Why & How Often Should You Clean Draft Beer Lines?
Bars and restaurants that serve beer generally make a solid profit margin on draft, making the tasty beverage a great investment. But if your beer lines aren’t cleaned properly, you could be serving up displeasing pints. The Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade group, says poor quality is the leading factor affecting the quality of draft beer. In this guide we'll cover why you need to clean draft beer lines and what's the requirement in your state.
Why is it Important to Clean Draft Beer Lines?
Besides the health and safety of your customers, there are numerous problems with ignoring your draft system. The taste of a beer can be altered as it picks up bacteria in the line. Beers can seem flat as wild yeasts eat the protein that, along with carbon dioxide, creates a foamy head retention.
Calcium oxalate, often called beer stone, builds up on beer lines and fixtures and can put floating debris in your pints. Beer stone cannot be removed by the standard two week cleaning which uses caustic cleaner; you’ll need the proper acid-based cleaner every 90 days to dissolve beer stone.
Also beer aficionados will definitely notice inconsistencies in flavor and appearance of beers, and they’re more likely to voice their complaints on popular review sites like Google Business, Yelp or TripAdvisor. In extreme cases, this could lead a brewery to follow up at your bar and stop selling kegs to you if they find poor conditions.
How Often Should You Clean Draft Beer Lines?
The Brewers Association recommends cleaning draft systems a least every 14 days. However, this timeframe can vary by state and there are some states that require cleaning logs be kept to record each time the lines are cleaned. Below are states with required frequencies:
State | Minimum Cleaning Frequency |
Connecticut | Once a week |
Illinois | Once every two weeks |
Massachusetts | Twice a week |
Michigan | As needed |
Ohio | Once every two weeks |
Pennsylvania | Once a week |
Rhode Island | Once every four weeks |
West Virginia | Once every two weeks |
Who is Responsible for Cleaning Draft Beer Lines?
Some states require retailers (i.e. bars and restaurants) to clean the beer lines, while others require beer wholesale distributors to service lines. Below is a breakdown of who is responsible for the task by state. Make sure to double check with your distributor or liquor control board to ensure you're following the law.
- Beer wholesaler - Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming
- Retailer - Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Whether you're cleaning your own system or contracting the job to a licensed service professional, make sure all your fixtures, such as faucets and couplings, are being cleaned and sanitized regularly.