Those lines are the last thing to touch your beer before it goes into the glass, so proper cleaning is essential. Here’s how.

Five Star Chemicals (Sponsored) Nov 10, 2022 - 9 min read

The beer-making process is complex. There are a lot of opportunities for mistakes, up to the very moment when the beer goes through the draft line and into a glass. It’s why keeping lines clean is crucial for any brewery, bar, or restaurant that values the quality of their beers.

“Beer lines are the very last point of contact and the last point where something can go wrong,” says Michele Wonder, a Certified Cicerone and draft services professional with Perfect Pour Services in Portland, Oregon. The company helps install, clean, and maintain systems for commercial and home clients.

“These brewers have worked exceedingly hard to ensure that the flavor of their beer and the integrity of their product is at the maximum, and it can really fall down on that last leg,” Wonder says. “A lot of brewers understand that, and a lot do not.”

A dirty draft line won’t kill your customers, but it will kill your reputation. That’s because the alcohol will eliminate harmful bacteria that will make you ill, but the unclean lines can dramatically affect flavor.

No matter how diligently a delicious beer is brewed, if it’s poured through a bad line, drinkers will notice. Lines are made of vinyl tubing. The porous material is subject to bacteria build up, which often results in a vinegary, acidic taste. Diacetyl can also accrue in a dirty line. The acid has a buttery flavor that creates a slick texture.

“It’s just going to taste nasty,” Wonder says. “It tastes like old gym socks.”

Besides unwanted funky flavors, another indicator of an unclean line is a darkening opaqueness of the vinyl tubing. Buildup on external parts are other clues to look out for; grime on the faucets and the keg couplers are signs that cleanings are overdue.

When it comes to line cleaning, the Brewers Association’s free, downloadable Draught Beer Quality Manual “is the Bible for draft cleaning,” Wonder says. The manual suggests a full line cleaning every two weeks. Wonder has customers who schedule every four weeks. Smaller customers, such as offices, might wait every eight weeks. However, she says that any commercial business should not surpass the four-week mark.

“People wish that frequency of service was based on quantity of dispense, but that’s not the case,” she said. “There is product in the system, whether it’s sitting there or whether it’s used on a regular basis.”

The Draught Beer Quality Manual suggests replacing lines every 12 to 18 months. BYet Wonder says that when regularly maintaining the lines, they can last up to two to three years.

Customers also should be aware that the price of their bill isn’t an indicator of whether or not a business prioritizes maintenance.

“We have lots of dive bars that clean on a very regular basis. I definitely know of some high-end places that do not clean at all,” she says. “Some of the finest five-star restaurants have the scariest kitchens you’ve ever seen.”

Wonder says the optimal way to clean lines is with mechanical action—pumps that achieve better circulation and flow rates. Homebrewers can get away with pot soaking, pumping chemicals into the line and letting it sit in a bucket of solution. Wonder says that all commercial businesses should be using the mechanical-action method:

Anyone cleaning draft lines should be aware of these common mistakes:

Wonder also suggests keeping a cleaning log to have some sort of record and accountability. She hopes that one day draft-line cleaning will be as transparent as health department scores. The transparency will encourage everyone to maintain their systems and keep beer safe and delicious for customers.

“If you’re a brewer, remember that this is the last thing that touches your beer. This is the last thing that can mess up your beer,” Wonder says. “It’s super important, and beer drinkers are becoming much more aware of this. It’s something you can’t take a shortcut on.”

Whether you realize it or not, enzymes are already in your orbit as a brewer. Is it time to take this relationship further?

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