Draught Equipment and System Configuarations > Essential Draught System Components > A Word about Metal Parts

For many years, suppliers made metal parts for draught systems with chrome-plated brass.  While chrome has no negative effect on beer quality, beer that has any contact with brass reacts and picks up a metallic off-taste. Exposed brass is also difficult to clean. While the chrome coating on these parts rarely wears away on the outside, cleaning and beer flow eventually exposes the brass on the inside of these parts, bringing the beer in contact with the brass.

To avoid brass contact, brewers recommend stainless steel parts for draught dispense.  In addition to being inert in contact with beer, they are easier to clean and thus help to maintain high quality draught dispense.

Manufacturers offer all faucets, shanks, tailpieces, splicers, wall brackets and probes mentioned in this manual in stainless steel. If your system already contains chrome-plated brass components, inspect the beer contact surfaces regularly for exposed brass and replace those components immediately when this is detected.