Foodservice Practice · Holidays & Shutdowns · 4 min read · Video: 2:30

Grease Trap Before a Business Holiday — What Andy Always Does

Every year the same problem: company holidays, public holidays, long weekends — and when you come back, the grease trap smells and runs worse than before. What happens inside the trap when the kitchen is shut down? Andy explains.

He also shows how one simple measure shortly before closing day completely changes the situation — and why this step is often forgotten.

Andy — Kitchen Manager, Canteen Operation

30 Years in Foodservice · Frankfurt

Andy — Canteen Operation · Shutdown Management Subtitles available: DE · EN · FR · ES · IT · PT · DA · HR

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Andy: "Holidays and shutdowns — it's always tricky. Before we had lipasanF®, we'd just close up and come back to a trap that smelled terrible. What I do now: two to three days before the last day, I do an extra dose — roughly double the normal amount. Then once more on the last evening before the break. The bacteria work through the entire shutdown. When I come back, the trap still smells — but it's a different smell. Not the sharp H₂S anymore. More neutral. I'd recommend this to anyone: if you're planning a shutdown, dose extra beforehand. Ten minutes of work, saves you nerves and money."

The Problem: Grease Traps During Operational Shutdowns

When the kitchen shuts down, the grease trap does not stop working — in the negative sense. Accumulated fat oxidizes, solid residues settle, and anaerobic bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) odors. Operations returning from holidays know the welcome: the trap smells, shafts are clogged.

Operations that do nothing before a shutdown more often pay for emergency pump-outs or struggle with drain issues in the peak phase after reopening.

What Andy Recommends

Three measures Andy implements before every shutdown:

1
2–3 days before the break: extra dose at double the normal amount — enough cultures for the entire shutdown period
2
Last evening before the holiday: regular dose after the final rinse — a second layer for the rest phase
3
After reopening: normal dosing in the first week — the trap stabilizes faster

Why Shutdowns Are Critical for Grease Traps

During operation, the grease trap is continuously flushed by water flow. Residues are carried along and distributed. When the kitchen pauses, this flushing effect disappears — fat and water separate, sediment settles, anaerobic conditions develop.

Anaerobic bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) — the characteristic smell that greets operations after longer breaks. A higher concentration of lipasanF® before the break gives aerobic, lipase-producing bacteria a head start: they dominate the system during the rest and keep H₂S production low.

Das Ergebnis ist kein geruchsfreier Abscheider — aber ein messbarer Unterschied. Und keine Notentleerung direkt nach der Pause.

"Before, the trap smelled like a sewer when we came back. That doesn't happen anymore."

— Andy — Kitchen Manager, Canteen Operation

Frequently Asked Questions About Shutdowns and Grease Traps

How long do lipasanF® cultures survive a business break?

In a resting system — without dilution from rinse water — cultures remain active as long as organic material is available as substrate. With normal grease trap loading, 1–2 weeks is no problem. For longer breaks we recommend an adapted dosing strategy.

Do I need to dose during the holiday break?

No. A pre-break extra dose is usually sufficient. For breaks longer than two weeks we recommend a second dose mid-break — if someone is on-site.

Can I immediately resume normal operation after the break?

Yes, fully. We recommend normal dosing in the first week after reopening — the system then stabilises as usual.