Draft beer tastes like the beer plus the line it traveled. Line length, temperature, and cleanliness change the glass. This page does not publish a house cleaning schedule.

Three checks

  1. Line length and temperature. Long warm lines flatten carbonation and pick up flavor the keg did not have.
  2. Clean versus dirty. A dirty line tastes like the last beer, or worse. The Brewers Association publishes draft-quality resources for retailers.
  3. The room’s own statement. If a host publishes a maintenance or draft-quality line, believe that page. Do not invent an interval for them.

For what a board printed tonight, use the brewery’s public page or the chalkboard. See How to read a tap list.

Sources

  1. Brewers Association. draft quality and craft-brewer definition pages.
  2. BJCP Style Guidelines.