wine on tap thru beer lines -- replace lines?

[barleyfreak]

We're a brewpub with 8 total taps, 4 currently filled, and are just about to open. We also sell wine and are considering using one of the extra tap lines for wine from a keg until I can produce enough to expand the beer selection. Question -- has anyone done wine on tap and later switched the line to beer? If so -- how did you eliminate any taint from the wine? If it is not possibly other than replacing lines, then it is not worth it do do so.

Thanks,
Dave

[Thirsty_Monk]

I do not have wine on tap but I would say flavors are not that strong. I would guess good cleaning should be enough.

How are you going to push the wine? with CO2? Are you not worried about carbonated wine?

[barleyfreak]

Yes, pushing with Co2 but only to the beer pumps. Not sure how low I can go on the head pressure and still get to the tap. Will have to experiment a bit, but all I would have to do is give it enough head pressure to get to the pump. If just 2-4 psi will do it, I wonder if any carbonation will be noticed? I'll check with the supplier to see how others do it.

[beerman_smitty]

Nitrogen, or best yet, nitrogen/CO2 (beer gas) mix is used for tap wine. All nitrogen can cause some wines to flatten out, while all CO2 can cause them to get fizzy. Some fizz might work with certain white wine styles, or ciders, though.

Faucets, shanks, and any metal parts coming in contact with the wine ought to be stainless, the chrome plated stuff might not hold up, along with the potential for acid leaching things out of the brass.

If you are using the lines for red, clean with PBW or a similar cleanser (high pH) to remove any pigment stains/buildup that can occur.