Beverage Cooling Performance: How ICI Systems Work

Consistent temperature from keg to tap — the engineering behind ICI's Arctic Chill glycol systems and why cooling performance is the make-or-break spec for draft beer operations.

The cooling problem draft beer operators know well

A properly poured draft beer arrives at the tap at a consistent, controlled temperature. When line temperature is inconsistent — warmer near the tap, cooler near the keg, or variable across shifts — the result is foam, wasted product, and complaints from guests and bartenders alike.

The cause is almost always the same: cooling that cannot maintain temperature across the full length of the beer line, or cooling that loses consistency under the temperature stress of a busy service period.

Glycol cooling systems solve this problem by circulating a refrigerated glycol-water mixture through insulated trunk lines that run alongside the beer lines from the keg to the tap. Temperature is maintained at every point in the run — not just at the source.

ICI’s Arctic Chill glycol systems are rated for line runs up to 150 feet — maintaining consistent serving temperature at the tap regardless of run length. Most off-the-shelf systems are rated for shorter runs.

How ICI Arctic Chill systems work

The Arctic Chill system circulates a refrigerated glycol-water mixture through insulated beer lines from the glycol chiller to the tap. The refrigeration loop maintains a stable temperature across the entire run, regardless of ambient temperature or line length — up to 150 feet.

      Glycol cooling loop: Maintains stable beer temperature across runs up to 150 ft. No warm pours. No foam from temperature variance.

      Insulated stainless-steel beer towers: Keeps lines cold from chiller to tap handle — no heat gain at the point of pour, where most non-glycol systems fail.

      Multiple system sizes: Available in 50 ft, 75 ft, and 150 ft configurations. Right-sized for any bar layout — from a small taproom to a stadium concession.

      Pass-through and Tee tower configurations: Flexible layouts fit existing bar designs without requiring a full bar retrofit.

      VLM Self-Contained Flash Chiller: Compact, self-contained unit for smaller installs. No remote power pack required — faster install, smaller footprint.

Get cooling specs for your layout

ICI engineers custom configurations for any venue — single-tap bars, multi-tap restaurant groups, hotel bars, and stadium concession systems. CAD/BIM files are available for all products.

Request a quote or speak with a systems engineer here.