Basement equipment

Start with stacking. A keg stacker holds two kegs safely on top of each other, so you store upwards instead of outwards, and a keg spacer keeps the upper keg in place while protecting the fitting of the one below from the full weight. Measure the diameter of your own kegs before you order; standard fifty-litre kegs and the slimmer twenty-litre ones do not call for the same support.

For the rinsing side, choose by size and by fit. A 27-centimetre sink overflow carries off whatever threatens to rise above the rim while you clean the lines, and a 15-centimetre funnel makes sure the cleaning fluid ends up in the drain and not on the floor. Stainless steel is no luxury here but a necessity: ordinary steel rusts away in the damp air of a cellar.

Only stack kegs when the floor is level, and put the heaviest one at the bottom. Position the spacer so the fitting of the lower keg stays clear; let weight rest on it and sooner or later you have a leaking coupler. Keep them in order of best-before date, so the oldest keg stands at the front and is the first to go on tap.

When you clean the beer lines, put the funnel in the drain and the overflow in the sink before you start. That keeps the cleaning fluid where it belongs and saves you mopping afterwards. Wear gloves, and once you are done, rinse everything that has been in contact with the agent using clean water.

Stainless steel tolerates most cleaning agents, but not for hours on end. Rinse the funnel and the overflow after use and leave them to dry; chlorine-based product left behind will attack stainless steel too in the long run. Do not use steel wool, because scratches turn into anchor points for beer residue.

Check the keg accessories a few times a year for cracks and burrs. Plastic that stands cold and wet for a long time becomes brittle, and a stacker that gives way under load is a real safety risk. Replace it if in doubt.

Above the cellar the work carries on. Speed rails keep the bottles within reach, drink dispensers do the same for juice and water, and glass crates bring clean glassware up in one go. For the glasses themselves there are the beer glasses and the more robust catering glasses. If you want the classic recipe that goes with a keg, the kopstoot is explained here, and you will find the rest of the kit under bar tools.