Problem |
Potential Causes |
Symptoms |
Possible Solutions |
No Beer is Coming Out |
Keg is empty |
Gas will rush out of faucet |
Connect a full keg |
|
Gas tank is empty |
Other draught lines will start to pour slowly, gas tank volume gauge will read "0" |
Connect a full gas tank |
|
Gas valves are shut off |
Beer pours very slowly and stops, but gas tank volume gauge shows that there is gas in the tank |
Turn the toggle so that it is parallel with the gas line |
|
Beer line is frozen |
Beer trickles out or stops in one tap or multiple adjacent taps |
Turn the glycol system off for 1 hour, then try pouring |
Beer is Pouring Foamy |
Beer lines are dirty |
Beer slowly becomes foamy over several weeks time and lines have not been professionally cleaned |
Contact a professional draught servicing company to clean lines every 2-3 weeks |
|
Gas regulator set at wrong pressure |
Beer pouring very rapidly or very slowly, with excessive foam |
Adjust pressure - downstairs keg systems should be set at about 24 P.S.I., and direct draw systems (under the bar) should be set at about 10 P.S.I. |
|
Keg storage or coolant temperature is too high |
Beer pours above 40°F with excessive foam |
Lower the cooler temperature, limit traffic through the cooler door, and lower the temperature of the glycol reservoir to about 35°F |
|
Beer was just delivered |
The first few pints in a keg pour foamy |
Wait 1-2 hours, then pour again |
Beer "Burps" or Sputters |
There is a warm spot, kink, pinhole, or bacteria buildup somewhere in the beer line |
The beer starts pouring fine, then "burps" |
Check to see if a full keg could be sitting on a beer line. If not, check the insulation and seals on the line with a sponge and warm soapy water, and plan to get lines cleaned |
|
There is a bad seal around the faucet or keg coupler (sankee) |
The beer starts pouring fine, then "burps" |
Replace washers in the keg coupler and faucet or exchange for new equipment |
Beer Tastes "Off" |
Beer tastes metallic when running through recently cleaned lines |
All beers on draught have a metallic taste |
Lines cleaned with caustic acid can leave a faint metallic taste. You can request that your lines be cleaned with a chemical-free method, or just pour a few pints off and the taste should return to normal |
|
Beer has a strong buttery or butterscotch flavor |
Diacetyl could have formed in the beer during fermentation, creating this off taste |
The keg is filled with bad beer and should be returned to the distributor, with a request to notify the brewer |
|
Beer has a "creamed corn" flavor |
D.M.S. could have formed in the beer during fermentation, creating this off-taste |
The keg is filled with bad beer and should be returned to the distributor, with a request to notify the brewer |
|
Beer tastes stale, with a papery or "wet cardboard" aroma |
The keg could be past it's expiration date, or air could have been pumped into the keg |
Ensure that you are pressurizing kegs with CO2 or G-mix from a gas tank, not with oxygen rich air. If the keg has been on tap for longer than 4 weeks, it can go bad, and should be returned to the distributor |