More than 27 billion pints of draft beer are consumed worldwide every year, and anyone who loves beer will choose it fresh from the tap over canned or bottled. Freshly pumped beer just tastes better – but only when the line from the keg and coupler to the tower is clean.
Unclean beer lines can not only ruin the taste of beer but also put customers’ health in danger. Dirty dispensers can make customers sick or even seriously ill. There have been incidents where customers have fallen ill after drinking contaminated beer at bars and restaurants — a nightmare scenario for a bar or restaurant owner. Chemical burns from caustic cleaning agents have also been an issue, resulting in lawsuits. Incidents like these can cost a considerable amount of money in medical and legal fees and, just as importantly, can cost your reputation. As a customer, we should never feel that our health might be in jeopardy for enjoying a cold beer.
Running the Risks of a Dirty Line
Dirty beer not only tastes terrible, but it’s also dangerous to drink. Contaminants such as bacteria, mold, and yeasts can build up in beer lines over time. Limescale and beer stone make beer muddy, while mold and bacteria can leave beer sandy, stringy, and even toxic. People have reported getting sick after having a sour pint at a bar. Guests are likely to write the bar off if they had consumed a beer pumped through a dirty line.
The Dangers of Chemical Sanitation
Most bars and restaurants know the importance of regularly cleaning their beer lines. But while most local health codes stipulate the frequency of cleanings needed, not all of them outline cleaning methods or best practices for cleaning equipment. In many cases, this leads to draft beer system owners using chemical sanitization methods. Without caution, unsafe chemical sanitization can also be deadly to your business and your customers. Consider these cautionary tales:
- A woman in Massachusetts was burned by the acidic solution used to clean beer lines that a distributor failed to clear thoroughly after using it to clean the beer line.
- An Ohio man alleged that he suffered burns and had to have parts of several internal organs surgically removed after consuming contaminated beer.
- In 2017, a brewery lost USD $750,000 jury verdict because a man fell dangerously ill right after consuming toxic beer from the brewery. He was then hospitalized for 6 days and lost 25 percent of his stomach lining. They later determined the cause was acidic chemicals that the brewery used to clean the beer lines.
There are many more “hot beer” horror stories like these and they are all too easy to find. In fact, many companies set aside around $15,000 USD each year to settle lawsuits from chemical burns.
Using chemical solutions to clean pipelines means employees need to be extra thorough when rinsing off the residuals left by the cleaning process. This is time-consuming and leaves room for human error. Pub and restaurant owners stand to lose valuable business during chemical sanitization processes.
The Powers of Chemical-free Ozone Sanitization
Ozone is a natural molecule that can oxidize everything it comes in contact with. When oxidized, harmful microorganisms and chemicals break down into harmless compounds. This oxidation ability makes ozone the most effective disinfectant available for sanitizing drinking water and food preservation.
Using ozone beer line disinfection systems help prevent lawsuits through chemical burns that customers incur when bars and restaurants use toxic cleaning agents. Not only this, but ozone disinfection for beer lines saves staff time, money, and effort. Electrolytic ozone beer line disinfection systems run on only electricity and tap water. Using electrolytic ozone beer line disinfection systems means bar owners don’t need to manage a cleaning crew or spend extra money cleaning up dangerous chemicals.
When implementing ozone disinfection systems, bar staff do not need to close or pause the beer supply. Ozone turns into harmless oxygen as soon as it gets into contact with contaminants, leaving no harmful chemicals in the beer. Guests can enjoy a tasty brew with peace of mind while the tap keeps pouring — a win-win for customers and pub owners.
The Best Beer Line Disinfection System
The BioSure ozone cleaning kit (OCK) uses patented Electrolytic Ozone Generation to produce high-concentration ozone from water. BioSure makes sure you serve safe beer in the most efficient and affordable way to customers.
How BioSure Professional Sanitizes Beer Lines
BioSure’s OCK pumps ozone to your beer line to eliminate contaminants before serving to your customers. The BioSure OCK is optimized in many ways to ensure that it is:
The Safest
BioSure uses patented electrolytic ozonation technology to produce ozonated water. Once the ozone disinfects the beer line, it reverts to oxygen, without leaving chemical residuals as chlorine does. The now clean-and-clear beer line is ready to serve beer without toxins or chemical residuals.
The Fastest
The BioSure system takes only eight minutes to complete. Because the process produces no chemicals, the OCK can sanitize beer lines multiple times a day without interrupting the beverage supply.
Cost Effective
BioSure systems only need minimal water and electricity consumption. Therefore, it is one of the most affordable options and a quick return on investment.
The Easiest
Bar owners don’t need to use additional cleaning tools or chemicals with the BioSure system. There are three different sanitation programs in the system which are specifically designed for cleaning beer lines and beverage machines.
Top Quality
While keeping your beer safe for consumption, BioSure eliminates the use of undesirable chemicals and the creation of by-products during sanitization and ensures the delivery of clear beer at its best quality and taste.
Drinking It All In
Tainted beer is harmful to your customers and your business. Regular cleaning for your beer line is essential. But choosing and implementing sanitization is crucial. At best, bar owners lose customers; at worst, you would be responsible for someone’s life. Choosing the right disinfectant system for beer lines is critical. Ozone is the safest, most affordable, and easiest way to sanitize your beer line over the long term. Ozone sanitization is also time-efficient and does not interrupt your beer supply. The system is easy to use, and it cleans beer with no chemical residuals. Using just water and electricity, you can serve the best quality beer in town. Cheers!
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