Commercial Beer Systems
Reliable refrigeration, glycol systems and cool room solutions for breweries, distilleries and beverage production sites. We handle breakdowns, maintenance and upgrades to keep your operation running without disruption.
Glycol cooling — the system most contractors can't properly diagnose
Glycol beer reticulation is not a simple refrigeration system. Understanding how it works is the difference between a contractor who fixes the fault and one who replaces parts until the problem goes away.
Glycol chiller
Cools glycol/water mix to 0–2°C
Glycol trunk line
Carries chilled fluid to bar
Beer line python
Beer line wrapped in glycol — keeps beer cold in transit
Font / tap
Beer poured at serving temperature
Glycol return
Fluid returns to chiller to be re-cooled
Where glycol systems fail — and what it looks like at the tap
Every pour quality fault has a system cause. These are the most common.
Glycol chiller not reaching setpoint — low refrigerant, dirty condenser, compressor fault or glycol concentration too high. May also be insufficient flow rate through the trunk line.
Requires refrigeration diagnosis, not just a pressure adjustment at the tap.
Beer temperature too warm causes CO2 to break out of solution before the glass. Also caused by incorrect CO2 pressure, kinked lines, dirty lines or a faulty coupler. Each cause requires a different fix.
A foaming fault that's diagnosed as pressure when it's actually temperature will keep returning.
Glycol flow imbalance across branches — some fonts getting adequate cooling, others not. Caused by incorrect balancing, blocked circuits or a pump running below spec.
Common in larger multi-font installations where glycol circuit was not properly commissioned.
Glycol concentration too low allows water in the mix to freeze. Incorrect setpoint, or a system that has been topped up with water without checking concentration ratio.
Frozen glycol circuits can block flow and damage the pump — requires full system check, not just defrost.
Glycol pump not running during closed hours, or chiller setpoint drifting. In Queensland summers, an unattended glycol system overnight in a warm cellar will arrive at service with warm lines.
A monitoring or control fault — not a fault that resolves itself before the next service period.
“Foaming is the symptom that gets called in — but the cause is almost never where people assume. We've seen foaming faults traced to a glycol chiller running 3°C warm because a condenser coil hadn't been cleaned in two years. The beer line contractor cleaned the lines and adjusted the gas. The problem came back every Friday night.”
— ACRO technician — glycol beer systems, SE Queensland
Everything between the keg room and the glass
Most beer system contractors handle one part of the chain. ACRO covers the full system — from cellar refrigeration through to front-of-house tapware and CO2.
| System | What we do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Glycol beer reticulation | Design, install, commission, repair and maintain glycol cooling circuits for draught beer systems of all sizes | The primary system keeping beer cold from cellar to tap. Faults here affect every font on the bar simultaneously. |
| Keg room & cellar refrigeration | Cool room design, installation, maintenance and breakdown response for keg storage and cellar environments | Keg temperature on entry to the glycol system determines how hard the chiller has to work. A warm cellar means a struggling system. |
| Beer fonts & tapware | Custom font supply, installation and maintenance including font cooling, tap hardware and brand requirements | Font temperature is the final point of temperature control before the glass. Uncooled fonts lose temperature on the pour — visible to the customer. |
| Undercounter systems | Supply, install and service undercounter beer systems for smaller venues, function spaces and secondary bar areas | Self-contained option for venues where a full glycol reticulation run is not practical or cost-effective. |
| CO2 systems | CO2 manifold installation, pressure regulation, gas line supply and safety compliance | Incorrect CO2 pressure is one of the most common causes of foaming. Part of every pour quality diagnosis. |
| Bulk spirit dispense | Bulk spirit and measure dispense systems for high-volume venues and bars | Reduces wastage, speeds service and ensures consistent measure compliance — particularly relevant for large hospitality operations. |
| Monitoring & alarms | Temperature monitoring, alarm systems and remote alerts for refrigeration and beer system performance | Overnight temperature drift and cellar faults caught before service — not discovered when the first keg goes on at noon. |
Different operations. Different system requirements.
A craft brewery has different system priorities to a high-volume pub. A distillery has different requirements to a hotel bar. We understand the difference.
Pubs, clubs & licensed venues
Pour quality and system uptime are the primary concerns. Every hour a tap is down or pouring poorly is lost revenue and a customer experience problem.
- Glycol reticulation to multiple bars and font locations
- Keg room refrigeration sized for high-turnover storage
- 24/7 breakdown response — we respond outside business hours
- Custom font installation to brand requirements
- Patron area air conditioning integrated with beer system planning
Breweries & craft producers
Production refrigeration and taproom dispensing are both critical — and connected. A production fault that affects fermentation temperature ultimately affects every pour in the taproom.
- Fermentation and conditioning vessel cooling
- Bright beer tank refrigeration
- Taproom glycol system design and installation
- Cold room and keg storage for finished product
- One contractor across production and taproom systems
Hotels & accommodation venues
Hotel properties often have multiple bar areas, function spaces and restaurant outlets — each with their own dispensing requirements but sharing a central cellar and refrigeration infrastructure.
- Central cellar refrigeration with distribution to multiple outlets
- Glycol reticulation across multiple bar locations
- Function space and temporary bar system support
- Integrated HVAC for bar and dining areas
- Maintenance plans covering refrigeration and beer systems
Distilleries & spirit producers
Spirit production requires precise process cooling at multiple stages. Tasting rooms require reliable dispensing and a comfortable patron environment — the same systems, different application.
- Process chiller installation and maintenance
- Bulk spirit dispense system supply and installation
- Tasting room refrigeration and cool storage
- Air conditioning for production and visitor areas
- CO2 recovery and gas management systems
The fault a beer line contractor will always miss
Pour quality problems are almost never caused by just one system. This is the scenario that plays out when a beer line contractor attends without refrigeration capability.
Every tap on the bar is foaming. Pour quality is inconsistent. The gas pressure has been adjusted twice. The lines were cleaned last week. The problem started three days ago and gets worse as the shift progresses.
- Checks CO2 pressure — within spec
- Inspects beer lines — clean, no kinks
- Adjusts tap pressure — no improvement
- Recommends line clean — done already
- Cannot access or diagnose the glycol chiller
- Raises a separate callout to refrigeration contractor
The glycol chiller condenser is fouled. In Queensland's summer ambient, the chiller can no longer maintain glycol temperature under afternoon peak load. Beer lines warm up progressively through the service period. CO2 breaks out of solution. Every tap foams.
- Glycol chiller condenser cleaned
- Glycol temperature verified at setpoint under load
- Beer line temperatures confirmed stable across all fonts
- CO2 pressure confirmed — no adjustment needed
- Fault resolved same attendance. No follow-up callout.
What's Included
Breweries, distilleries and licensed venues do not just rely on refrigeration. They rely on multiple connected systems working properly at the same time: cool rooms, glycol systems, beer lines, taps and air conditioning. When one contractor only handles part of the site, faults get missed, responsibility gets shifted and downtime drags on. ACRO Refrigeration provides complete support across refrigeration, beer systems and HVAC, giving clients one contractor who can install, service and maintain the systems that protect product quality, support service and keep venues operating properly. From glycol cooling and keg rooms to beer taps and patron area air conditioning, we handle the lot.
Get Your Beer System Running RightKey Benefits
- Protect product quality from production through to pour
- Consistent beer temperature and dispensing performance
- Reduce product waste and customer complaints
- One contractor for refrigeration and beer systems
- Faster fault diagnosis across connected systems
- Reliable support for both back-of-house and front-of-house
How It Works
Review the site and systems
We assess your refrigeration, beer systems and air conditioning requirements as one operating environment.
Inspect and diagnose
We assess equipment, layout, cooling capacity and dispensing setup.
Solution and pricing
We provide a clear scope covering refrigeration, glycol and beer system requirements.
Delivery of works
We complete repairs, installation or upgrades with a focus on reliability and minimal disruption.
Ongoing support
We maintain both refrigeration and beer systems to ensure consistent performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you install and maintain beer lines and taps?
Yes. We install, service and maintain beer lines, taps and associated systems to ensure proper temperature and pour quality.
Can you fix foaming or poor beer pour issues?
Yes. We diagnose and resolve temperature, pressure and system faults affecting beer quality and dispensing.
Do you handle both refrigeration and beer systems?
Yes. We cover refrigeration, glycol systems, cool rooms and beer dispensing systems, so you’re not dealing with multiple contractors.
Can you upgrade existing systems?
Yes. We assess current systems and recommend upgrades to improve capacity, reliability and performance.
Do you offer breakdown support?
Yes. We respond to refrigeration and beer system faults, including cooling failures and dispensing issues.
Do you only work on refrigeration?
No. We also install and maintain beer lines, beer taps and air conditioning systems, giving clients one contractor across key site services.
What other services do you provide?
We provide Glycol beer reticulation systems, undercounter systems, custom beer fonts and tapware, bulk spirit dispense and measure, CO2 systems, alarms and monitoring
Get Your Beer System Running Right
Reliable installs and fast repairs for pubs, clubs and venues.