Kegs are stored in a keg fridge.  The location of this keg fridge is usually under the back of the bar or in a walk-in cooler near the kitchen. In some restaurants or bars, the beer can be coming from as far as 50 feet away!  Without proper beer line cleaning and maintenance, draft beer can become tainted and contaminated.

This is bad for the bar / restaurant owner and the beer lover alike!!  Knowing the importance of cleaning beer lines is an invaluable lesson for any restaurant or bar owner.

How do beer lines become dirty?

Yeast – Beer contains yeast.  When lines are not properly cleaned, yeast builds up and can clog the lines as well as effect the taste of the beer being served. Yeast build up may result from a small amount left from the brewing process.  It can be recognized by its white or grey color and is usually found on the surfaces of the beer system that are exposed to air: faucets, keg couplers and drains for example.

Mold – We all know that mold can be hazardous to your health.  Mold also has an effect on beer. When the beer system is exposed to the air there is a risk of mold growing.  It can be recognized by its brown or black color and is found on surfaces that are exposed to air: faucets, keg couplers and drains.

Beer Stone – Beer stones are Calcium Oxalate deposits that are created during the brewing process and is a result of combining calcium and oxalic acids or salts at cold temperatures. Beer stones will build up and eventually flake off on the inside of the beer lines if not properly cleaned.  They have a negative effect on the taste and quality of beer.

Bacteria – Bacteria found in beer is in small enough amounts that they typically do not present a hazard to human health.  However, a bacteria build up can be potentially harmful. In addition, if lines are not cleaned properly the bacteria will negatively effect the taste and quality of the beer.

Effects of Dirty Beer Lines

Why is it important to clean beer lines? Different people have different tolerances to any number of molds and bacteria. Some of the schmutz in an unclean line will cause a different reaction in people who are more sensitive than others. In addition to possibly getting customers sick, uncleanliness will result in the quality and taste of the draft beer being negatively effected.

Some bars and restaurants are hyper about changing and cleaning beer lines. They understand this procedure will result in delicious tasting draft beer that will leave their customers coming back for more!

Do’s & Don’ts of Beer Line Cleaning:

DO:

1. Do use effective line cleaning chemicals
2. Do remember to flush the beer from the lines with water before cleaning
3. Do clean lines regularly

DON’T:

1. Don’t use just soap and water
2. Don’t forget to wear protective gear when handling chemicals
3. Don’t forget to flush chemicals from lines with water after cleaning

Dirty keg lines result in poor beer quality and possible customer health issues that should be very concerning for restaurant and bar owners. All this is assuredly passed down to their customers and leads to a unpleasant customer service experience!  

Yeast, mold, beer stones and bacteria have different effects on different people. The presence of these items in beer lines will negatively effect taste and quality. Use the correct chemicals and flush the lines with water before and after cleaning beer lines. With regular cleaning of beer lines, restaurant owners can serve their customers with great tasting beer without worry! 

When it comes to plant growth, enriching the air with CO2 has benefits for plants. Using CO2 can enhance growth and development. CO2 is the basis of almost all life on Earth. It’s the food that plants eat! And if we go back to what we learned in elementary science class – the plant kingdom is the beginning of the food chain, without CO2 there would be no life on Earth!

Lab and field experience have shown that higher than normal CO2 levels dramatically enhance the efficiency in which plants utilize water, sometimes as much as doubling it in response to increased CO2 consumption.This results in the need for less water to produce the same amount of growth. Increased CO2 usage in plants typically leads to more extensive and active root systems, enables plants to more easily explore larger volumes of soil in search of things they need. Additional CO2 leads to more plant growth!

CO2 Raises the Productivity of Nearly All Herbaceous Plants

Productivity of herbaceous plants will grow by 1/3 in response to a 300 ppm increase of CO2 in the air.  These plants use all three of the major biochemical pathways (C3, C4, CAM) of photosynthesis. The more CO2 in the air the productivity of nearly all crops rises.  They produce more branches and tillers, more and thicker leaves, more extensive root systems, and more flowers and fruits.

Source: More CO2 Means More Plant Growth, Herbaceous Plants (http://www.plantsneedco2.org/default.aspx?menuitemid=326) 

“The rising level of atmospheric CO2 is a universally free premium, gaining in magnitude with time, on which we can all reckon for the future,” Sylvan H. Wittwer stated. 

CO2 Solutions

CO2 can be supplied to your plants through high-pressure cylinder tanks or through automated bulk systems. A whole lot more time and resources must be dedicated with high-pressure cylinders. With high-pressure cylinders, the tanks must be exchanged when the CO2 in the tank runs out.  By the time the tank runs out the plants are being negatively effective. 

In order to avoid the risk of run outs, business owners typically change the tanks before they’re completely empty. This results in a loss of CO2 that was paid for. The alternative to high-pressure cylinders is a state-of-the-art bulk carbon dioxide system. These systems provide a continuous and reliable supply of quality CO2. Bulk systems are automated and take the guess work out of deciding when to refill tanks. Business owners only pay for the CO2 consumed and no residual CO2 that is paid for is returned with the high-pressure cylinders.

Why bother with high-pressure CO2 cylinders when there is an automated solution that does the work for you?!

• There are CO2 benefits for plants! CO2 is the staff of life… It’s food for the plant kingdom which is the beginning of the food chain.
• Increased CO2 promotes enhanced growth and development. By utilizing CO2, growers can take advantage of this naturally produced material and grow larger plants with fewer resources.
• Carbon Dioxide solutions, such as Bulk CO2 Systems, are the perfect solution to your plant growth needs, while minimizing waste and maximizing profits!

Sources: Wittwer, S.H. 1997. The global environment: It’s good for food production. In: Michaels PJ (ed) State of the climate report: Essays on global climate change. New Hope Environmental Services, New Hope, p 8-13.