When we clean our beer lines, or let beer sit in there too long, how much beer do we actually lose when purging or cleaning the beer lines? That answer varies on the inside diameter of the beer line, but knowing that the standard diameter is 3/16" inch, we can calculate the amount of beer lost.
As a homebrewer, I hate seeing any of my hard work go to waste, so I've always wondered how much beer I am actually losing when I clean out my beer lines. After receiving this question from numerous visitors to our site, we decided to create a little post about it.
When we clean our draft beverage lines, or let beer sit in there too long, how much beer do we actually lose when purging or cleaning beer lines?
That answer varies on the inside diameter of the beer line, but knowing that the standard diameter is 3/16" inch, we can calculate the amount of beer lost. Here are some common size hoses:
- 3/16” ID = 1/6 oz/ft (Standard beer line diameter)
- 1/4” ID = 1/3 oz/ft
- 5/16” ID = 1/2 oz/ft
- 3/8” ID = 3/4 oz/ft
Considering that most homebrew setups (kegerators/keezers/fridges) have an average beer line length of 4-6 feet, we're talking about losing 2/3oz - 1oz when the beer in the line is lost due to cleaning, or purging. A very small price to pay when considering that cleaning the lines will make a huge difference on taste of the beer.
So next time you decide to clean your beer lines at home, you can figure out how much beer will be lost by using the simple formula below (for standard 3/16" ID beer line):
16Feet of Beer Line = Ounces of beer in the beer line
Get the proper beer line cleaning kit to ensure the best-tasting beer every time you pour!
