Optimizing Your CIP Program: Cleaning Smarter, Not Harder

In this session, we’ll start with the basics of CIP (cleaning in place) and explore how the Sinner Cycle can help you fine-tune your cleaning and sanitation process. You'll learn how temperature, chemical concentration, time, and mechanical action all work together, and how understanding their balance can help you build a CIP program that fits your brewery’s specific needs. Next, we’ll walk through practical tips for evaluating the effectiveness of your CIP cycles and spotting issues before they become bigger problems. From tracking performance to troubleshooting inefficiencies, you’ll leave with actionable insights you can use right away. We'll cover what causes fouling and scale buildup, how cleaning agents actually work, and how to solve common CIP challenges. Oliver Meinhold is the Technical Director of the Brewing Division and consultant for Zee Loeffler. He studied at the University of Munich, graduating with a Dipl.-Ing. degree in Brewing Science at the Berlin Institute of Technology where he received his second Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering. He spent 7 years at the VLB (Research and Teaching Institute for Brewing in Berlin) as a Project Manager followed by 7 years at the Berlin Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor. He is in his current position for 13 years. He is a current member of the MBAA Higher Education Committee and the Vice-President of the MBAA-District Mid-South Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org