Do we need COP system in beer brewery?
- Sep 02, 2025
- 186
- tiantai
What is a COP system?
A COP system is basically a separate tank or cleaning station where small removable parts (like fittings, valves, hoses, sight glasses, gaskets, manway covers, etc.) are immersed and cleaned.
Instead of running CIP (Clean-In-Place) for every tiny part, you take these out of the main system and soak/clean them separately in the COP tank.
Why breweries use COP systems?
Better cleaning of small parts – CIP can’t properly clean gaskets, butterfly valves, sample valves, or carb stones.
Food safety – these small components can harbor bacteria or beer stone if not deep-cleaned.
Efficiency – saves time and chemicals compared to running a full CIP cycle just to clean one or two dirty parts.
Compliance – for larger breweries, it helps meet hygiene standards and audits.
Do you need COP in your brewery?
Small brewpubs / nano breweries (for example 200L–500L): Not strictly necessary; many clean small parts manually in buckets with caustic/sanitizer.
Mid-size craft breweries (≥ 1000L / 10 BBL systems): Highly recommended. It improves cleaning consistency and reduces contamination risk.
Large breweries: Essential, often multiple COP tanks with heating and circulation.
We don’t always need a COP system in a very small brewery, but as production scales up, it becomes a critical part of the cleaning program for hygiene, safety, and efficiency.
What’s the difference between CIP and COP in a brewery?
CIP = Clean-In-Place
What it is: Automated cleaning that circulates caustic, acid, and sanitizer solutions through the tanks and pipelines without disassembly.
Typical use:
Brewhouse vessels (mash tun, lauter tun, kettle, whirlpool)
Fermenters (FV)
Bright beer tanks (BBT)
Piping and heat exchangers
Goal: Cleans large, closed systems quickly and safely, without taking them apart.
COP = Clean-Out-of-Place
What it is: Manual or semi-automated cleaning of small, removable parts that cannot be effectively cleaned in a CIP cycle. Usually done in a heated COP tank with circulating chemicals.
Typical use:
Butterfly valves
Sample valves
Hose ends
Sight glasses
Gaskets and seals
Carb stones and spray balls
Goal: Ensures every small part is free of soil, biofilm, or beer stone, which could otherwise cause contamination.
If you are looking for cleaning solutions, please contact us to get a proposal.
Derrick
Sales Manager
[email protected]
Tiantai Beer Equipment
A COP system is basically a separate tank or cleaning station where small removable parts (like fittings, valves, hoses, sight glasses, gaskets, manway covers, etc.) are immersed and cleaned.
Instead of running CIP (Clean-In-Place) for every tiny part, you take these out of the main system and soak/clean them separately in the COP tank.
Why breweries use COP systems?
Better cleaning of small parts – CIP can’t properly clean gaskets, butterfly valves, sample valves, or carb stones.
Food safety – these small components can harbor bacteria or beer stone if not deep-cleaned.
Efficiency – saves time and chemicals compared to running a full CIP cycle just to clean one or two dirty parts.
Compliance – for larger breweries, it helps meet hygiene standards and audits.
Do you need COP in your brewery?
Small brewpubs / nano breweries (for example 200L–500L): Not strictly necessary; many clean small parts manually in buckets with caustic/sanitizer.
Mid-size craft breweries (≥ 1000L / 10 BBL systems): Highly recommended. It improves cleaning consistency and reduces contamination risk.
Large breweries: Essential, often multiple COP tanks with heating and circulation.
We don’t always need a COP system in a very small brewery, but as production scales up, it becomes a critical part of the cleaning program for hygiene, safety, and efficiency.
What’s the difference between CIP and COP in a brewery?
CIP = Clean-In-Place
What it is: Automated cleaning that circulates caustic, acid, and sanitizer solutions through the tanks and pipelines without disassembly.
Typical use:
Brewhouse vessels (mash tun, lauter tun, kettle, whirlpool)
Fermenters (FV)
Bright beer tanks (BBT)
Piping and heat exchangers
Goal: Cleans large, closed systems quickly and safely, without taking them apart.
COP = Clean-Out-of-Place
What it is: Manual or semi-automated cleaning of small, removable parts that cannot be effectively cleaned in a CIP cycle. Usually done in a heated COP tank with circulating chemicals.
Typical use:
Butterfly valves
Sample valves
Hose ends
Sight glasses
Gaskets and seals
Carb stones and spray balls
Goal: Ensures every small part is free of soil, biofilm, or beer stone, which could otherwise cause contamination.
If you are looking for cleaning solutions, please contact us to get a proposal.
Derrick
Sales Manager
[email protected]
Tiantai Beer Equipment
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