How You Can Tell if You’re Drinking from a Dirty Beer Line

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We’ve all been there before. You sit down at your favorite bar, order a draught beer, and take the first sip. Only something doesn’t taste quite right. It tastes . . . dirty. Or flat. Or simply horrible. But what does that mean?

First, some of the characteristic indicators of a “dirty” beer line are the same for “dirty” glassware. These indicators are:

  1. Quick loss of head retention
  2. Lack of legs forming and remaining on the inside of the beer glass
  3. Seemingly flat beer due to rapid loss of carbon dioxide gas

All of these factors are related, but they can be the result two unrelated causes—a dirty beer line or dirty glassware. So let’s clarify the difference in terms of “dirty.”

Defining a Dirty Beer Line

The State of Ohio describes a “dirty” beer line as one that has not been kept in compliance with Ohio Administrative Code 4301:1-1-28: Beer and wine: cleaning and sterilizing dispensing apparatus. Although this code goes into no detail about how lines should be cleaned, what methods and chemicals should be used, or what the actual risks to the consumer are if beer lines are not kept to standard, it does state that line cleaning must be performed “not less than once every two weeks.” Therefore, by Ohio law, a “dirty” beer line is one that has not been cleaned by a registered line cleaner in over 14 days. How would you know this? Simply ask to see a bar’s line cleaning log. By law, all bars must maintain a log of their line cleaning, which will be initialed and dated by an Ohio registered line cleaner every time line cleaning is performed.

So how is “dirty” different from beer line to beer glass? A dirty beer line will have sugar and protein residue built up inside. These residues may break off when agitated by the flow of beer, resulting in chunks or flakes in the dispensed beer. This is an ugly surprise to the beer drinker, and quite embarrassing for the bartender and bar owner. Even worse, these pieces of beer solids harbor films of bacteria, mold, and yeast that will quickly spoil the beer once colonies are established inside the line. Even if beer flakes are not dispensed into the glass, be assured that residues do exist in the lines of unkept tap systems, and microbial biofilms harbored by these residues will taint the flavor of draught beer, leaving a sour or dry, cardboard-like taste in the beer, along with a loss of malty sweetness. It is mainly a variety of acids that are detected as off-flavors when sipping a beer that has been spoiled by a “dirty” beer line. These acids also break up the foamy head of a beer, wash those sticky beer legs from the inside of the glass, and expedite the release of CO2 from a once sparkly beer. If you think you’re detecting any of these off-flavors, or if you make any of these visual observations, then you’re probably drinking from a dirty beer line.  

Defining a Dirty Beer Glass

It is important to note that these same visual observations may also be made if clean beer is dispensed into a “dirty” glass. The flavor quality and sanitation of the beer will NOT be effected, so be careful before drawing any conclusions as to the cleanliness of the tap system. A “dirty” beer glass is any glassware that does not permit full contact of beer and glass. Beer sugars and proteins bind to glass resulting in full head retention and beautiful scaffolding of legs on the glass’s interior throughout the life of a pint, no matter how long or short that time may be.

So what could possibly get in the way of foamy head structure and leg formation on a glass’s interior? Well, anything else that sticks to glass. Sanitizers today, such as iodine, are designed to do just that in order to form a sanitary barrier between the glass’s surface and any potential airborne pathogens. This is great in terms of preventing the spread of foodborne illness; and this modern theory and methodology has been applied to all sectors of the food and beverage industry. Plates and silverware receive the same type of sanitary treatment, but the quality and presentation of food is unaffected by this. Rather it’s draught beer service that falls victim to modern sanitation methods.

If you suspect that sanitizer residue is killing the head on your beer, then ask the bartender to re-use your glass. Normally, a good first coat of beer on the inside of your glass will wash away sanitizer residue (consuming iodine will not hurt you) while laying a foundation for excellent head retention on your second, third, fourth . . . or fifth beer. If you notice improved head retention the second time around, then sanitizer was the culprit. Not a “dirty” beer line. This is more common than you may realize.

The second form of a “dirty” beer glass is one that is truly dirty. If it was washed with dirty water it will have an oily or greasy residue coating its surface, which repels water-based solutions like beer. This commonly results when bars do not change their wash-and-rinse water out frequently enough. This is also very common. Watch for a bartender’s or bar back’s attention to detail when running glasses through wash and rinse sinks, and also notice if glasses are being polished with a dry towel after washing and drying. The most important reason to polish is to remove any potential residues that will destroy the integrity of a quality draught beer.

In conclusion, if you order a familiar beer and it tastes and smells right, it is likely that you are drinking from a clean draught system. If you’re in doubt, look for visual indicators. And if you truly believe you’ve been served beer from a dirty beer line, ask to see the bar’s line cleaning log. Check that the date of their last cleaning is within two weeks. The date will be followed by the line cleaner’s initials and his or her 8-digit Ohio registration number.

Have any questions? Contact us today!

How to Maintain the Highest Quality Draught Beer

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There are three factors that need to be optimized to ensure draught beer is at its highest quality—sanitation, refrigeration, and carbonation. All factors are equally important in terms of “quality,” but from a safety standpoint, sanitation is paramount.

A Technical Snapshot: How Beer is Made

The best way to imagine what it takes to maintain the integrity of draught beer is to consider the conditions under which beer is produced. This includes everything from mashing and boiling to fermenting and carbonating. Grain is mashed in water to release enzymes that produce simple fermentable sugars (maltose and glucose) for yeast to consume. The sugar water is then boiled to kill microorganisms (wild yeast, mold, and bacteria) while simultaneously adding hops to acidify and season the beer.

Historically, the acidity of beer along with the alcohol produced from fermentation was believed to prohibit microbial growth in a finished beer. While these attributes do inhibit bacteria, mold, and yeast, they do not prevent all microbial strains from growing. For this reason, most beers, with the exception of certain conditioned beers, are refrigerated immediately after fermentation is complete.

The Importance of Refrigerating Draught Beer

The general range of recommended refrigeration temperatures for beer is 30-39°F. Maintaining beer within this temperature range is important for four reasons:

  1. Bacteria, mold, and yeast are believed to be inactive at temperatures below 40°F.
  2. The ability of liquid beer to retain absorbed carbon dioxide gas changes drastically as the beer heats and cools.
  3. Oxidation (staling) occurs in beer more rapidly at higher temperatures, thus decreasing shelf life.
  4. Beer expiration dates are based on the assumption that the beer will remain at temps below 40°F from the distributor to the retailer to the consumer.

Consistent refrigeration is essential for maintaining the intended quality and character of draught beer.

The Importance of Cleanliness in Draught Beer Quality

Once a keg is tapped, the beer leaves the sterile environment within the keg and is exposed to a variety of factors that may compromise draught beer quality. Sugar and protein residues that are not consumed by yeast during fermentation serve as “leftovers” for other microorganisms to consume. These microorganisms are mainly airborne bacteria, mold, and yeast that will adhere to any surface that offers nutrient value (i.e. unclean beer faucets). Maintaining beer faucets that are free of dry beer residue (sugars and proteins) is the most important step bar staff can take to ensure proper sanitation of a draught system between routine line cleanings. When bacteria, mold, and yeast enter a draught beer line they continue to feed on the available nutrients in the beer, and their byproducts will alter the flavor and quality of the beer.

Inevitably, all draught systems will fall victim to microbial infection. Again, this is one reason why maintaining proper refrigeration temperature is so important. Refrigeration is crucial for maintaining proper carbonation and pour rate as well, and if you own an establishment that sells draught beer, then foamy beer equals lost profits.

The Importance of Beer Carbonation in Draught Beer Quality

Beer carbonation is measured in specific units called “volumes CO2,” and this volume is set to a specific rating by the brewery at a specific temperature prior to kegging the beer. Because the absorption of gas (CO2) in a liquid (beer) changes with temperature change (Henry’s Law), refrigeration temperatures must be kept constant to ensure the carbonation rating is consistent with the rating set by the brewery. If beer temperature is increased (above 39F), less CO2 remains absorbed by the beer, resulting in increased foam.

Choosing the proper gas blend for your system is also a critical determinant of carbonation and flow rate. Carbon dioxide/nitrogen (CO2/N2) gas blends became popular as the sizes of tap systems increased. The N2 content pushes the beer through the beer line while the CO2 is responsible for maintaining the proper carbonation rating.

In general, draught beer carbonation can be maintained by the retailer by pressurizing kegs in the same manner that a brewery uses to set the initial carbonation rating: using 100% CO2 at 10 psi (pounds per square inch) within the correct temperature range. This will maintain a desirable carbonation level while also balancing the keg with the restriction value of the beer line (induced by friction and gravity), resulting in just enough pressure to drive the beer to the faucet without over-carbonating the beer while maintaining a desirable pour rate.

That said, larger tap systems will often have restriction values too great and the keg cannot be balanced with the line using only 10 psi. In other words, 10 psi will not be enough pressure to deliver the beer from the keg to the faucet if the total line restriction (between the keg and faucet) is greater than 10 pounds. This is why additional pressure is applied with the help of nitrogen, an inert gas that is not readily absorbed by beer. Selecting the proper gas blend for a particular tap system requires knowledge of the system’s line restriction rating, static pressure, atmospheric pressure, and elevation.

Unfortunately, many bars today simply run a generic 50/50 or 60/40 (CO2/N2) blend instead of making the additional effort to determine the gas ratio that will correctly match the system to brewery-specified carbonation levels. Find a qualified draught beer technician who is willing and able to do this.

Carbonation, refrigeration, and sanitation issues are common, and usually result from poor maintenance or a lack of attention to detail during installation. Industry professionals should perform routine inspections, which can save the retailer thousands of dollars annually, especially when foaming issues are corrected. Equally important, the retailer must respect specifications and quality standards set by breweries, and take any measures necessary to ensure that only beer of the highest quality and integrity is served to their customers.

The consumer should expect nothing less.

Do you need help maintaining the highest quality of draught beer? Contact us today >

What Most Bartenders Don’t Know About Their Own Tap Systems

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Most bartenders and bar owners have a fair working knowledge of how their tap system functions. They’re able to recognize operational defects and malfunctions involving factors like proper refrigeration, carbonation, and beer flow/pour rate.

However, what most bartenders don’t know is the impact poor sanitation has on the performance of a draught beer system.

“Closing the Cut” on Your Beer Lines

Beer is actually very dense with nutrients like various sugars and proteins, and there are dozens of species of airborne bacteria and mold that are constantly on the hunt for nutrient sources. When airborne microorganisms contact beer faucets (especially dirty ones) they immediately begin to feed on nutrient residues left on and inside the faucet, then begin to reproduce and colonize toward the nutrient source: the draught beer line. Proper faucet maintenance is a key factor in maintaining proper sanitation of a draught beer system. Because the faucet is essentially the “open cut” on a beer line that leaves the entire system susceptible to infection, proper faucet cleaning has a significant impact on the amount of bacteria and mold that enter draught beer lines.

While most of these microbes are harmless (i.e. non-pathogenic), they ALL consume the sugars and proteins contained in beer, thus affecting the body and overall malt character of a beer. Byproducts of their digestive processes are then released into the beer. These byproducts include acids that will sour a beer and decrease head retention, and mercaptans which are sulfur-based compounds that make a beer taste skunky. Many of these bacteria and mold will also release gases as a byproduct of their own fermentation, which can affect the perceived carbonation of a beer.

Proper attention to sanitary details is by far the most overlooked step in draught beer maintenance by bar staff. Simple sanitary methods, such as regular hand washing and continual cleaning around faucets and beer towers, greatly reduces the number of airborne microorganisms present. A 50% solution of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) is a cheap and effective antibacterial solution for cleaning food grade surfaces without affecting the flavor of the food (or beer) being served. And regular cleaning of beer faucets, towers, and drip trays ensures that the levels of bacteria and mold in a tap system are kept to a minimum.

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