A glycol chiller is a type of beer line chiller used to cool and maintain the temperature of beer. It works by circulating chilled glycol through a network of lines or coils to keep the beer lines and tanks at the optimal serving temperature.

Most breweries and beer businesses use glycol chillers as their beer line chiller, although some still opt for traditional refrigeration or cold water tanks. However, glycol chillers provide much more consistency than most chilling setups, which is pivotal to quality: consistent temperatures ensure that foam quality is consistent and that beer is served fresh and at the ideal temperature, keeping patrons satisfied and likely to be a returning customer. 

However, there are a few different glycol chillers. Here’s a deep dive into how they work and how to pick the right one for your beer line chilling needs.

How Does A Glycol Chiller Work?

In most glycol chilling systems, glycol is mixed with water to create a coolant solution. Adding glycol to water lowers the freezing point, allowing the mix to stay liquid at colder temperatures, which is why it’s commonly used in cooling systems.

A glycol chiller works like an air conditioning system to keep things cool. Here’s a very simple breakdown:

• First, the glycol chiller cools the glycol/water mix.
• Next, glycol is pumped through tubes, like trunklines, or coils that run alongside the beer lines.
• The glycol absorbs heat from the beer lines, keeping the beer cold as it travels.
• The glycol chiller is a closed-loop system: glycol comes back to the chiller, gets cooled again, and the process repeats.

Types of Glycol Chillers

First, it’s important to note two commonly used kinds of glycol: ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.

We recommend that brewers use propylene glycol because it’s non-toxic — this kind of glycol is often used in breweries and other food spaces. Ethylene is more commonly used for things like air conditioners and refrigerators. It’s important that these two kinds of glycol should never be mixed.

Beyond the kind of glycol is the type of glycol system, and what sort of glycol chiller you need depends on how much beer you’re serving. There are a few basic categories glycol chillers fall into, but these are the two main ones:

• Air-Cooled Glycol Chillers: These use air to cool the glycol. A fan blows air on condenser coils to release heat and cool the glycol solution. Generally, these systems are good for smaller breweries and spaces with small draft systems. They’re also ideal for places that are monitoring their water usage. Air-cooled glycol chillers are easy to install and are cost-effective.
• Water-Cooled Glycol Chillers: Same as above, the name says it all. These use water to chill the glycol and are generally seen in higher-volume spaces. They require less space than air-cooled systems (which require a lot of space for airflow), but they require a plumbing and wastewater management system.

Why Choosing the Right Kind of Glycol Chiller Matters

A glycol chiller directly impacts the efficiency, performance, and overall quality of your draft system or brewing process.

Choosing the right kind of glycol chiller is crucial but requires planning. Here’s why selecting the right glycol chiller is so important (and factors to consider when choosing):

• Consistent Temperature: This we know already, but if your glycol chiller can’t maintain a consistent temperature, then it’s useless, which is critical for all beer but particularly lagers and ales, which want to be served very cold, and IPAs and wheat beers, which are delicate and can change flavor or lost aroma during temperature fluctuations.
• Energy Needs: If you’re a small brewery, you might be able to get by with a small, air-cooled glycol chiller. It’s vital to assess your energy needs and match your cooling power to your system’s needs.
• System Longevity: Matching your beer needs to the right glycol chiller reduces strain on equipment, extending the life of your chiller and beer system.
• Scalability: Do you plan on adding more taps? Do you plan on growing? It might be worth investing in a glycol chiller that can meet the growing needs of a business.

Glycol chillers can seem confusing, but they’re actually a straightforward and essential part of any beer business. We have a wide selection of glycol chillers designed to accommodate any size brewery or beer business, as well as tools, like propylene glycol and trunklines, to keep your beer cool and fresh.