Beer Line Cooling

Cooling your beer lines is essential to getting a tasty pour and preventing too much warm beer from building up in your lines. Any areas of warmer beer along the beer line run will contribute to foamy beer at the faucets when you pour, so it is critical to make sure that your beer is maintained at the same cold temperature all the way from the keg to the faucet.  There are three efficient ways to cool beer lines:

  • Air Cooled
  • Salt Water Cooled
  • Glycol Cooled

Air-Cooled Systems

An air-cooled system can be used for line distances of five feet or less. It is important to remember that simply insulating your lines is not sufficient as each inch of line must be kept at approximately 38 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent too much foam. The further you get away from your kegerator, the warmer your beer gets. Simply insulating your lines is not going to be enough to keep the beer cool for the entire run of five feet.

The most efficient way to air cool your lines is to use the cold air from your kegerator and keep your costs down. A good way to air cool your lines is to wrap them in a PVC pipe and just run the cool air from your kegerator back over your lines. Install a small blower to keep the air moving over you lines and wrap your PVC pipe to prevent the accumulation of condensation..

Salt Water Systems

A salt water system can be used for lines running from five to 20 feet in length.  Begin with a reservoir of salt water that is placed in the kegerator as close to the cooling plate as possible.  Then use an aquarium pump to pump the water through cooling lines that are run directly with your beer product lines.   By keeping the reservoir cold and constantly circulating the salt water, it will keep your product lines cold as well and over a much greater distance than you will get by trying to air cool them. Make sure that your system is sealed and also be sure that the pump you buy can handle both the length of line you are using and any kind of height difference between your kegerator and your tap.  Pack the lines closely together and insulate them to prevent any environmental heat transfer.  Salt water systems can be built at home with a minimal investment, which for shorter runs, is a significant advantage over a commercial glycol system.

Glycol Systems

Glycol systems are typically used in commercial beer line cooling applications.  Bars, stadiums, and concessionaires all typically use commercial glycol cooling systems to keep the beer traveling from kegs all the way to the draft beer faucets cold.  So they are extremely effective, but also very expensive as well.  You can use a glycol system for any line length beyond five feet, but you will save money if you use a salt water system for up to 20 feet of line length. Once you get beyond 20 feet of line, investing in a glycol system will be required to keep the beer lines cold and the faucets foam free.

Although most glycol cooling systems are purchased, you can try to make your own. The main components of a glycol system are:

  • Power source
  • Glycol
  • Line Wrap
  • Exterior line jacket
  • Foil wrap to keep the lines cold

For a glycol system, you will also need a pump that can handle the distance and elevation you are dealing with, so while you can save money trying to make your own glycol cooling system, you can save aggravation by buying a system that is already made and right sized for your specific application.