A method for sterilizing a beverage filling apparatus having a beverage supply pipe (7) for feeding a beverage into a filling machine (2) via a heat sterilizing section (18), characterized in that a beverage supply pipe (7) is provided with hot water or heated steam And the F value is calculated while detecting the temperatures of a plurality of portions of the beverage supply pipe (7) at predetermined time intervals. When the minimum F value reaches the target value, the sterilization process is terminated. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time until the beverage filling operation or the time between productions is started.加熱殺菌部(18)を経て充填機(2)内へと飲料を送る飲料供給系配管(7)を備えた飲料充填装置の殺菌方法において、飲料供給系配管(7)に熱水又は加熱蒸気を送り、飲料供給系配管(7)の複数個所の温度を所定時間ごとに検知しつつF値を演算し、そのうち最小のF値が目標値に到達したところで、殺菌工程を終了する。これにより、飲料の充填作業に着手するまでの時間又は生産間時間を短縮することができる。
