This is one of the most popular draft beer systems and is an excellent choice for any long-draw dispensing setup (typically, running  25 feet or longer) due to its ability to maintain the cooler temperature and deliver cold beer at long distances. In a glycol-cooled remote beer system, the beer in the keg is kept cold by the cold air in the walk-in cooler. The beer in the beer lines, beer tower, and faucets are kept cold by the continual flow of glycol through the coolant lines designed to take the cold temperature of draft beer from the walk-in cooler and transport it to the dispensing tower at a consistent temperature.

How It Works

The trunk housing carries the beer and the glycol cooling lines that keep the beer cold in a glycol system. The lines are built in a factory where the beer and coolant lines are wrapped together, using a vapor barrier, foil tape, insulation, and some manufacturers provide a barrier jacket. This insulated trunk line consists of multiple beer lines tightly taped to the coolant lines, so all the beer lines are in direct contact with the coolant lines the entire length of the trunk housing. Trunklines runs have been known to go up to 750 feet. The sole purpose of the glycol power pack is to refrigerate and circulate the glycol coolant from the walk-in cooler to the faucet shank and back to the power pack for re-cooling. The coolant temperature is cycled between 28-34° F by an adjustable thermostat. The power pack pump pushes the cold glycol out of the power pack into the supply glycol line, through the trunk line, up through the tower behind the faucets, and returns to the glycol power pack through the return glycol line. Then the returning glycol is re-cooled and continually pumped back through the system keeping the beer at its proper serving temperature.

How Effective is a Glycol-Cooled Beer System?

This system is the most complex and the most expensive of all three draft systems. This system has many benefits, but it has its opportunities as well. The long draw system opens up so many design and layout options due to the flexibility of the equipment placement. You can place your beer (walk-in cooler) far from the beer tower, but over these long distances, it opens up opportunities for dispense problems, increased equipment costs, cooling issues, and beer waste. With this said, a properly designed and installed long-draw system can offer a decade of cold beer, perfect pours, and profits.

Key Tips:

1. Select your glycol power pack by the length of the distance from the walk-in cooler to the point of dispense.
2. Do not mount the glycol power pack above the cooler or in an area with minimal air circulation. Most glycol power packs need to operate in a space with an ambient temperature of 50-90° F.
   
3. Confirm you have the proper glycol mix ratio (refer to the manufacturer requirements).
4. Maintain a walk-in temperature of 34-38° F.
   
5. Request full barrier trunkline tubing from your installation vendor.