Shutting down your draught system

We’re on our third shift to takeout only, which means you’ve still got lots to do, but less time and fewer staff to do it. Let us take any worries about your draught system off your to-do list.

When you’re not using your system, the beer sitting in the lines causes build-up faster than when you’re pouring. Over a period of weeks, this can cause irreversible damage to your lines.

Here’s our guide to shutting down your draught system so you’re ready to pour when the time comes, and a few things you can do to to make reopening even easier.

First, we perform your regular monthly cleaning and maintenance. We clean your draught lines using a chlorinated cleaner. This removes any build-up and yeast that’s accumulated since your last cleaning.  We remove, disassemble, and scrub all faucets, and scrub your couplers and FOBs, and check all components to ensure a tight seal.

At the end of the cleaning, instead of bringing beer back to the lines, we blow them dry and hang your couplers or rest them on the kegs instead of reattaching them. Finally, we’ll check your glycol deck to ensure it’s functioning properly and will be ready when you are. Finally, we’ll turn off your gas to avoid any potential leaks that could build up in your fridge.

Depending on the length of your lines and how long the shutdown lasts, you could be ready to restart your system on your own. For long-draw systems, contact us when you set your reopening date and we’ll let you know if we should flush the lines again before you reopen.

Depending on your system, we may recommend shutting off your glycol deck. Don’t do this yourself. Your draught tech will let you know what we recommend for your set up.

Here are some steps you can take to help make restarting your draught system even easier when the time comes:

  • Wipe down and dry the keg-fridge walls and kegs. This can help avoid mold growth if this shutdown goes long.
  • Keep your fridge at its usual temperature and cold-store all kegs during the shutdown. The average lifespan of a keg is based on cold storage. Move any sealed backup kegs into the fridge.
  • Before tapping any keg, open or sealed, contact the brewery to ensure it’s still good to pour. Different beer styles and brands have different lifespans.