CIP system at brewery production facility

Everything you need to know about CIP cleaning and more…

February 24, 2022

CIP cleaning widely referred to as Clean in place is a method of cleaning residues, bacteria, and other sources of contamination from closed and long pipelines which are difficult to reach manually.

This Blog will give you a full guide to all things related to Clean in place cleaning:

  • Where is CIP system used?
  • What is the cleaning process?
  • History of CIP cleaning
  • Benefits of using CIP system
  • Case studies from real live
  • Is CIP cleaning sufficient, or do you need to combine it with other cleaning method?

Clean in place – Where is it used?

Cip cleaning is most often used in the Brewery, Beverage, Dairy, Food, and Life sciences industries, where beverages, dairy products, semi liquid foods, and personal care products are distributed via closed piping systems. It is used in connection with tanks, kettles and pumps as shown in Figure 1.

CIP system design
Figure 1 – CIP system design
CIP system at brewery production facility
Picture 1 – CIP system in a Brewery production facility

What is the Clean in place cleaning order?

The Clean in place system, consists of six steps, conducted in the following order as shown in Figure 2

CIP cleaning order
Figure 2 – CIP cleaning order

The cleaning process starts by PRE-RINSE of the pipelines followed by applying FOAM detergent. The cleaning detergent must do the cleaning job for some TIME. RINSE the detergent from the pipelines. The SANITIZING detergent is used to remove all harmful germs and minimize the growth of viruses, fungi, and other infectious bacteria. After some TIME, RINSE the sanitizer with clean water.

What is the history of CIP cleaning?

This cleaning method was introduced in 1950 by Dale A. Seilberling in the dairy industry. It was the answer to decreasing production downtime, while not compromising on the quality of cleaning. Before CIP cleaning was introduced all equipment and pipelines had to be disassembled, brushed, and cleaned manually.

Benefits of using CIP cleaning method

  • Cleaning efficiency
  • Increased production uptime
  • Reduction of cross contamination
  • Labor Savings
  • Improved Employee Safety

Study cases showing CIP cleaning method in real live

Explore different case studies showing how Ecolab – One of our partners use the CIP cleaning technology to support their customers within the Beverage, Brewery and dairy industry.

Case study – CIP at Carlsberg brewery in Switzerland.

Is CIP system sufficient, or do you need to combine it with other cleaning method?

CIP is designed for cleaning of pipelines and closed systems but besides that, production facilities also consist of floors, tables and other surfaces that also needs to be cleaned to achieve hygienic results and food safety all over the production facilities. For more information about surface cleaning, read Nilfisk FOOD blog “What are the most effective methods of surface cleaning”.

Book a 30-minute, free of charge consultancy session with our experts so we can discuss your requirements and jointly decide what type of equipment for surface cleaning will work best for you.

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