Draft Tips
The majority of draft problems are temperature-related. Ensure that kegs are kept between 36-38 degrees fahrenheit, and that beer is pouring at no more than 40 degrees fahrenheit.
The Perfect Pour
Always start with a clean glass. Rinsing the glass before pouring not only ensures that it is clean, but beer also pours better onto a wet surface.
Glass must be at a 40 degree angle until half-full.
Once half-full, slowly tilt glass to a 90 degree angle.
Keep the faucet out of the beer to prevent any contamination. This also keeps the faucet clean and dry to prevent any bacteria from growing.
Keg Storage
Always give your keg time to settle after transport. If not, this can lead to excessive foaming when tapped. Try to keep your kegs as still as possible during storage. The less movement, the less chances of too much foam.
Keg beer must stay cold to prevent spoiling while in storage. The ideal storage temperature is between 34° and 40°F.
While different beers have different shelf lives, the general rule is draft beer will stay fresh for 30-45 days after it has been tapped.
Troubleshooting Your Draft Beer
Foamy Beer
- Warm draught cooler
- Frozen glasses
- Beer line system not properly refrigerated or insulated
- Beer drawn improperly
- Faucets broken
- Too much pressure (system not “balanced”)
- Creeping gauges or increasing pressure
- Dirty faucets
Flat Beer
- Cooler or dispensing system too cold
- Glasses are not “beer ready”
- Not enough CO2 pressure
- Broken pressure regulator
- Air compressor being used for pressure
- Pressure required does not correspond to beer temperature (system not “balanced”)
Cloudy Beer
- Beer over-chilled or frozen in dispensing system
- Beer has been frozen in barrel
- Old beer hose, or hose in poor condition
- Beer lines need to be cleaned
- Contaminated pressure source
Off-Tasting Beer
- Air compressor being used for pressure
- Sanitizer remains on glasses (often when being frozen)
- Beer lines need to be cleaned
- Oily air, greasy kitchen air
- Glasses not “beer ready”
- Contaminated pressure source
- Beer has been exposed to light