Kegerators: Long-draw systems with beer pumps (or a "Straight CO2" system): Long-draw systems without beer pumps (a "Blended gas" system):

The most common issue is sticky linkage of the valve - simply put, the valve is stuck closed. Over time, the bottom block assembly can accrue grime or grit that hinders the activation of the solenoid, thus hindering the opening of the valve. Use warm (not hot!), soapy water around the solenoid opening to clear any debris. Also check to see if the ramp slide has grease on it. We use Loctite 8034, a food-grade and synthetic grease. If no beer comes out when you open the valve manually (via the linkage), make sure your keg is tapped and gas valve is open. If beer comes out when you manually open the valve, but doesn't when trying to use a cup, it could be a couple things - a faulty solenoid or a faulty cup sensor. To test the cup sensor: To replace the solenoid:

A gasket inside the valve, the diaphragm, flexes up and down with the plunger assembly. Over time, this can wear down and remain stuck in the “up” position. You’ll hear the valve close, yet beer will continue to pour until it flexes back down.

Most likely, the diaphragm inside the valve is worn and sticking in the “up” position, allowing leaks. If a diaphragm is installed incorrectly, the plunger assembly won’t align properly as well. If you're getting small bubbles out of the top of the plunger head/case nut, check the psi on your regulator. Keg pressure should be between 12-15psi. Additionally, (though not as common) a gasket at the top of the plunger assembly can wear down or dry out over time, needing replaced. This can cause beer to seep out of the top.

Most likely, the glycol pump key has worn down. This means that, despite showing cold temps and running like normal, no glycol is being circulated through the system or along the beer lines. The motor and pump can be directly connected until your replacement key arrives.

One of two things could be happening. Is the white float in the Empty Keg Detector not floating? It could have sediment on it, causing it to stick down or not float. Simply knock the top of the EKD on the black cap - not the clear tube - to help break it loose. If the float is floating, the reed switch (attached to a brown or grey cable coming from the bottom cap of the EKD) could be defective.

The flow meter, a white turbine on the plunger assembly, could be obstructed, or defective. This results in the flow sensor + circuit board not accurately reading the amount of liquid going through the line. Pour some liquid through the line while in Prime/Purge mode. Do the red and green lights around the Start/Stop button swirl or pulse, or do the S/M/L green buttons pulse? If not, a disconnect between the flow meter and flow sensor is happening. Flow sensors rarely go out, so let's try the flow meter first. Here are some fixes.

For nine-button circuit boards: Put the dispenser into Manual Start/Program Size mode. Set a cup onto the cup coupler and push it down. Press and hold the intended size button for about three seconds, then release when liquid comes out. Press the Start/Stop button when you’ve reached your intended fill level. For three-button circuit boards: Press and hold the size button, then set your vessel down on the cup coupler. Liquid should dispense. Release the size button when you’ve reached the intended fill level.

Older models of our Empty Keg Detectors use a white/blue purge valve, which can break open eventually. This is an easy fix. Note: plastic and metal purge valve ports are not compatible.

New kegerators and long-draw installations come with a cleaning kit. If you don't have one, give us a call at (888) 618-0486. Kegerators: Straight CO2 long-draw (panels with beer pumps): Blended gas long-draw setups:

Are you having trouble with a foamy keg? Are your Empty Keg Detector lights flashing, despite just tapping a fresh keg? Here, we go through the scenarios that cause foam and ways to fix the problem. Be sure to check your keg pressure! Kegerators and long-draw setups with beer pumps should be between 12-15psi. Blended gas long-draw setups will have a sticker with the recommended setting on the panel regulator knobs - usually around 27psi. Try swapping kegs. Put a keg that's working fine on the troublesome line. If things pour fine, you may have a warm/overcarb'd keg. If your beer is also pouring warm, you could have a glycol chiller issue. Here's the most common fix:

There could be an electrical short happening. Often, this is a result of a faulty LED or liquid seeping into the LED assembly. Power cords that have been smashed or damaged by kegs, or poor grounding on the first circuit board bezel bracket can be at fault too. The best thing to do (although it can be tedious) is to test each connection at each circuit board, going left to right.

Our valves require a special attachment to agitate your nitrogen-dispensed beer, such as Guinness or Left Hand Milk Stout. Modifying your existing dispenser to pour these beers requires additional equipment and specific setups. Give us a call at (888) 618-0486 for resources on this equipment and the installation process.

European beers such as Stella Artois, Heineken and Guinness require special keg taps. Our systems come standard with Sankey D style taps - if you want to pour these beers, give us a call at (888) 618-0486.

Pressure changes, freezing temps or collisions can crack your Empty Keg Detector. Fortunately, the replacement process isn't too complicated. Here, we go over the process for both styles of long-draw setups and learn a few things along the way.

Please refer to the glycol chiller manufacturer or a local refrigeration company for servicing your unit. Most new chillers have a three to five-year warranty on their compressors. UBC glycol chillers (black) - https://beer-co.us/contact-us Micromatic kegerators and glycol chillers (silver) - https://www.micromatic.com/en-us/contact-us

A gasket inside the valve, the diaphragm, flexes up and down with the plunger assembly. Over time, this can wear out and not seal correctly. Often, beer will leak through the center of the blue bottom block assembly on the underside of the dispenser. For replacement diaphragms, give us a call at (888) 618-0486.

The cup coupler assembly attaches to the dispenser via the black delrin nut. If the nut is threaded too tight, it can strip the threads. Additionally, not removing the cup coupler for routine cleaning can cause grime to cake on the assembly and cause difficulty removing it. Give us a call at (888) 618-0486 for replacement delrin nuts.

We're glad you asked.

No!! It is just a beer delivery system, much like any other faucet/tap. It does not affect or change the beer in any way. Flat beer is due to the beer being out of date or just not carbonated enough. This has nothing to do with the draught system

Ever wondered where the saying "a beer needs a certain amount of head to be a good beer" comes from? Well, that comes from waaaaay back in the day when beer was stored in wooden casks. You could tell the difference in a nice fresh beer and an old stale beer if it made foam when you poured them. That’s because beer that foamed when you poured them still had CO2 in them. Since then, some of the largest breweries in the world have used this way of testing if the beer is fresh or not and twisted it into a method of increasing one's keg yield. For example, if a glass of beer has an inch of foam, that also means it has an inch less of beer in it. Hence, you can get more servings out of a keg. Sounds a little shady to us. Not only is the person serving the beer not getting a true keg yield, but the end consumer isn't getting a full beer. Now, we know what you're thinking- we have to have foam on the beer to release the CO2, it's all about the flavor and aroma coming up into the person's nose! Here's the problem, faucet taps release all that precious CO2 while the beer is being poured. So all that aroma, those notes and wonderfulness dissipates after a couple of drinks. The best way to handle this is to fill a beer from the bottom up with as little agitation as possible. Trapping that precious CO2 in inside the beer which results in little to no foam. But if there's no foam, then what about the glorious aromas? This is the magic of Bottoms Up and the magnet which doubles as a nucleation site. A nucleation site is fancy speak for a rough spot where CO2 will build up and release over the course of the consumption of the beer. So instead of having that wonderful aromatic experience disappear after a couple of drinks, it will last throughout the entire glass with Bottoms Up. So if you are someone that wants to experience draft beer the way the brewer intended, you are much better off having one poured for you with Bottoms Up then relying on a busy bartender who's last thing on their mind is ensuring the proper amount of CO2 is maintained. Hope this mini science lesson helps

Our system does not affect the taste of the beer. We have passed all of the flavor transfer tests done by AB InBev and passed with flying colors. If you can pass a flavor transfer test with Bud Light you can know with certainty that your system imparts no flavor on any beer as Bud Light would have a very hard time masking any off notes imparted on the beer.

Bottoms Up will pour ANY type of beer/cider/liquid as long as it's pressurized withing a keg/barrel. The only thing that might make a difference would be the type of coupler certain brands/styles of beers use. For example, most draft beers use a sankey D type while other brands like Guinness use a sankey U style coupler.

YES, Bottoms Up can pour Guiness! It just requires a creamer plate to be installed. Check out the beautiful cascading below.

It depends on a lot of variables. Are you looking for a kegerator, are you interested in a long draw system? Do you have a current system you need converted? What zodiac sign are you? That last one's not so important. Your best bet is to fill out our online contact form with detailed information on what you're looking for. One of our team members will be happy to get contact you with a quote for a solution that fits your exact needs.

Yup! Financing options are available for those interested. Please fill out our contact form and we'll be happy to help you out!

The cost of a Bottoms Up system is comparable to other high-end faucet systems but more expensive if you're comparing it to a basic faucet-based system. However, that's like comparing your smartphone to a rotary phone. Yes, both make calls but which one provides you with a plethora of additional benefits? It's less apples to apples and more like apples to apple-pie. Did you know we have a satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty on the dispenser? In addition, the typical ROI on a Bottoms Up system pays for itself in under a year in most cases. What other draft system offers that?

Pouring beers HANDS FREE! Which leads to a myriad of additional benefits.

No! Bottoms Up Systems have three programable sizes per tap. Once programmed they will pour and stop automatically so you can spend your time doing other things; checking ID, running food, grabbing a tab, etc.

It does eliminate excess foam. However, different beers react differently when poured, so some variation should be expected.

Yes, most cocktails in a keg will work with the Bottoms Up System. Just avoid using cocktails with chunky bits like bloody marys.

YES!! Our system is actually WAY less wasteful compared to a faucet system. Especially when it comes to beer waste. We realize 98% of the beer in your keg. On average, our system (conservatively) will save you about 3 gallons of beer per keg. Considering that each gallon of beer consumes about 40-60 gallons of water in the manufacturing process (irrigation, brewing, cleaning etc), and as much as 500 gallons, crop to glass. That's around 150 (manufacturing) to 1500 (crop to glass) gallons of water PER KEG that our system will save! We are also dedicated to reducing our manufacturing wastes on a continual basis to help keep waste as low as possible.

Truth of the matter is: very little of the keg's waste comes from bartender error. It mainly has to do with the draft system itself being imbalanced in some way (kink in a line, improper chilling, warm kegs, etc). Unfortunately, we only see the end result of this imbalance when the person pouring the beer struggles with foam. Blame is placed on the bartender not knowing how to pour a proper beer and the real reasons never get fixed. Even if everything was properly balanced you could still see issues with faucet systems. The main issue being a shift in temperature from cold beer to warm faucets. This sudden change causes the CO2 to break out of the beer resulting in foam. From there, gravity also takes over and the beer starts to free fall into the glass causing additional agitation. So even the most experienced bartender is in somewhat of a helpless position.

Yes, Bottoms Up does have portable units for commercial use. Unfortunately, we've had to postpone our residential options due to the global supply chain issues.

Of course! Customers who customize their magnets on a regular basis bring in more money. Whether by offering promotions to get customers coming back, getting paid for charging a local business the opportunity to advertise on your magnet or increasing beer sales with a collector set (Gotta have ‘em all!). You are only limited by your imagination. However, if you’re like us and sometimes need a nudge in the right direction to get those creative juices flowing, then here are some simple things you can do to spice things up: Add your logo, contact info and social media. Create a simple collector set by having the same design with different background colors. Keep customers coming back with weekly specials and promotions. Got a special event coming up (Local Band, New Year’s Eve Party, Fish Fry)? Why not tell your customers about it with every beer. And don’t you worry about coming up with a design, our team will put something together for you I’m sure you and your customers will enjoy. To get started, contact sales if you're new or customer service if you're already a customer

The Bottoms Up magnets are rated for single use only.

Yes and no. Yes - Magnets are included when purchasing disposable plastic cups. No - Magnets are NOT included when purchasing reusable drinkware such as glass, pints and pitchers. You will need to purchase them seperately.

Yes and no. Yes - Magnets are included when purchasing disposable plastic cups. No - Magnets are NOT included when purchasing reusable drinkware such as glass, pints and pitchers.