Cellar management tips

The following provides a guide to cellar management best practice. However, please, in all cases, refer to your brewery for instructions.

Essential tips to ensure that regular line cleaning occurs:

• Choose a set day every week so that it becomes a routine.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions precisely as leaving line cleaner to soak longer in the pipes does not give cleaner lines, as the acid can eat into the pipe itself.

• Always ensure that your staff are aware that line cleaning is in progress by placing signs in the bar.

• If you are fortunate to have surplus cask ale pumps, it is good practice to flush through the line with cold water when changing a cask.

Line cleaning equipment and procedures

Equipment needed

• Protective gloves and goggles

• Good quality line cleaner

• Cleaning vessel

• Water

• Bucket

• Soft brush

• Clock

Procedures for pressurised cleaning vessel

1. Apply protective gloves and goggles
2. Turn off gas and remove coupler from keg
3. Clean coupler with soft brush and a mixed solution of water and cleaning fluid
4. Place coupler into the correct wall cleaning socket
5. Fill cleaning vessel with fresh cold water, then replace cap with the dip tube
6. Connect the main coupler to the vessel and turn on gas supply
7. At the dispense point (bar) draw the residue beer from the line by flushing the water through using the bucket
8. Turn gas off and de-pressurise the cleaning vessel by pulling the valve until there is no gas left. Remove coupler and the cap
9. Following the cleaning fluid instructions, pour the cleaning fluid into the cleaning vessel and add fresh cold water
10. Reconnect the main coupler to the vessel and turn on gas
11. If your system uses electrical dispensing pumps, then flush the cleaning fluid through the pump by opening the bleed valve
12. If you use a fob detector system, then open the bleed valve and let the chamber fill with cleaning fluid. Ensure that the fob detector is in cleaning mode by actuating the bottom knob
13. Draw the cleaning fluid through the system into the bucket (you can ensure that the cleaning fluid has come through either by colour or by rubbing your thumb and finger together under the tap until you feel a thicker consistency)
14. Once the cleaning fluid has come through, leave to soak for 10 minutes
15. Pull through two pints of the cleaning fluid at the dispense point
16. Refill the cleaning vessel with more cleaning fluid and leave to soak for up to 20 minutes. Total time around 20 – 30 minutes
17. Disconnect the main coupler from the cleaning vessel and depressurise the vessel as in step 8, dispose of the extra cleaning fluid into a drain and rinse out with clean cold water and refill
18. Re-connect the main coupler to the cleaning vessel and turn the gas supply back on
19. Repeat steps 11 or 12, depending on your system
20. At the dispense point draw through plenty of water to ensure that all cleaning fluid is removed from the line. If needed, re-fill cleaning vessel with water
21. Disconnect the main coupler from the cleaning vessel and repeat step 8
22. Remove the coupler from the cleaning socket and reconnect to the beer keg. Turn the gas back on
23. Draw the beer through at the dispense point until all the water has come through and beer starts to come through.
24. Test the beer for smell, clarity and taste
25. Repeat these steps for all beer lines in the cellar

1. As with the pressurised cleaning vessel, apply protective gloves and goggles
2. Turn cask tap off and remove line
3. Place line into a clean bucket with fresh clean water
4. At the dispense point draw the residue beer from the line by flushing the water through using the bucket
5. Following the cleaning fluid instructions, pour the cleaning fluid into the bucket and add fresh cold water
6. Draw the cleaning fluid through the system into the bucket (you can ensure the cleaning fluid has come through either by colour or by rubbing your thumb and finger together under the tap until you feel a thicker consistency)
7. Once the cleaning fluid has come through, leave to soak for 10 minutes
8. Pull through two pints of the cleaning fluid at the dispense point
9. Refill the cleaning vessel with more cleaning fluid and leave to soak for up to 20 minutes. Total time around 20 – 30 minutes
10. Dispose of any left-over cleaning fluid down a drain and rinse out bucket with clean water
11. Refill bucket with cold water and place line into bucket
12. Flush out the line with a minimum of 3 gallons of water (refill bucket with water if needed) to ensure that all of the cleaning fluid is removed from the line
13. Re-connect the line to the cask and turn cask tap back on
14. Draw the beer through at the dispense point until all the water has come through and beer starts to come through
15. Test the beer for smell, clarity and taste
16. Repeat these steps for all cask lines in cellar

Note: When removing coupler at different stages, always place back into cleaning socket.