A refreshing pint of draft beer is one of life’s greatest pleasures. This is due to the fact that properly poured beer has a smoother, fresher, and cleaner flavor than similarly bottled or canned beer. But the quality of draft beer you get might vary greatly depending on the pubs you visit, as even the best brews can be ruined by unclean lines that transfer the beer from the keg to the tap. It’s possible that you’ve had this beer go bad, which tastes terrible overall and is flat and acidic. Furthermore, unclean beer systems endanger not only the beer but also the health of the patrons.
Every week, the beer lines at Walt’s Bar in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, are cleaned. This is a result of the proprietors Jeff and Julia Johnsen’s appreciation for the value of a spotless beer system.
“My dad and I have worked in bars our entire lives,” explains Jeff Johnsen. “Draft beer lines require frequent cleaning and replacement. That’s something I observed frequently: poorly maintained draft beer systems.
Eric Huwig created Walt’s Bar’s direct-draw beer system. “Direct draw” refers to the arrangement where the kegs are right beneath the beer taps as opposed to having to pass through fifty feet of tubing to reach the draft faucet. According to Johnsen, “it literally comes right out of the keg.” It’s just a three-foot tube. It appeals to me more. because the beer you have doesn’t have carbonation from sitting in lines.
Johnsen notes that hardly many bars are able to function in this manner. Most pubs are a knotted mess of long beer lines due to bad architecture, an excess of taps, and a lack of storage space. As he notes, these lines hold the beer for a considerable amount of time after they are poured in addition to acting as a conduit for it. In the tubes, your beer essentially sits there for hours. According to Johnsen, some queues are long enough to hold three or four pints, and the beer will stagnate if it isn’t sold quickly enough. As a result, the draft beer isn’t exactly flawless, and bacteria may begin to grow inside the tubes.
Johnsen continues, “If I showed you some pictures of the draft lines that Eric sent me.” “Dude, unless you know that shit’s being serviced, stick with a bottle or can.”
Hearing that, however, was marred by a desire for a cold 24-ounce glass and a plate of Dominos. Yuengling at home on tap. B*tch.
Walt’s Bar is a champion of regional Southern California breweries and serves a fantastic blend of hot dogs and natural wine. Because of Johnsen and Huwig’s regard for clean beer lines, every beer that comes out of the tap tastes crisp, fresh, and aromatic. Walt’s stands out above other pubs in Los Angeles because to upkeep, system care, and meticulous attention to detail. There is a discernible difference.
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How do dirty beer lines affect draft beer?
Even if they are unaware that it is the cause of their beer’s strange flavor, most beer drinkers are likely to notice an untidy beer line. It’s true that dirty lines ruin the flavor of beer, and this is a major issue. According to a study published in 2021 and named “Microbial Communities in Retail Draft Beers and the Biofilms They Produce,”
We discovered that regular line cleaning techniques are not effective in effectively suppressing beer deterioration and that contamination of retail draft lines is widespread. This means that a lot of patrons unintentionally drink tainted beer. In addition to identifying the microorganisms and yeast present in retail draft beer samples, this study looked into how well they may form biofilm communities on tubing material.
Bacteria are the cause of spoiled beer, which can taste more acidic and vinegarier. There’s a reason why beer tastes like poop if you’ve ever thought to yourself, and that reason is unclean beer lines. Unless, of course, the purpose of the beer is to taste like shit. (Miller High Life, I’m staring at you.)
Dirty lines have the ability to lessen aroma. Good beer smells good; your draft should smell wonderful, whether it’s malty, hopsy, smokey, or nutty. You might wish to find a new watering place if it’s completely gone.
Clean beer lines also have health benefits: “We’ll all wake up with a more manageable hangover,” claims Johnsen.
He claims, “It’s not good to drink weird shit growing on the inside of these lines—sugar, yeast.” Bacteria can accumulate in contaminated beer lines and cause headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. While it is rare to become ill from bad beer, it is incredibly easy to avoid terrible beer in the first place.
Osteobacterium, Pectinatus, Zymomonas, Pediococcus, and Lactobacillus are the most frequent bacteria to infect beer lines. Unclean lines accumulate with mold and mildew, which turns them brown or black and promotes growth. Furthermore, the majority of beer lines are composed of vinyl tubes, and since the inside surface of these tubes isn’t absolutely smooth, germs can adhere to them and grow quickly. Beer lines teeming with Lactobacillus and Pediococcus tend to accumulate diacetyl, a chemical that gives beer its scent and gives the tubes a slippery, slimy feel.
How to avoid becoming sick from drinking beer at bars
Granted, this isn’t the primary source of contamination in bars, but Johnsen stressed the significance of clean glassware above all else. He even gives this advice on how to determine whether your pint glass is tainted: “There should never be any bubbles on the side of the glass when you order a drink at a pub. This indicates that there is a contamination of some kind present. By attaching itself to the food or contamination, the yeast produces bubbles. Draft beer is a cheap, romantic, and easy treat to enjoy, but far too often, poor maintenance is robbing it of its fun.
With this knowledge, the terrifying advice of a dedicated and experienced bar owner still holds true: “Stick with a bottle.” Ironically, it’s a sobering idea. More establishments ought to feel guilty about not cleaning their beer lines and ought to be embarrassed about it. Yes, it’s a pain in the ass since it needs a lot of disassembly, cleaning, soaking, and reassembling. Cleaning beer lines should be done at least every two weeks, according to Kegworks and the Brewers Association; other people think it should be done every week. Whatever the case, it must be completed for the sake of all draft beer lovers. I’ll continue using Walt’s till then.
