The craft beer industry is booming with over $2 billion in sales in the United States alone.
If you run a bar or brewery, you know that it doesn’t take much for your draft lines to clog up. To stay competitive, you need to know how to clean your beer lines to keep your beverages fresh.
Read on to learn more about how to clean beer lines for delicious-tasting brews.
Why You Should Clean Your Beer Lines
You may wonder why it’s even necessary to keep your draft lines clean. Most breweries and bars know to flush old beer out of the line to make space for the new beer.
Since most custom brew is unfiltered, yeast can start to infiltrate the system. This means that nasties like mold, bacteria, and even wild yeast can find their way into your lines.
Another reason to clean those lines is that they can accumulate something called calcium oxalate over time. This is also called beer stone, and it can produce nasty white floaters in your beer. No one wants to serve beer to customers with visible gunk it in, that’s for sure.
How to Clean Your Draft Lines
The method to clean your beer lines depends on the type of system you have. You can find more info here about the various beer tap systems out there.
Many bars will recirculate a special cleaning solution through each beer line for a few minutes. This method of beer line cleaning is best for lines that are longer or in busy environments where the lines constantly flow.
Start by running your cleaning solution through the draft line under pressure, waiting for the flow to run clear. Wait around 15 minutes for the solution to soak in the lines.
Next, run some clean water through your draft line under pressure. This will flush the cleaner out. Tap the next keg, open the faucet, and let it run until the beer comes out. Pour the first pint from the new keg and everything after that should be completely clean.
More Tips for Clean Beer Lines
To prepare your cleaner solution, put it in an empty keg and pressurize it with carbon dioxide. Push the solution through the line just as you would with beer.
Repeat this process using a keg of clean water to flush everything out. All you need is a few quarts of water to get the job done.
You should replace your beer lines every so often. Once a year is best for most bars, but you might need to do it more often if the beer flows quite frequently.
Clean Beer, Happy Customers
Use these easy tips to clean beer lines for a clear, clean brew. With regular care, you can be sure that all of your beer tastes fresh and delicious with every pour.
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