Draught line maintenance goes hand in hand with draught line cleaning. Draught beer is susceptible to a range of factors which can ruin the quality of draught beer including shelf-life, temperature, and push-gas. During routine line cleaning a service a technician should properly inspect all aspects of draught system including the gas and cooling systems.

 

1. Shelf-Life and Storage Conditions

Every brand of beer has a shelf-life; the time required for the product to be deemed unusable. Oxidative qualities of beer, as well as storage conditions, allow beer to lose the brewery-intended flavour immediately after leaving the brewery. This occurs at different rates depending on beer chemistry and the temperature beer is stored at. Beer should be properly stored below 50⁰F and should never exceed 80⁰F to guarantee freshness. When considering craft beer, a maximum shelf of 60 days is recommended if stored under proper temperature. Keg room temperature and expiration dates, which are typically labelled on kegs, should be routinely checked by restaurant staff and draught beer technicians.

2. Dispense Temperature

Draught beer dispense temperature is the number one cause of problems when dispensing draught beer. To ensure a proper pour at the faucet, draught beer temperature must be consistent from the keg to the glass. This means kegs being used for dispense should be stored in a proper refrigerator which can maintain a liquid temperature of 38⁰F. Draught line and tower temperature for remote draught systems must be cooled to proper to temperature as to allow a pouring temperature of 38⁰F. This is possible with a suitable glycol deck which can regulate the temperature of your beer line, and can be adjusted by a qualified service technician.

3. Carbonation

The gas system is the last component which requires consistent upkeep to guarantee quality draught beer. Gas is used to push beer out of the keg and down the line towards the faucet and into the glass. This gas is typically CO2 (carbon dioxide) or CO2 /N2 (carbon dioxide/nitrogen mix) and creates pressure in the keg. The gas blend and pressure is specific and should be monitored routinely to guarantee a properly carbonated draught beer.