Keg Cleaning and Clean Beer
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When we think of clean beer, we include keg cleaning, clean vessels, pipework, pumps and beer dispense lines. Through our blogs we, at AC Technologies, have emphasized how to achieve that through correct use of Draftec beer line cleaner or Master Brewers Standard tank and keg cleaning solution. Perhaps where we have not placed sufficient emphasis, to date, however, is on clean kegs.
A true story can best illustrate the importance of proper keg cleaning. A brewer here in the U.S. was receiving kegs of an iconic beer brand from another brewer in Europe. The idea, of course, was provenance to ensure that there could be no dispute that the beer was genuinely brewed and packaged in Europe. Sensory analysis, however, showed that the fresh kegged beer when it arrived from Europe did not taste as it should and fell short of expectations.
Once the original brewer received complaints about the beer's quality, nobody could find the reason for the off-flavor issue since the freshly-fermented and matured beer at the original brewery tasted precisely as it should and indeed as the brewmaster intended.
Shipping conditions were then also rigorously examined, but nothing untoward was found. As part of the investigation, one of the U.S. quality personnel decided to investigate the inside surface of an empty, imported keg. To his (and our) surprise, he found that the interior surface of the keg was covered in beerstone and biofilm,, apparently with the unintended consequence of compromising the imported beer flavor and overall quality. Unsure how else to emphasize the point, quality personnel in the U.S. decided to sacrifice one of the empty, imported kegs by cutting it in half lengthwise to show that there could be no doubt about the compromised keg quality. The sacrificed keg was sent back to Europe for demonstration purposes. A little dramatic, perhaps, but the point was made. From that moment on, only beer in sparkling clean kegs was received from the European brewer with the high-quality taste profile the consumer deserved!
We, at AC Technologies, care about clean beer. We also care that beer is served on tap as the brewmaster intended. Therefore, we regard proper keg cleaning as an imperative and a prerequisite to not only guarantee clean beer but to ensure that the desirability and drinkability of the intended beer and overall flavor profile meets the customer’s expectations.
Consider using Master Brewers Standard tank and keg cleaning solution to guarantee clean kegs - as the brewmaster intended!
AC Technologies - Clean Once, Clean Right!
A free sample of Draftec's beer line cleaner is available for professional line cleaners and beer distributors. To request a sample, please email us at info@draftec.com or call us at (888) 226-8228.
