Glycol Cooling vs Flash Chilling Your Beer System
99% of Draft beer must be served cold! There are various methods to undertake this cooling and the two most popular and accessible methods for chilling beer are glycol cooling and flash chilling. But when should you install a glycol system over a flash chilling system? And when is a flash chiller better than a glycol cooling system?
What is Glycol Cooling?
Glycol cooling involves wrapping all of your beer lines in an insulated trunk line 
between your keg cooler and your beer tower. Within this trunk, alongside your beer lines, are two lines filled with food grade propylene glycol, which are powered by a glycol power pack A.K.A a glycol pump or glycol chiller.
The glycol power pack simultaneously pumps and cools the glycol in the system so that the beer in your lines is always at the correct serving temperature as it travels from your keg cooler, to your beer tower, and out your taps.
Do I Need a Glycol Cooling System?
If your taps are located more that 25 feet from your kegs then you’re going to have what is called a long-draw draft system and you’re probably going to want to install a glycol cooling system to ensure that your beer is cold and not foaming at the taps. Glycol systems are highly efficient and can last for years, maybe decades, with some simple, annual system maintenance and checks.
What is Flash Chilling?
Flash chilling involves chilling the beer at the point of service. Flash chillers have an ice bath through which room temperature product circulates, exiting out the other side cooled to the desired service temperature. The ice bath is kept cooler than the desired temperature of the product so as to ensure efficient chilling.
Do I Need a Flash Chiller?
Flash chilling is ideal for event locations or catering services, where your draft beer is only connected for a short period of time. It is also an excellent substitute for when refrigeration space is limited and you cannot store all of your kegs in a refrigerated space. Bear in mind however, kegs stored for a prolonged time at room temperature should be pasteurized and kegs do undergo faster flavor degradation the higher the storage temperature. A flash chiller can also be added to a long-draw, glycol cooler system to provide extra cooling. This is usually more common with exceptionally long long-draw draft system.
Hopefully we’ve answered your questions about properly chilling the beer in your draft lines. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@kegeratoronline.com
