Cleaning frequency for a draft system or kegerator: The ideal schedule

1. Regular maintenance: Every 1 to 2 weeks (Frequent use)

If your draft system or kegerator is used almost daily (or very regularly on weekends), the lines remain constantly moist and filled with stagnant beer. This is the ideal moment for a light preventive cleaning:

• Frequency: Ideally once a week (especially in summer if the lines are not refrigerated along their entire length), or at minimum twice a month.
• Recommended product: Desana Max FP. This active oxygen‑based alkaline cleaner is perfect for quick maintenance. It dissolves micro‑residues of yeast and sugar before they harden or form a protective biofilm.
• Key step: First rinse your lines with clear water, circulate the Desana Max FP solution, let it soak for about ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water until the water runs perfectly clear and free of product residue.

2. Shock cleaning: Restarting after long inactivity

If you have a portable draft system that you only use for birthdays and barbecues, or if your kegerator has been turned off with beer in the lines for several weeks, a light cleaning won’t be enough. Residues have had time to dry, harden and form stubborn contamination nests.

• Frequency: After any long period of inactivity, before connecting a new keg after a break, or if you notice a suspicious smell or unusually excessive foam during service.
• Recommended product: Desana Max CL. More powerful and enriched with active chlorine, it offers superior disinfecting and bleaching power. It directly attacks embedded biofilms and established bacterial colonies inside dark tubing.
• Key step: Let the Desana Max CL solution act longer inside the lines (follow the product’s color‑change instructions to confirm the circuit is clean). A very thorough rinse with clear water is essential to remove all traces of chlorine before serving your first beer.

3. Annual deep descaling: Essential acid action

Just like your brewing vessels, your draft lines slowly accumulate mineral deposits invisible to the naked eye. Calcium from water and beer compounds form what is known as “beer stone” (calcium oxalate). These rough deposits create turbulence inside the tubing, causing excessive foam during service, and act as physical anchors for future organic residues.

• Frequency: Once a year (or every 6 months if your tap water is extremely hard).
• Recommended product: Desana Acid. This acidic descaler chemically dissolves tartar and beer stone crystals accumulated inside the lines, on keg coupler plungers and inside draft faucets.
• Key step: This treatment always comes after a standard alkaline cleaning (Desana Max). Never mix the two products. Circulate Desana Acid, let it act to dissolve mineral deposits, then rinse thoroughly. Your lines will regain their original transparency and smoothness.

4. Summary table: Your maintenance schedule

To help you stay organized, here is a recap of the cleaning cycles for your draft system: