ABSTRACT
Hygiene control and plant cleanliness are essential. Soiled equipment will add taints to beer, and the presence of spoilage microbes will result in the development of beer turbidity and off-flavors. With no direct contact with people, it becomes possible to consider more aggressive cleaning fluids and higher temperatures provided they are compatible with all parts of the system being cleaned. Equipment is not dismantled and it is cleaned in place (CIP). A clean surface needs to be free from soil or scale. Brewhouse vessels become very heavily soiled with proteins, sugars, and hop residues. The fermenting vessels are heavily soiled, particularly at the yeast ring above the beer level. If the brewing or CIP water has hardness, then there is potential for a buildup of a calcium carbonate water scale. When a process vessel is being cleaned, the physical turbulence is provided by the action of the cleaning head inside the vessel.
