Draft Beer System Troubleshooting Guide
Problem: BEER IS FOAMY
Symptoms:
1. Partially opened faucet agitates the beer
Diagnosis: Improper pour
Treatment: Open faucet completely and quick. Hold glass at correct angle and distance.
2. Pouring into an un-rinsed glass
Diagnosis: Frosted or frozen glasses
Treatment: Rinse glass with fresh cold water before pouring
3. Beer comes out too fast or too slow
Diagnosis: Regulator is set at wrong pressure
Treatment: Adjust regulator for Direct draw systems set at about 15 p.s.i. Long draw systems set about 20 p.s.i..
4. Beer temperature is above 40 F
Diagnosis: Temperature of coolant or keg storage is too high
Treatment: Lower the temperature to 34 – 38 F, lower the glycol reservoir to 35F
5. First few pours are foamy from a new keg
Diagnosis: Keg was just delivered
Treatment: Wait 1-2 hours then use
Problem: NO BEER IS COMING OUT
Symptoms:
1. Air or Gas comes out of the faucet.
Diagnosis: Keg is empty
Treatment: Connect a full keg
2. Nothing comes out of the faucet
Diagnosis: Keg Coupler is disengaged
Treatment: Re-connect keg coupler twisted all the way down.
3. Gas tank (Co2) gauge reads “0” beer lines pour slowly
Diagnosis: Gas tank is empty
Treatment: Connect a full gas tank
4. Tank has (Co2) gas. Beer pours slowly and stops
Diagnosis: Beer Gas valves are turned off
Treatment: Turn the valve parallel to gas line
5. Beer trickles out of one or more adjacent faucets
Diagnosis: Beer line is frozen
Treatment: Check beer cooler temperature, 34-38 Fahrenheit. Turn off glycol system for 1 hour then try pouring.
Problem: BEER TASTES FUNNY
Symptoms:
1. All draft beers have a metallic taste
Diagnosis: Recently cleaned beer lines
Treatment: Pour a few glasses out to completely rinse the cleaning solution from the beer lines
2. Beer has a strong butterscotch or creamed corn flavor
Diagnosis: DMS (Diacetyl) could have formed in the fermentation process
Treatment: Return keg with bad beer
3. Stale taste and aroma of wet cardboard
Diagnosis: The keg “use by date” may have expired.
Treatment: Replace keg with a fresh one. Tapped kegs over 4 weeks can go bad.
Problem: BEER SPUTTERS, BURPS AND SPITS
Symptoms:
1. Beer pours fine then sputters and burps
Diagnosis: There is a kink, bacteria, warm spot or pinhole somewhere in the beer line
Treatment: Check to see if any kinks or heavy objects are sitting on the beer line. If not, plan to clean the lines
2. Beer pours fine then sputters and burps
Diagnosis: There is a kink, bacteria buildup, warm spot or pinhole somewhere in the beer line
Treatment: Check to see if any kinks or heavy objects are sitting on the beer line. If not, plan to clean the lines
3. Beer pours fine then sputters and burps
Diagnosis: Bad seal around the faucet or keg coupler
Treatment: Replace washers of the faucet and keg coupler or replace with new equipment
Problem: BEER IS FLAT
Symptoms:
1. Beer has no “head”
Diagnosis: Not enough pressure
Treatment: Check C02 tank and regulator is on, possibly increase pressure
2. Beer has “head” but quickly disappears
Diagnosis: Glasses are not “Beer Clean”
Treatment: Use non-patroleum detergents and rinse glass in fresh cold water before serving
Problem: BEER IS HAZY AND CLOUDY
Symptoms:
1. Beer is not clear
Diagnosis: Temperature is too low
Treatment: Set the refrigeration to 34 – 38 F
2. Partially opened faucet agitates the beer
Diagnosis: Improper pour
Treatment: Open faucet completely and quick. Hold glass at correct angle and distance.
