Draught Troubleshooting

Flat Beer

General Causes

1. Glasses are not "beer clean"
2. Not enough CO2 pressure
3. Pressure shut off at closing

4. Cooler or dispensing system too cold
5. Leak in pressure tubing or barrels
6. Loose tap or pressure connections
7. Defective pressure check valve in tap
8. Sluggish pressure regulator
9. Air compressor used for pressure
10. Prolonged exposure to air instead of CO2 pressure

1. Pressure required does not correspond to beer temperature (the system is not "balanced")
2. Beer line system is not as cold as beer in the barrel
3. Beer dispensed through small-diameter tubing into large shanks and faucets
4. Drawing too short a collar of foam
5. Beer drawn improperly

Wild/Foamy Beer

1. Beer drawn improperly
2. Faucets in bad or worn condition
3. Kink, dent, twist or other obstruction in tubing near faucet
4. Beer line system too long, unrefrigerated or uninsulated
5. Beer warm in barrel and/or in dispensing system
6. Too much pressure (the system is not "balanced")
7. Creeping gauges or increasing pressure
8. Frozen glasses
9. Dirty faucets

Cloudy Beer

1. Beer over-chilled in dispensing system
2. At one time the beer allowed to warm up
3. Hot spots in beer lines
4. "Cutting" beer through faucet
5. Beer hose in poor condition
6. Dirty lines
7. Defective pressure check valves, causing contaminated pressure system
8. Contaminated pressure source
9. Beer that has been frozen

Off-Tasting Beer

1. Dirty faucets
2. Dirty beer system
3. Beer lines not properly cleaned
4. Unsanitary conditions at bar
5. Oily air; greasy kitchen air
6. Temperature of beer in barrel too warm
7. Flat or cloudy beer
8. Old draught; unrotated kegs
9. Dirty beer glasses

Sour Beer