Draft Beer Troubleshooting Answers
Condition: Cloudy Beer
Beer in glass appears hazy and not clear.
Causes and Corrections:
- Overchilling.
Excessive low temperatures may cause hazy, cloudy beer, particularly when beer lays for a long period of time. Maintain refrigerator temperature at 36° to 40°F. - Partial opening of beer faucet.
Open the faucet quickly and completely. - Unrefrigerated foods placed on keg.
When unrefrigerated products, such as meats, vegetables, fish or fruits are placed on a keg of cold beer, the beer becomes warm long before these products chill down. This change in temperature can cause cloudy beer.
Condition: Flat Beer
Foamy head disappears quickly, beer lacks usual zestful brewery-fresh flavor.
Causes and Corrections:
- Greasy glass.
Do not wash beer glasses together with glasses that have contained milk or any other fatty substance. Lipstick is a fatty substance, be sure it is removed from the glass. Eating greasy foods while drinking beer can cause this too. Wash glasses thoroughly with a good detergent; do not use soap. Do not dry-wipe glasses. Allow glasses to air dry. Rinse in fresh cold water just before serving beer. It is best to serve beer in a wet glass. Beer Glasses should be used for beer and nothing else but beer. - Improper drawing of beer into glass.
Open the faucet quickly and completely. Check and find the correct distance to hold the glass from the faucet when drawing. Proper foam should be a tight creamy head, and the collar on the average glass should be ½” to 1″ high. Beer drawn without a head has the appearance of being flat. - Not enough pressure.
Check CO2 tank; if empty, get refilled. Increase pressure if beer runs too slowly. Correct flow is to fill a 10 oz glass in 4 seconds (approximately 8 oz of liquid). Check that there are no obstructions in the air line. Check and replace air line or CO2 regulator and gauge. Regulators will wear down, replace after 4-6 years. Make sure CO2 pressure is ON; do not run the system off the keg pressure alone. Make sure temperature of refrigerator is not above 40° F.
Condition: Loose Foam
Large soap-like bubbles, foam settles quickly.
Causes and Corrections:
Condition: Off-Taste Beer
Often bitter and bitey, sometimes completely lacking in flavor and zest. May also have oily or foul odor, carrying an unpleasant taste.
Causes and Corrections:
- System not clean.
Clean the entire system monthly or immediately after each keg is emptied. The faucet should be removed, disassembled and cleaned with hot water and a brush weekly. Inexpensive cleaning compounds, equipment and kits are available. Click here for Cleaning kits. - Contaminated air line.
Examine air line and replace if necessary. Dirty air lines should be washed with a good cleaning compound normally used for cleaning beer lines, then rinsed clean. - Old Beer.
The beer in the keg may be old and past its prime. Buy a fresh keg.
Condition: Foamy Beer or Wild Beer
Beer, when drawn, is all foam, or too much foam, and not enough liquid beer.
Causes and Corrections:
- Beer too warm.
The beer keg must always be kept between 38ºF and 40° F. - Excessive CO2.
Lower the amount of CO2 going to the keg. This is done by adjusting your regulator. Adjustments may not happen immediately. In a normal keg fridge set up, you should keep your regulator set between 10 and 12 psi. If a keg is over pressurized, pull the relief valve on your keg coupler for about 3 seconds. This will release some CO2 out of the keg. Wait about 15 minutes, then turn your CO2 tank back on. Older regulators should be replaced completely as they do not last forever. Air Tanks and Regulators - Old Beer Lines.
Replace old beer lines. If you bought or inherited an older system, it would be wise to replace the beer lines. Click here for replacement lines. - Improper drawing of beer into glass.
Open faucet quickly and completely. Check and find the correct distance to hold the glass from the faucet when drawing. Proper foam should be a tight creamy head, and the collar on the average glass should be ½” to 1″ high. Never use frozen or frosted glassware!! - Obstruction in faucet.
The faucet should be removed, disassembled and cleaned with hot water and a brush every few weeks. - Worn faucet parts.
Replace worn washers as required. If faucet does not open wide, worn parts or entire faucet must be replaced. Click here for Faucet Rebuild Kits and New Faucets. - Warm spots in your beer line.
Any warm spots in your beer line will cause foamy beer. All beer tubing should be kept inside your fridge. Long beer lines runs (6 feet or greater) can cause your CO2 pressure to be out of whack. A larger inside diameter of beer tubing may be necessary.
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