We go to so much trouble to make our beer just right. From preparing healthy yeast starters and thoroughly sanitizing our equipment to using fresh hops and fermenting in a temperature-controlled environment, every step along the way is a chance to improve quality. So why, then, do so many of us get lazy about cleaning our draft lines?
I’m certainly guilty of it. While I can’t stand a sink full of unwashed dishes, I seem to have no issue neglecting my kegerator after the keg kicks. But lines are easy to clean, and there’s no reason to not just do it right away. So do as I say and not as I do, and clean your draft lines!
Why Clean Your Lines?
There’s the obvious task of flushing the old beer out of the line to make way for the new stuff. Not to mention that homebrew is unfiltered, which means brewer’s yeast works its way through the system. Those first and last pints, in particular, are usually full of the stuff. Mold, bacteria, and wild yeasts can also find their way in, even if your sanitation practices are up to snuff. But there’s another good reason to maintain clean draft lines.