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  1. #1
    wildwest450 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Sparta, TN.
    Posts
    17

    Default Interested in starting a line cleaning business

    Is this something that can be done on a part time basis? There are several resturaunt's in my area that continually serve off tasting (distinct vinegar and dishsoap) beer. I have no experience in this field, but would be interested in learning more about it. What would startup costs be? Where can I learn the basics. Would be willing to travel to Knoxville, Chattanooga, or Nashville and work for free to learn the business. I am self employed right now and only work 3 day's a week, so adding a day or two a week would be no problem. I have no interested in taking someone else's job or running a huge operation, just trying to improve the quality of the beer I drink on Friday night's. Since I built my own kegerator, I find I enjoy tinkering with with everything beer dispensing related. Thanks for any insight!

  2. #2
    tapcleaner is offline Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    , , USA.
    Posts
    17

    Default Clean that Beer!

    Micromatic has an online schooling system that explains the basics of how draft systems work. My biggest advice would be to get yourself a friend that is a local beer sales rep. One of those guys that sales at the bars. Get one of them and they'll usually give you brewery info, and help recommend you to local accounts. I can't stress enough using a 1/4 HP pump on long draw systems, but starting with the cleaning kegs is usually the easiest. If you have any other questions you can contact me at tapcleaner@hotmail.com.
    Keep That Beer Clean!!

  3. #3
    happytappy is offline Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Mid Michigan , USA.
    Posts
    119

    Default

    Cleaning can be done part time, and can be a fun hobby. Check your state laws to see who cleans lines. In some states, distributors clean lines for bars for free and you can not compete with that. The Micro Matic Dispense Institute is a great learning experience and they have those regionally. Check you local distributors, see if they have training available. You will need a pump, fittings, couplers, buckets, tools, solution, spare parts, etc. All these can be found in the beer equipment store on micromatic. If you want to come to MIchigan, you can travel with me for a couple days.
    Happy Tappy Draft Beer Services
    Serving Mid-Michigan and beyond

  4. #4
    wildwest450 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Sparta, TN.
    Posts
    17

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by happytappy View Post
    Cleaning can be done part time, and can be a fun hobby. Check your state laws to see who cleans lines. In some states, distributors clean lines for bars for free and you can not compete with that. The Micro Matic Dispense Institute is a great learning experience and they have those regionally. Check you local distributors, see if they have training available. You will need a pump, fittings, couplers, buckets, tools, solution, spare parts, etc. All these can be found in the beer equipment store on micromatic. If you want to come to MIchigan, you can travel with me for a couple days.
    I really appreciate the offer, but I found out that the distributor's do the cleaning. The dream is dead.

  5. #5
    TAPMAN is offline Super Moderator
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    York, PA. , USA.
    Posts
    250

    Default

    Sometimes the beer distributors will subcontract someone to do the cleaning for them Check with the wholesalers to see if that may be the case. If so, maybe your dream may only be in a coma, but not dead yet. Tapman

  6. #6
    MSU KW is offline Junior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    East Lansing
    Posts
    1

    Default

    Happytappy

    I am a student at MSU, and I see a great market in East Lansing for this service, and it is a great skill to have. If you have any more information regarding the offer to wildwest450, I would like to talk to you about a possibility of taking you up on it. Thanks. Kyle W.
    Last edited by MSU KW; 02-04-2008 at 10:36 PM.

  7. #7
    Scott Zuhse is offline Administrator
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    2,312

    Default

    Contact the local beer wholesalers to determine if they offer this service to the retailers as an added value free service. If so, it would be difficult to convince to retailer to pay for a service that they receive for free. A possibility would be to have the wholesaler to outsource this service to you. To be profitable, you would need to convince the majority of the wholesalers to use your services so that you can clean most if not all of the lines at the outlet.

    Check out these links for line cleaning info and the Micro Matic Dispense Institute for additional info.
    Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

  8. #8
    foster_14 is offline Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5

    Default Clean kegs

    How does one clean a keg?

    Thanks.

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