Most of the time when beer won't pour, it is an issue somewhere in the beer system. However, it is possible to have PMB be the cause of beer not pouring.
1) Check the Keg
- Make sure the keg is not empty.
- Ensure that the keg is connected to the sankey (keg tapper) properly.
- Sometimes the sankey is connected but the handle is not pressed down into place.
- It is also possible to have an imported keg that a domestic sankey will connect to but will be unable to fully engage the keg. So beer will not flow, try a known domestic keg.
- In rare situations, the keg could be damaged internally and only allowing air to pass into the beer line. Try a known good keg.
- Please contact your keg distributor if the keg is the issue.
2) Check the gas supply
- Every sankey has a gas relief pin on the side, near the base.
- Remove the sankey from the keg and pull the pin to see if gas is getting to the keg. If you hear gas, you can stop here and continue to step 3.
- Ensure the main bottles have gas and are turned on.
- Generally the main gas cylinders have gauges on them that will show the fill level, a knob at the top that needs to be opened, and a valve off the gas regulator that needs to be on.
- Ensure any secondary gas regulators are on.
- Most up to date beer systems have secondary regulators that must be turned on and adjusted. These can be located inside the refrigerator.
- Please contact your local draft beer tech for additional gas supply issues.
3) Faulty beer faucet
- Clean the beer faucet
- Remove the faucet from the wall
- Take the faucet apart
- Soak all parts in soda water and clean with a soft brush
- Reassemble and reinstall
- Test if system will pour
- Please contact your local draft beer tech for additional help with faucet cleaning/replacing.
4) Frozen beer lines
- The beer system operates below freezing, so if the lines were recently cleaned, but water was left in the lines. It could happen that the water has frozen and is blocking the flow of beer.
- Turn the glycol pack and/or refrigeration off for 2 or 3 hours to allow the temp to raise above freezing. Then try pouring beer from that line.
- Please contact your local draft beer tech for additional glycol/refrigeration issues.
5) Electrical connection issues at the valve connector.
- Remove the valve connector and inspect for loose or damaged wires. (Note: the valve connector should have 24v AC power when a cleaning card is on the screen)
- In-line with the beer, you will find a valve (black box with black connector) with a Phillips head screw.
- Remove the screw
- Pull the connector off, being careful not to drop the connector gasket
- Inspect the valve connector pins for moisture/corrosion/damage
- Clean the valve connector pins of any moisture of corrosion
- You can use a small soft brush and rubbing alcohol
- Open the face of the valve connector
- There will be a small slit at the connector's face edge, pry that open with a small flat head screw driver.
- While pulling the face out, make sure to feed wire from the bottom of the connector toward the face.
- Inspect the inside of the connector
- There will be 2 wires, make sure they are both firmly connected
- Either wire can connect into either port (labeled 1 and 2 on the face), polarity does not matter. The ground connection is not used.
- If the wires have broken off
- strip about 1/8inch of shielding off the wire
- Unscrew the connector post
- insert the stripped wire into the post hole
- Screw the post connector down onto the wire
- Ensure a firm connection by lightly pulling on the wire
- There will be 2 wires, make sure they are both firmly connected
- In-line with the beer, you will find a valve (black box with black connector) with a Phillips head screw.
- Slightly bend the valve connector pins in or out
- This is like bending a wall outlet plug so that it gets a firm connection
- Reinstall the connector
- Test if the system will pour.
6) Electrical connection issues at a spliced connection
- Sometimes wires have been spliced because of repair or needing to extend a wire. Most splices would be within a 6ft wire run of the valve.
- After inspecting the valve connector, follow the wire and inspect for any spliced connections.
- If a splice is found, gently pull on each wire while holding the splice
- If the wire is broken or pulls out
- Cut the splice off
- Strip both wires back about 1/4 inch
- Twist the wires together
- Use a waterproof splice to finalize the connection
- If the wire is broken or pulls out
- Test if the system will pour.
7) Electrical connection issues at the back of the beerwall screen
- Remove the screen from the wall
- Small 1.5mm (1/16 will work, but is a risk of stripping) grub screws located on the top/bottom or left/right edges of the screen must be loosened a few turns.
- If your screen is a X5 (silver frame around the glass) then you will need to also unscrew the screen frame from the wall.
- Small 1.5mm (1/16 will work, but is a risk of stripping) grub screws located on the top/bottom or left/right edges of the screen must be loosened a few turns.
- Remove the gray metal protective box from the back of the screen by taking the 3 small nuts off the back.
- Unplug the power connector/s at the top left corner of the top computer board.
- The power connectors use Black and Red wires. If you have 2 sets, unplug both.
- Inspect all the wires by gently pulling on them and making sure they do not come out of their green connectors (The valve connection is immediately right of the power connector port)
- If a wire is loose or pulls out, you can reinstall the wire into the green connector
- Remove the green connector from the board by pulling up on the connector (Do not pull a connector off by pulling the wires connected to it)
- Loosen the screw for the desired port until the port fully opens
- Insert the wire back into the port
- If wire broke off, you will need to strip 1/8 inch of wire shielding off first
- Tighten the screw for that port
- Reinstall connector.
- If a wire is loose or pulls out, you can reinstall the wire into the green connector
- Test if the system will pour
8) Failed/clogged valve assembly (This is extremely rare)
- If you are getting 24v AC power at the valve connector remove the beer line from the valve
- Untap the keg
- Remove the beer line from the valve/meter connection
- Generally there is a "John Guest" quick connect fitting here
- press and hold the gray retaining clip down
- Pull the beer line connection out while ensuring the retaining clip stays down.
- Generally there is a "John Guest" quick connect fitting here
- Hold the beer line into a bucket and briefly press the sankey lever down
- If beer comes out, then the valve may be faulty or clogged
- remove the valve and soak in soda water to clean it
- If beer comes out, then the valve may be faulty or clogged
- Reinstall valve and beer line
- Test if the system will pour
9) Please contact PourMyBeer support at (312) 416-9989 ext. 2