Best Beer Line Cleaning Kit

What is a beer line cleaning kit? Better yet what’s the best one to use? After this post, you will understand which beer line cleaning kit is best, how they compare, and how to use each one.

 Furthermore, you will know which beer line cleaning kit is best for each draft beer system. Understanding how to clean beer lines with the right cleaning kit. Will make sure that your beer tastes great all the time.

What’s A Beer Line Cleaning Kit?

Sample of what's in a beer line cleaning kit

 Beer line cleaning kits are cleaning packages that include equipment to clean beer lines properly.

 Beer lines in draft beer systems need cleaning every 2 weeks because of mold, yeast, bacteria, and beer stones.

 If they aren’t beer lines will actually give the beer a bad taste, plus it’s gross.

 Cleaning kits usually come in one of 3 packages out on the market today

 Hand Pump Cleaning kit used for Kegerators or direct draw beer systems.

 Pressurized beer cleaning kit or cleaning keg. This kit has a cleaning keg you fill with a cleaning solution.

 The nice thing about the cleaning keg is you can tap the keg as you would if you were dispensing draft beer.  The cleaning solution runs through the beer system like you would pour beer.

 Lastly, there is a recirculating pump. Used by draft beer cleaners on commercial beer systems, found in breweries, casinos, taphouses. Recirculating pumps circulate the cleaning solution through a beer system for an extended period of time.

How to use Beer Line Cleaning Kits

 Depending on the beer cleaning kit you are using.

 Hand Pump, Cleaning Keg or a recirculating pump. It will be a little different, but the overall approach and goal is the same.

•  Flush the beer out of the system with cold water
•  Push caustic cleaning solution through the beer system for a certain amount of time
•  Flush caustic cleaning solution from beer system
•  Make sure the chemicals are out of the system with a pH testing paper
•  Hook system backup and dispense beer

 Every quarter, or 3-4 months, an acid cleaning solution is added on top of the caustic cleaning solution to clean up any extra mold, yeast, bacteria, and beer stones.

 Draft equipment like couplers, faucets, and other equipment needs proper cleaning too. This will maintain draft beer quality.

 If you’d like more information on how to clean draft beer systems get in-depth information. Click on the link.

 Now let's talk about the different types of kits and compare them.

Kegerator Cleaning Kit

 The Kegerator cleaning kit or hand pump is the most popular cleaning kit and is the cheapest. This hand pump is used to pump cleaning solutions into the beer tower and out through the product lines.  This is best used on home kegerators or small direct draw beer systems.

 After the cleaning solution is mixed and the beer has been flushed in the system. Screw-in hose fitting into the faucet coupling. Next, you pump the bottle and it pushes cleaning solution caustic/acid cleaner into the system.

 This is also known as a static clean because once the solution is inside the product line it will need to sit there for a length of time. For a static clean, 20 mins is recommended.

 This gives the solution enough time to do it’s cleaning. After the time is up. Flush the solution out with cold water until the pH is between a 7-8. Then you’re ready to re-tap kegs and serve delicious beer.

 This Kit will also come with a spanner or beer wrench. Use this to take off beer taps and tighten them. A brush to clean inside the faucet after it’s removed from the beer tower.

 It will also come with a powdered cleaning solution to use with the hand pump.

Pressurized Beer Line Cleaning Kit

 This is also known as the cleaning keg. This kit provides a keg that can be filled with cleaning solutions in different sizes 1 gallon up to about 5 gallons. Also comes with a beer wrench and faucet brush.

 Depending on how large the direct draw system is… Typically the gallon-sized cleaning keg will be just fine for cleaning situations.

 After flushing out beer with cold water (And you can do this by filling the cleaning keg with cold water and tapping the keg with the beer coupler)

 Mix the right ratio of beer cleaning powder into the cleaning keg of warm water. Next, close the keg and tap the keg as you would a beer keg.

 It’s important to use the same fitting as your coupler. For example, if you’re using D couplers for your beer system you’re going to want a D-system coupler fitting on top of your cleaning keg.

 Tap the keg and allow the cleaning solution to flow through the beer system until it’s completely filled. Place a bucket where the beer coupler is and let the solution run into the bucket for a little bit. Let the solution soak for 20 mins. Flush the system out with cold water until the pH reading reads 7-8.

 Lastly, re-tap kegs for dispensing beer.

Commercial Beer Line Cleaning Kit

Pump used for Beer runs over 1,000'

Cleaning Cup...keg coupler connection for D couplers

Beer jumper between faucets for cleaning

 The re-circulating pump is what draft beer cleaners use to clean beer lines professionally.

 This cleans beer lines the best because the cleaning solution is constantly running through the beer system.

 It’s not static like the hand pump or cleaning keg. The circulation pump comes in a few different sizes, and cleans beer lines from 300’ to over 1,000’.

 For really large commercial beer systems many pumps may be needed to clean the system.

 Set up will consist of 5 gallon buckets. One with clean water and the other with caustic solution mix. Jumpers will be needed for the faucets and cleaning cups will be needed for the couplers.

 The jumpers and cleaning cups turn the system into one large loop. The cleaning solution can be pumped into tap 1 back to the cooler and connect to tap 2 with a cleaning cup and jumpered to tap 3 and so on.

 Once the system is set up like this you’ll be able to add the cleaning solution in a 5 gallon bucket. Once the pump sends solution through the system. You can leave the supply and return hose in the same bucket so it circulates the solution through the entire system for 15 minutes.

 After circulation flush the entire system with cold water for the same amount of time. Make sure all the chemicals are out of the system by testing the water with pH paper. pH paper reading of 7-8 is what we will be looking for before you tap beer.

 One last thing, the re-circulation pump. The jumpers and cleaning cups don’t come with the cleaning kit they are sold separately. So are the faucet brush and beer wrench.

 The recirculating pump offers circulating cleaning for beer systems. Which is why it's more efficient than a static cleaner.

If you are looking for done for you beer line cleaning service and live around central Oregon. I recommend contacting

Renny's Tap Cleaning. They will take care of you and are a do it all beer cleaning/beer service company.

Best Beer Line Cleaning Kit

Overall, the best beer cleaning kit is the re-circulating pump. It does so much more for a beer system than a hand pump or cleaning keg.

Studies have shown using a recirculating pump is 80x more effective than a static clean used by in a hand pump.

It’s the go-to method for cleaning lines professionally. There are some draw backs though. Re-circulating pumps are expensive and so is the added equipment.

If someone wanted to clean beer lines professionally...or owned a brewery this would definitely be justified.

If you own your own kegerator or small direct draw beer system the cleaning keg and hand pump would be the direction I would steer you in.

Ultimately, the hand pump would be the go-to for a home kegerator. It’s cost-effective and the lines would be cleaned as well if you were using a cleaning keg.

For more information on draft beer dispensing products and techniques check out my blog.