CIP Cleaning System For Big Brewery

A complete CIP process is usually composed of multiple step cycles, and each step has strict requirements for temperature, concentration, time and      flow rate:
Pre-rinsing
Objective: Rinse the equipment with room temperature or warm water to remove most of the loose residues (such as yeast sludge) inside.
Feature: The recovered water from this step is usually directly discharged or collected for the initial rinsing of other equipment.
Caustic Wash
Objective: Use hot alkaline solution (such as NaOH, with a concentration of 1.5-2.5% and a temperature of 75-85°C) for decomposition and removal of organic substances (proteins, fats, hop resins, etc.).
Characteristic: It is the main cleaning step and the longest cycle time (usually 30-45 minutes).
Intermediate Rinse
Objective: Thoroughly rinse off the remaining alkaline solution and the detached contaminants with clean water.
Feature: Continue until the pH value of the returned water becomes neutral.
Acid Wash
Objective: Use acid solutions (such as nitric acid, phosphoric acid, with concentrations of 0.8-1.5% and temperatures of 60-70°C) in a cycle to dissolve inorganic deposits (beer scale/calcium oxalate, scale) on the equipment surface and perform passivation to form a protective film.
Feature: It is not necessary to clean every time. It can be carried out regularly based on water quality and deposit conditions (for example, perform an acid wash once every 3-4 times of alkaline washing).
Final Rinse
Objective: Thoroughly rinse away any trace of acid residue using sterile cold water or hot water.
Feature: This step must use water that meets microbial standards to ensure that the equipment is sterile after rinsing.
Sterilization/Sanitization
Objective: Before production, use disinfectants (such as peracetic acid, chlorine dioxide, hot water above 85°C) for circulation or immersion to kill all microorganisms within the equipment.
Feature: After this step is completed, the equipment should be in a sterile ready-to-use state and must be immediately put into production to prevent further contamination.

The CIP cleaning system is the "cleaning guardian" for modern food, beverage, pharmaceutical and other process industries. Its application scope is extremely wide. The core principle is: any closed equipment or pipeline system that requires frequent and thorough cleaning and is not easy to disassemble is the ideal application field for the CIP system.

I. Beer and Beverage Industry (This is the most classic application field)
This is the place where the CIP system was initially developed and applied most maturely, covering almost all the stages of the production line.
Fermentation tanks and sake tanks: This is the most crucial application. It is necessary to remove stubborn residues such as yeast, proteins, and tannins.
Mixing tanks / saccharification tanks / boiling pots: Clean the thick wort, syrup, and hot coagulated substances to prevent microbial growth and cross-contamination.
Pipeline system: The "veins" connecting various tanks and equipment, transporting wort, beer, syrup, etc., must be sterile and free of residues.
Filling machines: Precision components such as vats, valve groups, and material channels, require efficient cleaning to prevent blockages and contamination.
Yeast expansion system: Has extremely high requirements for sterility. Any contamination will lead to a decrease in yeast purity and vitality.
Sake filtration system (such as silica sand filter, PVPP filter): The cleaning process is complex and there are many residues. CIP is the efficient choice.
CIP system itself: Yes, the recovery pipelines and tanks of the CIP system also need to be cleaned regularly. This is called "CIP the CIP"