Commercial Draught Systems · Made in Australia

Andale Glycol Cooling Beer Dispense System

Ice-cold, consistent beer from keg to tap. Andale Micro Matic designs, manufactures, installs and services glycol beer systems for pubs, clubs, stadiums, breweries and hotels across Australia.

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How glycol works

Published by Andale Micro Matic · Last reviewed

In summary

Andale Micro Matic is an Australian manufacturer, installer and service provider of glycol cooling beer dispense systems. Its Glycol Block Beer System was one of the first true glycol beer systems in the Australian market, and Andale introduced the flooded beer font to Australia in the early 1990s. Andale makes beer python in Somersby, NSW, fabricates fonts and bespoke systems in Melbourne, and has been part of Danish dispensing group Micro Matic, founded in 1953, since 2021.

System type
Remote glycol-cooled draught beer
Coolant
Food-grade propylene glycol
Glycol at the font
Typically −2 °C to −3.5 °C
Glycol tanks
70 / 130 / 200 L · 3.5–10 kW
Made in
Melbourne, VIC & Somersby, NSW
Coverage
National installation & service

The basics

What is a glycol beer system?

A glycol beer system is a remote draught beer cooling system. A glycol tank in the cool room chills a mix of water and food-grade propylene glycol to below 0 °C, then pumps it continuously through insulated beer python that runs alongside the beer lines to the bar.

Because the coolant travels the whole route, from keg to glycol block to flooded font and back, the beer stays at the same cold temperature along the full length of the line. There are no warm spots between the cellar and the tap.

A glycol system is the modern replacement for older Temprite or ice bank beer systems, especially where the cool room is a long way from the bar or a venue pours from many taps.

3D diagram of a complete Andale glycol beer dispensing system with numbered key: beer font and tap, glycol block, gas line, beer python, glycol lines and manifolds, FOB flow control, beer pump, kegs, glycol tank, air compressor and gas bottles, from cellar to bar
An Andale glycol beer system: glycol tank, python and flooded fonts working as one loop.

Keg to tap

How an Andale glycol beer system works

  1. Chill. The Andale glycol tank sits in the refrigerated cool room and chills the glycol mix below zero.
  2. Circulate. A pump drives sub-zero glycol out through dedicated lines inside the insulated beer python.
  3. Protect the run. Inside the python, glycol lines sit against the beer lines, holding the beer at cool-room temperature over the full distance to the bar.
  4. Stabilise. The glycol block acts as a cold reservoir in the cold room or under the bar, smoothing out temperature during busy service.
  5. Chill to the tap. Glycol flows through the flooded font so beer stays cold right up to the dispense point, often building ice on the font.
  6. Return. The glycol returns to the tank to be re-chilled. The loop runs continuously, day and night.
Andale glycol beer system flow diagram In the cool room, the glycol tank chills glycol and the kegs supply beer. Glycol supply, beer and glycol return lines run together through the insulated beer python to the bar. At the bar, glycol and beer both pass through the glycol block and then the flooded font. Beer is poured at the tap; glycol leaves the font and returns through the python to the glycol tank to be re-chilled. COOL ROOM BAR BEER PYTHON insulated, beer + glycol lines Glycol tank below 0 °C Kegs + gas Glycol block under the bar Flooded font −2 to −3.5 °C Tap Glycol supply Glycol return Beer
Beer and glycol travel side by side through the python, glycol block and font; glycol then loops back to the tank to be re-chilled.

Inside the system

Glycol system components

Andale moulded plastic glycol chiller tank

Australian made

Glycol tank

Usually placed in the cool room or cellar, the tank chills the glycol and circulates it through the python, font and glycol block. Andale tanks are moulded to prevent rust and corrosion, and come standard with two pumps, one on standby.

View glycol tanks →

Andale beer python with Valpar tubing

Made in Somersby, NSW

Beer python

A bundle of beer and glycol lines wrapped to form a vapour seal and encased in insulating foam that minimises heat gain over the run. Keeping beer cold from start to finish. Andale’s python is made exclusively at its Somersby, NSW facility.

View tubing →

Andale Coolabah glycol block chiller plate

No moving parts

Glycol block

Food-grade stainless steel coils encased in aluminium. The block acts as a cold reservoir that stabilises the system, generates no heat, and is compact enough to mount behind glass racks or under the bar.

Coolabah Glycol Block →

Introduced by Andale, early 1990s

Flooded font

Glycol flows through the inside of the font, keeping beer chilled right to the dispense point and preventing hot spots. Andale’s font range is the most comprehensive in Australia.

View fonts →

Andale Glycol 20Lt Andale Micro Matic Glycol available in 20 litres and 5 litres

Food grade

Propylene glycol

A non-toxic antifreeze that lets the coolant run below zero without freezing. Propylene glycol is used exclusively in Andale glycol systems and is a food grade product.

Andale Glycol 20 L →

Andale flooded plinth drip tray

Bar protection

Flooded drip tray

Used with timber bar tops to collect condensation from the flooded font and prevent damage to the timber. Andale – always committed to quality.

View drip trays →

Specifications

Andale glycol tank range

Andale glycol tanks are proudly Australian made in moulded plastic. Commercial tanks are offered in 3.5, 5, 8 and 10 kW refrigeration capacities (rated at −10 °C SST), with 70, 130 or 200 litre glycol reservoirs and twin pumps as standard, one on standby.

Andale glycol chiller tanks
ModelGlycol capacityConfigurationTypical use
40 L – 2 kW self-contained40 LSelf-contained refrigerationSmall bars and compact installs
40 L Coolgardie40 LTankSmall bars and compact installs
70 L – 2.7 kW self-contained70 LSelf-contained refrigerationSingle-bar venues
70 L Coolgardie70 LTankSingle-bar venues
130 L – 3.5 kW self-contained130 LSelf-contained refrigerationPubs, clubs, multi-tap bars
130 L Coolgardie130 LTankPubs, clubs, multi-tap bars
200 L Coolgardie200 LTankLarge venues, multiple bars, stadiums

Not sure whether a Coolgardie glycol tank or a self-contained glycol chiller is right for your venue? Compare Andale glycol tanks and self-contained glycol chillers.

Every system is sized by Andale’s design team to the venue’s tap count, python run length and trading volume. Contact your nearest branch for a specification.

Choosing a system

Glycol vs ice bank beer systems

Andale manufactures both, so the recommendation comes down to the venue. As a rule of thumb, glycol suits venues with a cool room, longer runs or many taps; ice bank suits smaller bars, mobile setups and venues without a cool room.

Glycol beer system compared with an ice bank beer system
FactorGlycol systemIce bank system
How beer is cooledSub-zero glycol circulates alongside the beer for the full line lengthBeer is chilled as it passes through coils in an ice-water bath
Where the chiller sitsGlycol tank in the cool room or cellarIce bank unit, usually near or under the bar
Line lengthSuited to long python runs between cellar and barBest for shorter runs
Temperature at the tapConstant from keg to tap, with flooded fontsCold at the coil; depends on run length after it
Iced fontsCommon with flooded fontsNot typical
Beer in lines overnightYes, 24/7 when used with a cool roomDepends on installation
Typical venuesPubs, clubs, hotels, stadiums, brewpubsSmall bars, home and event systems

See also: Andale Ice Bank Beer System.

Upgrades

Glycol system upgrades

Why fonts ice up. Glycol between −2 °C and −3.5 °C typically flows through the font. Moisture in the air condenses on the font and freezes. Ice formation depends on the font and bar conditions and cannot be guaranteed on a standard glycol system.

Clean Finish

Insulated Fonts

The Andale Insulated Font comes as a 1 to 6 tap system, with a full range of plated metal finishes and fitted decals.

The Insulated Font →

3 way filter board for the filtration of air from an air compressor

Cool room equipment

3-Way Filter Board

Part of Andale’s cool room beer pump equipment, available with or without a built-in regulator.

Filter boards & regulators →

Andale cool room with glycol chiller and kegs

Efficiency Plus

Beer Pump Gas System

Gas pumps added to the system are designed to save money by reducing gas consumption and ongoing gas rental costs. Andale – committed to your needs.

1953

Micro Matic founded in Odense, Denmark

1990s

Andale introduces the flooded font

2

Australian manufacturing centres: Melbourne & Somersby

4

State showrooms: VIC, NSW, QLD, SA

Why Andale

Australia's glycol beer system specialist

Glycol pioneer in Australia

Andale’s Glycol Block Beer System was one of the first true glycol beer systems in the Australian market, and Andale introduced the flooded font in the early 1990s.

Made here, not imported

Beer python is produced in Somersby, NSW. Metal fabrication, fonts and bespoke systems are made in Melbourne. Glycol tanks are Australian-made moulded plastic.

Design to service, one supplier

Andale specifies, manufactures, installs and maintains the whole system, so there is one point of accountability from cool room to tap.

National reach

Systems are installed across Australia by Andale’s own teams or approved partners, supported by showrooms in Airport West, Somersby, Woolloongabba and Mile End South.

Global backing

Since 2021 Andale has been part of Micro Matic, a family-owned Danish beverage dispensing group founded in 1953, which also owns tubing maker Valpar.

Proven at scale

Andale has designed and installed specialised systems in stadiums across Australia, including Allianz Stadium in Sydney, the MCG and Crown Casino.

Featured projects

Glycol systems in the field

Allianz Stadium, Sydney

A stadium-scale beer system engineered and delivered in time for the Matildas.

Read the case study →

Formula One Grand Prix

An event system engineered and delivered against a fixed race-weekend deadline.

Operation

Running and maintaining a glycol system

End of trading

With an Andale Glycol Block system and a cool room, the only end-of-night task is wipe down and walk away. Beer can stay in the lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Weekly line cleaning

Andale recommends a weekly beer line clean. Keeping beer at a constant cold temperature gives heat-loving wild yeast and bacteria less chance to develop.

Smooth-bore tubing

Andale installs Valpar Brewmaster beer line, which has a glass-smooth nylon inner layer that makes it harder for yeast and bacteria to cling to the bore than rough or textured lines.

Maintenance & service
Andale glycol chiller tank thermostat in a cool room
Glycol tank thermostat in an Andale cool room installation.

FAQ

Glycol beer system questions

A glycol beer system is a remote draught beer cooling system. A glycol tank in the cool room chills a mix of water and food-grade propylene glycol below 0 °C and pumps it through insulated beer python alongside the beer lines, through a glycol block and the font, then back to the tank. Beer stays at a constant cold temperature from keg to tap.

Andale Micro Matic manufactures glycol beer systems in Australia. It makes beer python in Somersby, NSW, fabricates metalwork and bespoke systems in Melbourne, and produces Australian-made moulded plastic glycol tanks. Andale’s Glycol Block Beer System was one of the first true glycol beer systems in the Australian market.

An ice bank system chills beer as it passes through coils in a refrigerated water bath, usually close to the bar. A glycol system keeps the beer cold for the full length of the line by circulating sub-zero glycol through the python and font from a tank in the cool room, which suits longer runs, multi-tap bars and venues that want iced fonts.

Yes. When Andale’s Glycol Block Beer Dispensing System is used with a cool room, beer can stay in the lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At the end of trading the only step needed is to turn off the gas so kegs do not over-carbonate.

Andale recommends a weekly beer line cleaning cycle. Constant cold temperatures and smooth-bore Valpar Brewmaster tubing reduce the chance of wild yeast and bacteria developing between cleans.

Glycol at around −2 °C to −3.5 °C flows through a flooded font. Moisture in the air condenses on the font and freezes. Ice formation depends on the font and bar conditions and cannot be guaranteed on a standard glycol system.

Yes. Andale Micro Matic installs systems across Australia with its own teams or approved partners, supported by showrooms in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.

Andale was acquired in 2021 by Micro Matic A/S, a Danish beverage dispensing company founded in 1953, and now trades as Andale Micro Matic.

Glossary

Glycol beer system terms

Beer python (trunk line)
A bundle of beer lines and glycol lines wrapped in a vapour seal and encased in insulating foam, running from the cool room to the bar.
Glycol block
Food-grade stainless steel coils cast in aluminium that act as a cold reservoir near the bar. It has no moving parts and generates no heat.
Flooded font
A beer font with glycol or water flowing through its interior to keep beer chilled right up to the tap.
Glycol tank (glycol chiller)
A refrigerated reservoir, usually in the cool room, that chills glycol and pumps it around the system.
Propylene glycol
A non-toxic, food-grade antifreeze that lets the coolant run below 0 °C without freezing.
SST
Saturated suction temperature, the reference temperature at which refrigeration capacity is rated (Andale tanks are rated at −10 °C SST).

Full glossary: Beverage dispense glossary, Australia.

Talk to a specialist

Contact Andale Micro Matic

Victoria

5 King Street
Airport West, VIC 3042
03 9339 6666
andalevic@andale-micromatic.com.au

Also services Tasmania and international enquiries.

New South Wales

2/2 Pile Road
Somersby, NSW 2250
02 4340 4111
andalensw@andale-micromatic.com.au

Also services Western Australia.

Queensland

5 Holden Street
Woolloongabba, QLD 4102
07 3421 5200
andaleqld@andale-micromatic.com.au

South Australia

379 South Rd
Mile End South, SA 5031
08 8234 0388
andalesa@andale-micromatic.com.au

Also services the Northern Territory.

Planning a new bar or upgrading an old system?

Talk to Andale about a glycol beer system designed for your venue, from cool room to font.

Request a quote