Draught Shutdown & Recommissioning

To ensure your draught system is kept in the best possible condition, and ready to come back to action as soon as the Government’s social distancing measures are lifted please follow this advice to enact a temporary shutdown.

Although it would seem common sense, it is essential that you do not leave draught beer lines either empty, filled with water, or filled with beer, for any extended period of inactivity.

1. Push remaining beer through the lines with clean water. Run your line cleaning solution through thoroughly, and leave to rest with line cleaner for 15 minutes. Flush through once more with clean water.
2. Empty and rinse line cleaner vessel. Prepare a sanitiser solution in it to introduce into the draught system. One recommended option is Sodium Metabisulphite, which is sold commonly as Campden tablets. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines for recommended dilution rate. Pull the solution through the system.
3. If it is safe to do so, repeat this cleaning procedure every four weeks during temporary shut down.
4. Do not cover up the nozzles on your beer taps. If left for an extended period of time this can risk developing mould. Give the taps a thorough clean with food grade sanitiser.
5. Leave couplers disconnected from kegs, and clean them inside and out, being sure not to leave them resting on the cellar floor.
6. Turn off the gas supply to the draught system. Turn off the remote coolers and any under bar cooling you may have.
7. Keep your cellar cooling active. If left at ambient temperature this may encourage the growth of mould.

Once you are eventually ready to reopen your bar for draught service:

1. Pull water through the system to flush out any sanitiser. Do a thorough line clean in line with your normal procedures.

2. Give all couplers a thorough clean, and check products are still within their best before date before reconnecting kegs.

3. Turn the gas supply, remote coolers, and any under bar cooling, back on.