The beer foams too much, the beer doesn't foam, the beer is warm, the beer doesn't flow, the beer flows too fast...
We have all had to deal with these consumer returns. And our first instinct is to call our installer.... And this leads to expenses, often avoidable.
Emmanuel Etienne, Technical Team Manager at Drinkotec, explains how to prevent and solve these small daily problems in your establishment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Hygiene
When was the last time you cleaned (sanitation)? This is the first question you should ask yourself. In order to prevent the beer from foaming, remember to clean your beer lines regularly. Every 6 weeks maximum.
The tips of all your drums should be disinfected at each drill.
And finally, your serving nozzles must also be impeccable
2) Beer storage
If your beer is stored in a cold room, the ideal temperature is between 6 and 9°C.
Colder, the beer may come out cloudy.
Any warmer and the beer will be too hot and may foam.
Outside the cold room, the chiller takes over, but the temperature of the storage cellar should not be too high.
The cooler must be in working order: Check that the cooling tray is full, also check the temperature, check that the agitator/pump is working properly.
3) Handling beer kegs and gas cylinders
When you work in the service industry, you think you know how to change a beer keg or a gas cylinder... but do you have ALL the right reflexes?
Are you properly purging the foam when changing drums?
Depressurize when changing the gas cylinder, are they opened properly? (Full opening of the cylinder and ¼ turn backwards).
Are you using the right gas? In most cases, when the kegs are in cold storage we use Aligal 13 and when they are stored in an ambient room we generally use Aligal 2. The fact of crossing these gases will lead to a saturation of the beer, thus, a beer which foams.
4) The condition of your equipment
On all the drums: Remember to check once a week that the nuts on the filling heads are properly tightened.
Check the flow rate on the service nozzles and make sure your gas cylinders are always full to avoid unpleasant surprises during service.
Make sure to keep a good differential between the HP and BP:
- Check that the pressure on your primary (high pressure) gas cylinder gauge is set between 3.5 and 4 bar. Also check the seals.
- Check that the pressure on your secondary pressure gauge (which supplies gas to your drum) is set between 2.3 and 2.7 bar.
This prevents 3 problems: the beer does not flow, the beer flows too fast, the beer foams too much.
5) The service
One last thing, which may seem anecdotal, but after all the technical and handling considerations, bar service is very important.
Glasses for example, did you know that the soap or detergent used to wash your glasses is important for the tasting experience of your customers? Some soaps leave a film on the glasses and, even if they are nice, it unfortunately prevents the foam from sticking. The result is that the beer doesn't seem to foam.
The roughness of your glasses is very important, do not use just any glass to serve your beers.
Another important point is that your glasses must be fresh when you serve your beer. If necessary, don't hesitate to rinse them systematically before pouring your beer.
Another way to be sure of the freshness of your beer at the time of serving it: take the temperature at the exit of the spout, it must be at most 6°C. This is the limit to have a clear beer. If your measurement is higher, the beer will start to be cloudy and will then foam.
Finally, let's not forget the technique! Open the tap all the way, tilt the glass and raise it in an elegant hand movement to finish filling.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you can see, serving a beer to a consumer who is sure to appreciate it requires a commitment to quality. From the cellar to the tap, every step is important.
At Drinkotec, the satisfaction of our customers is important to us, the satisfaction of the final consumer is important to us. This is why, like Emmanuel Etienne, our technicians and sales representatives are always present and ready to answer all your questions.
Do not hesitate to contact us for a complete and free diagnosis of your installations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To keep an eye on the proper functioning of your cellar, Drinkotec has developed a telemetry system for your cooling system, the Cellar Pulse.
Speak Your Mind