Preparing for Re-opening after Extended Draft System Shutdown

Below you will find our checklist of items that should be addressed before re-opening after being shut-down for an extended period of time:

1. If you have advanced notice, contact the company responsible for your draft beer system cleaning within to weeks of re-opening. Have the company complete a deep clean on your system following the Brewer’s Associations Standards laid out in the Draft Quality Manual.

   1. Using a 3% caustic solution

   2. Faucets and FOB’s disassembled and cleaned

   3. Washers checked and replaced

   4. Keg sankeys scrubbed and cleaned

2. Check your beer inventory. Each keg will have a best-buy date or freshest within date. Make sure you are not serving any product that does not taste as intended.

3. Clean and sanitize all glassware

4. Turn the gas back on, check for leaks or issues (your line cleaning company should address for you). Check all regulators are at the proper pressure.

5. Check your glycol system is running properly showing the temperature settings are correct. If you have a air cooled system, make sure that is running properly.

6. Run beer through each line, verify the quality of the product since you will be serving to customers.

Importance of Draft Line Cleaning

Small and large breweries across Long Island spend a lot of their time and efforts to make the best possible beers for their customers! All of that hard work can be destroyed in seconds if your draft system has not been properly cleaned or maintained.

Some signs of issues and enemies to your draft system:

Yeast

White or grey-colored surface growth found on beer system components (faucets, keg couplers and drains) that are exposed to air.

Mold

Brown or black-colored surface growth found on beer system components (faucets, keg couplers and drains) that are exposed.

Beer stone

Grey or brown in color, (calcium oxalate) builds up and eventually flakes off if the system is not properly maintained, potentially ending up in the pint and having a negative effect on taste.

Bacteria

Beer-spoiling bacteria will ruin a beer’s flavor and aroma. While these micro-organisms are not health risks, they will cause buttery off-flavors called diacetyl, or sour, vinegary off-flavors called acetic acid.

All of these enemies of beer are easily preventable by regular line cleaning, but if left unattended will inevitably lead to dissatisfied customers and lost sales. Rosie’s Draft Solutions- Draft Line Cleaning Program is built to the Brewer’s Association standards to help maintain beer quality as intended by the brewers themselves!

Source: Brewers Association (https://www.brewersassociation.org/association-news/importance-draught-beer-line-cleaning/)