QA

Quick Answer: How To Clean Beer Lines

How often should beer lines be cleaned?

At a minimum, you should clean your draught line every two weeks with an alkaline detergent cleaner to remove protein and films that build up quickly. The cleaning chemical should be recirculated through the product line for a minimum of 15 minutes at a velocity up to two gallons/minute.

Can you clean beer lines with vinegar?

One of my friends told me to put some bleach with hot water and just let the lines, faucet, and coupler soak for a while, then just rinse them really well and that should be sufficient. I’ve also her distilled vinegar works too.

What happens if you don’t clean beer lines?

Beer stone will build up and eventually flake off on the inside of the beer tubing if the system is not properly maintained. High amounts of beer stone may also have a negative effect on taste. These flakes are often grey or brown in color.

How do I know if my beer lines are dirty?

How You Can Tell if You’re Drinking from a Dirty Beer Line Quick loss of head retention. Lack of legs forming and remaining on the inside of the beer glass. Seemingly flat beer due to rapid loss of carbon dioxide gas.

Why do beer lines need cleaning?

It stops beer becoming infected with bacteria and wild yeasts. Clean smooth beer line internal walls reduce the build-up of biofilms. Bacteria and wild yeast growing in the beer line will spoil the aroma and flavour of the beer. Correct dosing of line cleaning is important.

How long do you leave line cleaner in the lines?

Leave system to soak for at least 30 minutes. The resulting dirty-green solution is pulled through the pipes. This should then be replaced by more purple solution.

Can I use Milton to clean beer lines?

Summary: Yes, this product SHOULD be fine for brewing, but only if you rinse with sterile water after to ensure that no bleach is left on the gear. And its probably WAY more expensive than using plain bleach, or a proven brewing sanitizer.

Can you clean beer lines with dish soap?

So when you’re cleaning your drinking vessels, do not use dish soap. Use a glassware cleaner, rinse with hot water, and drip-dry completely before use. Learn more about beer clean glassware in our guide.

Can you clean beer lines with hot water?

A common myth is that warm or hot water will enhance the cleaning of beer line cleaners and this is incorrect. For Surfactant based cleaners the caustic component effect is enhanced in warm/hot water but it will lead to increased foaming and can possibly denature and degrade the biocide making it less effective.

How do you clean tainted beer lines?

The Do’s of Beer Line Cleaning: Do use effective line cleaning chemicals. Line cleaners will be either caustic with a high PH, or acidic with a low PH depending on the line conditions and the type of system being cleaned. Do remember to flush the beer from the lines with water before cleaning. Do clean lines regularly.

What chemical is used to clean beer lines?

Basic Caustic / Chlorinated beer line cleaners are a mixture of either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide (This is the Caustic Part) and Sodium Hypochlorite. More effective and complex beer line cleaners will also contain water softening and scale removing additives.

Can you get sick from dirty keg lines?

That’s why it’s always important to keep your draft lines clean. Dirty draft lines can completely change a beer’s taste and even make the drinker sick.

How often should I clean my Kegerator?

A: In commercial environments, line cleaning should be performed at least once every two weeks. For home environments that may not cycle through as much beer and have a much shorter beer line, we recommend that you clean your lines every time you switch out a keg or every five weeks, whichever is shorter.

Why does draft beer taste like vinegar?

The vinegar taste is caused by a combination of two factors; inadequate sanitation and oxygen. In the presence of oxygen, the acetobacter bacteria converts alcohol in the beer into acetic acid, making it taste like vinegar.

Can you use baking soda to clean beer lines?

We highly recommend always using a specific beer-line cleaning solution, rather than vinegar, baking soda or any bleach-containing substances for the cleanest and safest results.

What’s the best beer line cleaner?

As for the cleaner you choose, OxiClean works well as long as you don’t allow the lines to sit empty between kegs. If you plan to tap a new keg right after emptying the old one, then flushing with OxiClean and rinsing with hot water is probably sufficient.

How often should Guinness lines be cleaned?

Clean every four weeks​ However, such a process should be undertaken by a professional and under no circumstances should a pub team take it upon themselves to clean every four weeks only and do so without permission from the lead brewer, as this could be damaging to hygiene and beer quality.