How to Clean Your Beer Lines

Keeping your home bar clean is part of responsible ownership. You keep your bar top clear of dust and debris for yourself and your guests, and you make sure the drip tray is clear of any residue and is always wiped clean at the end of the night. You clean your stainless steel taps to keep the faucets in good working order and ensure that every pour is clean.  But what about your beer lines? If fail to regularly clean your beer lines, then keeping the exterior of your home bar spotless can be a waste of your time if the product you are dispensing just doesn't taste right.

Why Clean Your Beer Lines?

Over time, your beer lines will collect sugars and other debris from your beer that can begin mixing into what you are drinking and will begin to affect the taste of your draft beer. Even stainless steel beer lines experience build-up and must be cleaned on a regular basis.  This build up can be the result of yeast or mold either as a direct result of the brewing process or it may be wild yeast that is airborne.  Many of the components of your draft beer system that are exposed to the air can also begin to grow mold or bacteria if not properly maintained.  Beer Stone, a build up of Calcium Oxalate, resulting from the calcium that is produced as a result of the brewing process can also build up over time and flake off into your draft beer as it is poured.  If your beer has a noticeable foul odor or an abnormal cloudy appearance, your system may be long over due for a thorough cleaning.

How Often Should You Clean Your Beer Lines?

Your beer lines should be cleaned at least once every six weeks or when you change kegs, whichever comes first. If you find yourself using your home bar several nights a week, then you may want to change over to cleaning your lines at the halfway point of every keg and when the keg has been emptied.

Cleaning Your Beer Lines

To clean your beer lines, simply follow this three step procedure.

Step One - Pump In Cleaning Solution

Pump water mixed with a chemical cleaning solution into your beer lines and allow the solution to sit in the lines for the recommended time (usually about ten minutes).  You should be very careful to purchase only cleaners that are designated for cleaning beer lines. You can buy approved line cleaning chemicals on any home bar supply website.

You should also read the instructions to make certain that you know exactly how long to allow the solution to sit. If you let the solution sit too long, then you could contaminate your lines. A solution that does not sit in the lines long enough cannot do its job and you will result in foul tasting beer.

You can use a hand pump to fill the lines with solution, or you can buy an electric pump that will do the work for you. Considering how often you have to clean your lines and the fact that you have to pump the lines twice during this process, buying a pump is a good idea.  An alternative to using a hand pump to fill your lines is to use a corney keg filled with the cleaning solution.  Simply use your normal CO2 system to charge the corney keg and hook up the product lines one and time to fill them with the cleaning solution. 

Step Two - Pump Out The Cleaning Solution

After the solution has been sitting for the manufacturer-prescribed amount of time, use your pump to flush out your lines with fresh water. You can never use too much water to clean out the lines and you can never clear the lines for too long.  If using the corney keg, simply fill the corney keg with water and use it to flush the beer lines.

The best way to make sure that your lines are clear is to watch what is coming out of them and look for clear water. When you see clear water, then let the lines rinse for a little longer and stop.

Step Three - Clean Your Keg Couplers

Soak your keg couplers in an approved cleaning solution and then scrub them clean with a wire brush. Then rinse the couplers with clean water until they look like new. You should also take this opportunity to make sure that the o-ring and bottom seal on your couplers are still in good condition.