrew retailers across North America, Europe, and Oceania; and (3) consultative quote-based sales to commercial craft breweries and larger beverage producers handled via email and phone. Marketing is content-led, combining an educational blog, email newsletter, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), interactive cleaning guides, and a Homebrew Club Program designed to convert homebrewers into long-term commercial accounts.

Name

Five Star Chemicals & Supply

Legal name

Five Star Chemicals & Supply, LLC

Website

https://fivestarchemicals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Five Star Chemicals & Supply is a privately held specialty chemical formator (Arvada, CO) that sells proprietary cleaning, sanitizing, and brewing adjunct products — led by PBW and Star San — to craft breweries, distilleries, cideries, wineries, and homebrewers via e-commerce, 400+ retail partners, and direct commercial sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brewery Cleaning & Sanitizing Chemicals

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Polish and Other Sanitation Good Manufacturing (325612)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Food-Contact Surface Sanitizers (Kitchen/Commercial-grade) (CRAJANAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alkaline Cleaners & Heavy-Duty Degreasers (Caustic/Soda Ash) (CRAJAKAE), Acids & Descalers (Muriatic, Phosphoric, Sulfamic) (CRAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Brewery cleaning chemicals
• Craft beverage sanitizers
• Alkaline brewery cleaners
• Acid sanitizing agents
• Brewing water adjuncts

Headquarters

HQ city

Arvada

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through the company website for homebrewing products in various sizes (1lb, 4lb, 8lb, etc.). Standard pricing for consumer-facing products.
2. Commercial/Bulk Chemical Supply: Quote-based sales for commercial craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and cideries requiring larger quantities (16lb, 50lb, 450lb sizes) or custom formulations. Requires contact via email for pricing.
3. Wholesale to Retailers: Wholesale distribution through independent homebrew shops and specialty retailers across North America and internationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Five Star Chemicals & Supply formulates, manufactures, and distributes specialized cleaning and sanitizing chemicals — including alkaline cleaners (PBW), acid-based sanitizers (Star San, Saniclean), acid passivation cleaners (Acid #5, Acid #6), and brewing adjuncts (Calcium Carbonate, 5.2 pH Stabilizer, brewing acids) — for craft beverage producers (breweries, distilleries, wineries, cideries) and homebrewers. Products are sold in consumer-friendly sizes through an e-commerce storefront and homebrew retailers, and in bulk commercial sizes through direct sales.

Product overview

Five Star Chemicals & Supply provides a comprehensive portfolio of cleaning, sanitizing, and brewing adjunct chemicals for breweries, distilleries, cideries, wineries, and other beverage industries. The core product family centers on PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) alkaline cleaners available in powder, liquid, and tablet forms, paired with Star San and Saniclean acid-based sanitizers including the newer Saniclean PAA Pro peracetic acid formula. Their acid product line includes Acid #5 and Acid #6 for passivation and beer stone removal. Brewing adjuncts include Calcium Carbonate, 5.2 pH Stabilizer, and various brewing acids (citric, lactic, phosphoric). Additional products span iodine sanitizers (IO-Star), defoamers, and heavy-duty cleaners like HD Caustic and Super CIP. Products are available in homebrew sizes (oz/lb) through commercial volumes (55 gallon drums, 450 lb sacks) for both craft and industrial beverage producers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) Alkaline cleaner effective in removing thick, difficult, and caked-on organic soils. Safe on skin as well as stainless steel, rubber, soft metals, and plastics. Available in 1, 4, 50, and 450 pound sizes.
• PBW Liquid Liquid version of the PBW alkaline cleaner formula for easy mixing and application.
• PBW Tablets Tablet form of PBW cleaner for convenient dosing and portability.
• Star San High-foaming, acid-based, no-rinse EPA-registered sanitizer. Self-foaming formulation penetrates cracks and crevices. Odorless, flavorless, and biodegradable.
• Saniclean Low-foaming acid-based sanitizer that effectively removes odors and flavors, especially from draft lines. Suitable for both CIP and manual applications. EPA-registered.
• Saniclean PAA Pro EPA-registered peracetic acid sanitizer with cost efficiency, operational flexibility, and low-foam performance. Ideal for CIP, sanitizing, light cleaning, and descaling. Includes nitric acid for extended passivation intervals.
• Acid #5 Acid cleaner specially formulated to passivate and re-passivate stainless steel. Low-foaming formula attacks beer stone and scale. Nitric/phosphoric acid blend.
• Acid #6 Acid cleaner with higher ratio of phosphoric acid for stone removal and severe cleaning challenges, runnable up to 160°F. Originally formulated for keg cleaning.
• Calcium Carbonate Brewing adjunct used to correct mineral deficiencies in water, soften medium hard water, and establish proper pH of mash and wort. Available in 50lb bags.
• 5.2 pH Stabilizer pH stabilizing product for brewing water adjustment.
• Citric Acid Brewing acid used for water treatment and pH adjustment. Available in both powder form and 50% solution.
• Lactic Acid Brewing acid for pH adjustment in brewing process.
• Phosphoric Acid Acid product for cleaning and water treatment applications.
• IO-Star Iodine-based sanitizer for brewing equipment.
• Star-Xene Sanitizer product for brewing applications.
• Starline Cleaning product for brewing equipment.
• Super CIP Clean-in-place cleaner for brewery systems.
• Super Moss Moss removal product for brewing equipment.
• Defoamer 105 Defoaming agent for controlling foam during brewing processes.
• Defoamer 880 Defoaming agent for brewing applications.
• HD Caustic Heavy duty caustic cleaner for tough brewing soils.
• Liquid Circulation Cleaner Circulation cleaner for CIP systems.
• BS Remover Beer stone remover product.
• Chlorinated Manual Cleaner Chlorinated cleaner for manual cleaning applications.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PurposeBuilt BrandscoreOthersFive Star Chemicals & Supply is a subsidiary/brand under PurposeBuilt Brands, a parent company providing strategic direction and shared corporate infrastructure. PurposeBuilt Brands encompasses multiple consumer and professional brands in cleaning and sanitizing categories.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FiveStarChemicals
• Facebookfacebook.com/fivestarchemicals
• Instagraminstagram.com/fivestarchemicals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/five-star-chemical-co-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Five Star Chemicals & Supply