Why I Checked Beer Line Cleaners

So last month I noticed my home kegerator started pouring funky-tasting beer. Dumped two pints thinking it was bad brew. Then realized holy crap - the lines probably grew nasty gunk! Tried cleaning myself with that cheap kit from the basement. Wasted half a Saturday fighting sticky hoses. Still tasted like rotten bananas. Figured screw it, time to call pros.

Started digging around town for beer line cleaning services. Googled stuff like "beer line cleaners near me" and "keg line service". Found five that looked legit in my area. Called all of them pretending I owned a small bar. Didn't wanna say home system in case they charged extra.

What I Asked Each Company

Made a dumb little checklist on a beer coaster:

• Price per line - Some charged by the foot, others by faucet
• Chemicals used - Asked if food-safe or industrial crap
• Frequency deals - Monthly plans vs one-time service
• Extra fees - Watch out for travel charges!
• Speed - How long they'd tie up my basement

How the Top 5 Stacked Up

#1 BrewClean Pros

These guys showed up with hospital-white uniforms. Felt like surgeons for beer. Quoted $45 per faucet but had mad extra fees - $30 "fuel charge" plus $15 "waste disposal" fee. Nearly choked. Chemicals smelled like swimming pool leftovers.

#2 Draft Doctors

Laidback dude arrived smelling like hops. Only $25 per faucet flat rate! But...took almost 3 hours cause he kept stopping to chat. Used organic cleaner - nice touch. No hidden charges at least.

#3 Tap Rescue

Corporate-type franchise. Pushed hard for yearly contracts. Monthly package was $60/month but included inspections. Their van looked fancier than my car. Pricey but thorough.

#4 Suds Squad

Cheapest at $18 per line. Fast too - done in 45 minutes. But dude splashed chemical everywhere. Left puddles on my floor. Said "it'll evaporate". Smelled like radioactive lemonade for days.

#5 Barrel Clean Co

Old guy who mumbled through toothpick. Charged by the hour instead - $85/hr! Said "takes however long it takes". Nearly panicked watching the clock. At least he replaced my worn washers free.

How It Shook Out

Went with Draft Doctors despite the slow talker. No surprise fees, organic cleaner, and dude actually taught me maintenance tricks. Cheaper than replacing my whole system! Now I schedule bimonthly - beer tastes crisp every time. Worth every penny to avoid hose scrubbing nightmares.

Pro tip: ALWAYS ask about travel fees upfront. Nearly got scammed extra fifty bucks on that first quote! Peace of mind beats funky pints any day.