Draught line hygiene is the number one factor affecting the quality and flavour of draught beer. There are several methods of line cleaning which are designed to effectively clean your draught system, maintain proper draught beer flavour, prevent beer stone build up, and maximize the potential for draught beer sales.

 

1. Better Tasting Beer

Beer is a food product which contains natural microbiota and hundreds of organic compounds including proteins and carbohydrates. Draught beer systems allow for these molecules to be in constant contact with the surfaces of the draught line. Over time, yeast and bacteria begin to adhere to draught line and consume the protein and carbohydrates in beer creating biofilms. These biofilms are capable of producing common beer spoilage by-products such as diacetyl, lactic acid, acetic acid and turbidity, all of which negatively alter the flavour profiles of beer.

2. Beer Stone Prevention

Mineral precipitation naturally occurs in beer creating deposits on the interior surfaces of the draught system called calcium oxalate or “beer stone”. Beer stone first accumulates on the complex surfaces of the line which further promotes adhesion by beer spoilage microorganisms to the beer line. Like bacteria and yeast, beer stone can eventually spread throughout the draught system restricting beer flow creating foam at the tap.

3. Craft Beer Industry

Given the increased quantity of craft beer available in Ontario in recent years, line cleaning is particularly important as craft brews are less likely to be brewed with preservatives or undergo pasteurization during the brewing process. These factors give craft beer a vulnerability to bacterial contamination which should be paid particular attention to. The negative effect of off flavours can have a larger effect on these beers, making sour, buttery or skunky aromas more detectable.

4. Economic Advantage

Build-up of unwelcomed microbes and beer stone will inevitably lead to the loss of draught beer quality. This has been proven to lead to the loss of draught beer sales via customer dissatisfaction and associated product wastage due to the combined effect of increased foam at the tap and returned customer beer. Without a proper line cleaning regime, beer spoilage microorganisms also have potential to contaminate the pores of the draught beer tubing which will require replacement at high costs. Cleaning your lines regularly will make sure you are serving tasty beer and will make you money at the same time!