Beer Line Cleaner: How Often a Bar Should Clean Draft Lines
Quick Answer: The Brewers Association recommends cleaning beer lines and hardware at least once every two weeks, and its cleaning log is built around a two-week cycle. The film inside a line gets harder to remove the longer it stays. A local health department or beer supplier may ask for more. Strength, contact time and steps come from the cleaner's label, not from this page.
Beer lines are the cleaning job a bar forgets, because nothing looks dirty from the front of the bar. The Brewers Association (the trade body for US craft brewers, checked October 2026) gives a clear minimum for draught retailers, and it is a calendar rule, not a taste test. This page covers the interval, the log and who does the work. For the rest of the routine, see our bar cleaning checklist and the bar cleaning schedule.
How often should a bar clean its beer lines?
At least once every two weeks. The Brewers Association article on caustic line cleaners says it recommends cleaning beer lines and hardware "at a minimum of once every two weeks". Its draught beer line cleaning log page says a log should show the last cleaning within the last two weeks and an overall two-week cleaning cycle. That is a trade recommendation. It is not a law, and the sources read for this page do not say any law sets the interval. Your local health department and your beer supplier may ask for more, so ask them.
| Job | Interval the source gives | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clean beer lines and hardware | At a minimum once every two weeks | Brewers Association, caustic line cleaners article |
| Cleaning log | Last cleaning within the last two weeks; a two-week cycle | Brewers Association, draught beer line cleaning log |
| Descale with an acid cleaner | Every three months, to remove beerstone | Brewers Association, caustic line cleaners article |
Why clean lines that look fine?
Because the problem is a film you cannot see. The Brewers Association says microorganisms in a draught system form a slimy matrix called a biofilm, which shows up on couplers, in the foam-on-beer detectors, on faucets and inside the lines. It says the film starts as soon as a new system is installed and beer begins to flow, and that the longer it stays on a surface, the harder it is to remove. When hygiene is neglected, it says, customers notice foul-tasting beer and the beer does not pour from the tap properly. A calendar interval beats waiting for that complaint.
What goes in a beer line cleaning log?
The Brewers Association says all draught system cleaners should keep a log that is clearly visible to the retailer, the wholesaler and the brewer. It gives a template to download but its page text does not list the fields. Our suggestion, not a standard: the date, which taps or lines were cleaned, who did it and the date the next cleaning is due. A log that shows the last cleaning inside two weeks answers the question at a glance.
Who should clean the lines, and with what?
Whoever your beer supplier or line-cleaning service names, using the cleaner's label. The Brewers Association recommends caustic-based line cleaners because it says they break down biofilms. It also says sanitizers kill some germs on surfaces but are not as effective at dissolving biofilms. The same article warns that caustic chemistry can burn skin and says staff handling any line-cleaning chemical should know the hazards and wear proper protective equipment. This page gives no strengths, temperatures or mixing steps on purpose. Get them from the label, the safety data sheet and a trained cleaner.
Do bottle pourers have anything to do with draught lines?
No. A bottle pourer does nothing for a draught line. It is for the liquor bottles on the back bar, which belong on the same cleaning schedule. Esatto sells pourers, dust caps and adapters, and the pourers and fittings collection lists them. It is our own range, not an independent pick. Esatto sells nothing for beer lines or beer taps, so if you came here to buy a line cleaner, the cleaning service or your beer supplier is the place to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you clean keg lines?
The Brewers Association recommends at least once every two weeks for beer lines and hardware at a draught retailer. Your supplier or health department may set a shorter interval.
How do you clean lines in a kegerator?
The Brewers Association pages read for this post are written for draught retailers, not home kegerators. Use the cleaner's label and the kegerator maker's manual, and keep the same two-week habit in mind.
What is a beer tap cleaner?
It is a chemical used to clean beer lines, couplers and faucets. The Brewers Association recommends caustic-based types for breaking down biofilm and says to follow the safety precautions for them.
Is a beer line cleaning kit enough?
The sources here do not review kits. Whatever you use, follow its label, wear the protective equipment it calls for and log the date. A kit does not change the two-week recommendation.
Can you just sanitize beer lines instead of cleaning them?
The Brewers Association says sanitizers are not as effective as caustic cleaners at dissolving biofilms. Lines hold beer for long periods, which gives films time to form.
What is beerstone?
The Brewers Association describes it as calcium oxalate, which is not organic, so it needs a different chemical from the one used on biofilm. It recommends an acid step every three months to descale it.