How often should I clean my beer lines?

If you are using your tap beer lines regularly, we advised cleaning your beer lines every two weeks. At a minimum you should clean your tap lines once every six weeks. Our recommendation is to clean and sanitize your tap lines between each keg you serve on your draft system to make life easier.

What cleaner should I use to clean my lines?

Depending on the type of cleaning required, the cleaner you use will either be caustic (high pH) or acidic (low pH). Caustic (a.k.a. alkaline) Cleaners dissolve proteins, carbohydrates, and other residues that commonly build up in your lines. They will also kill mold, bacteria, and yeast.

Another material that builds in lines over time is what is referred to as "beer stone" or specifically, calcium oxalate, which is caused by a combination of material from brewing water, malt, and hops. Using an acid cleaning solution such as A*L*C will help dissolve beer stone.

It's simplest to fill a Cornelius Keg with the cleaning solution and to run it through the lines just as you would beer. Before you begin flushing the lines with water drain them completely so your don't dilute the cleaning solution. Generally allowing 5-10 minutes of contact time between the cleaner and the Liquid Lines should be sufficient. If your liquid lines are badly soiled additional contact time may be required.