Problem |
Potential Causes |
Symptoms |
Possible Solutions |
|---|---|---|---|
No beer is coming out |
Keg is empty | Gas will rush out of faucet | Connect a full keg |
| Gas tank is empty | Other draught lines will start to pour slowly, gas tank volume gauge will read "0" | Connect a full gas tank | |
| Gas valves are shut off | Beer pours very slowly and stops, but tank volume gauge shows that there is gas in the tank | Turn the toggle so that it is parallel with the gas line | |
| Beer line is frozen | Beer trickles out or stops in one tap or multiple adjacent taps | Turn the glycol system off for 1 hour, then try pouring | |
Beer is pouring foamy |
Beer lines are dirty | Beer gradually becomes foamy over several weeks time and lines have not been professionally cleaned. | Contact a professional draught servicing company to clean lines every two weeks. |
| Gas regulator set at wrong pressure | Beer pouring very rapidly or very slowly, with excessive foam | Adjust pressure - downstairs keg systems should be set at about 24 P.S.I., and direct draw systems (under the bar) should be set at about 10 P.S.I. | |
| Keg storage or coolant temperature is too high | Beer pours above 40°F with excessive foam | Lower the cooler temperature, limit traffic through the cooler door, and lower the temperature of the glycol reservoir to about 35°F | |
| Beer was just delivered | The first few pints in a keg pour foamy | Wait 1-2 hours, then pour again | |
Beer "burps" or sputters |
There is a warm spot, kink, pinhole, or bacteria buildup somewhere in the beer line | The beer starts pouring fine, then "burps" | Check to see if a full keg could be setting on a beer line. If not, check the insulation and scals on the line with a sponge and warm soapy water, and plan to get the lines cleaned |
| There is a bad seal around the faucet or keg coupler (sankee) | The beer starts pouring fine, then "burps" | Replace washers in the keg coupler and faucet or exchange for new equipment | |
Beer tastes "off" |
Beer tastes metallic when run through recently cleaned lines | All beers on draught have a metallic taste | Lines cleaned with caustic acid can leave a faint metallic taste. You can request that your lines be cleaned with a chemical-free method, or just pour a few pints off and the taste should return to normal |
| Beer has a strong buttery or butterscotch flavor | Diacetyl could have formed in the beer during fermentation, creating this off taste | The keg is filled with bad beer and should be returned to the distributor, with a request to notify the brewer | |
| Beer has a "creamed corn" flavor | D.M.S. could have formed in the beer during fermentation, creating this off taste | The keg is filled with bad beer and should be returned to the distributor, with a request to notify the brewer | |
| Beer tastes stale, with a papery or "wet cardboard" aroma | The keg could be past its expiration date, or air could have been pumped into the keg | Ensure that you are pressurizing kegs with CO2 or or G-mix from a gas tank, not with with oxygen rich air. If the keg has been on tap for longer than four weeks, it can go bad, and should be returned to the distributor |
OnTap Dispense just finished our NEW DRAFT #BEER SYSTEM! Perfect Cold Beer On Demand! Thanks Mates!
Thanks to On Tap Dispense Service, we now have a brand new, ICE COLD, draft system!
At Fibbers on the Water, we have 12 beers on tap with two bars being serviced by the draught system. Over the past two years, I have watched as my yield per keg and the quality of the beer I was pouring slowly went down. My draft beer profits and the quality of my customer’s experience were both deteriorating.
So I did a great deal of research and investigated several vendors that specialize in installing and maintaining draught beer systems. On Tap Dispense Services came in and did a complete survey of my existing system. They worked with me to determine exactly what my system needed and presented a quote that was both more comprehensive and significantly less expensive than their competition.
Because Fibbers is an Irish style pub and we sell Guinness on tap, we decided to install a beer gas blender. This lets my ales and lagers get the right CO2 mix and I can still push the right nitrogen mix on the Guinness line. They replaced all of my beer lines, installed a new glycol cooling system, and relocated 6 taps on my outside bar. They did everything they said they would, on time and with minimal disruption to my business. As with any major installation, there were a few minor issues getting all the pressures and adjustments exactly right. When we called with a problem, they responded very rapidly.
Thanks to On Tap Dispense Services, Fibbers is now pouring a perfectly carbonated, 36 degree beer. Plus, since we are no longer pouring foam down the drain, we get a near perfect yield from every keg and our customers love our draught beer again.