Glassware Management

Dispense System Consumables

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Glass Sanitising Powder

A chlorinated soaking powder that has been specifically designed to break down accumulated mineral build up on glassware and other food impliments routinely exposed to proteins and food compounds. Mineral build up occurs slowly over a period of time on exposed surfaces as glassware and food impliments are regularly used and washed. Regular soaking in a chlorinated poweder will minimise any mineral build up before it becomes excessive and the glassware or impliments needs to be replaced.

Glass Sink Brushes

A sink mounted or bucket mounted multiple brush unit used for mechanical loosening of mineral and solids build up on glassware surfaces before they fully bind to the host surface. Once loosened the build up will release and wash away more efficently from exposed surfaces when the item is put through a commercial glass washer unit cycle.

Monopropylene Glycol

This anti freeze product is rated as food grade and allows the glycol chilled water system to circulate fluids at below zero degree temperaturess without freezing the unit fluid. Auotmotive and other types of glycol are toxic and should not in any circumstances be used in a food area or beer dispense glycol chilled water system.

Beer Line Cleaning Fluid

A concentrated alkaline based caustic fluid specifically formulated for hospitality industry beer line and beer tap cleaning. Before use, the beer line cleaning fluid should be diluted in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and once pumped into the system be allowed to soak in the beer lines for a period recommended by the chemical mnaufacturer or a brewery technician. Beer line cleaning fluid is toxic/corrosive and must always be used in conjunction with the correct safety protection equipment specified by the manufacturer i.e. safety glasses and rubber gloves.

Beer Dispense System Parts

Thirst Aid kit - A plastic compartmentalised container carrying a wide range of the common wearable seals used on tap beer dispense systems. The range covers keg coupler, beer tap, and gas cylinder seals that are most often replaced during routine maintenance. The seals provided in the kit are relatively easy to change out and will in most instances last for a reasonable period of time.

All BevTech Solutions technicians carry a comprehensive range of replacement parts and equipment for all types of beer dispense systems including gas systems, cellar equipment, beer tower and chilled water replacement parts. Beer dispense systems are reasonably logical in their design and operation making repairs relatively straight forward to repair once the fault has been located and correctly identified.

Presentation of Tap Beer

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Head Size

When dispensing tap beer the correct head size in the glass should be 5mm to 10mm. An under sized head will make the beer appear flat and unappetising. An over sized head will cause wastage and over fill making the presentation of the beer look unprofessional and the glass look partially filled. A good head will assist the beer by acting as a barrier to the air reducing oxidisation and protecting the beer while it is being consumed enabling the beer to retain its visually appealing characteristics.

Beer Presentation

After the beer has been dispensed there should be a steady stream of bubbles rising through the beer as the C02 in solution reverts to gas as the beer gradually warms. This reaction helps the beer retain and replenish the head as the beer is being consumed. C02 gas bubbles clustering on the side of the glass after dispensing is generally a sign of a dirty glass with mineral build up.

Fresh Glassware

To experience·quality tap beer in hygienic conditions a fresh clean glass should always be used for every new serving. Using pre used glassware will be detrimental to the quality of the freshly dispensed beer in both taste and presentation but also in terms of hygiene. Fresh clean glassware will generate a superior head and the aroma will be clearer because no stale beer residue will be present in the glass.

Dispensing Hygiene

Beer is a food product and should be treated as such to ensure optimum quality is consistently delivered to consumers. The beer tap should never be dipped into the beer to prevent cross contamination of oxidised beer and other proteins. Overflowing the glass when dispensing beer will make the glass wet and sticky to use and ultimately unhygienic. When dispensing beer always keep fingers below the rim of the glass to avoid contamination of the beer and the glass. Food grease and other common compounds can be detrimental the beer head and longevity of quality after dispensing.

Beer Dispensing Techniques

To learn more about the recommended dispensing techniques for Lion BSW beers, Guinness and Stella Artois refer to the 'Pouring Great Beer' brochure. This brochure has the step by step process on how best to·dispense various beers to the high standards intended their brewers.

Stock Best by Dates and Rotation

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Keg Best by Dates

Beer being a food product will always have a best by date on the keg, bottle or packaging. Beer kegs will generally have a best by date located on the side of keg but it may be difficult tfind and read in poor light however the best by date located on the keg top is easier to see and read. Keg tops from opened kegs should always be left sitting on the opened keg for easy brand identification. When filled at a brewery kegs will generally have a 6 week shelf life (while they remain untapped) until the specified best by date.

Keg Turnover

Kegs stored in cool rooms should be consumed within 7 days after opening tensure freshness and optimum presentation. Ambient temperature kegs used on Icebank chillers should be consumed within 3 days of opening to ensure freshness and optimum presentation. Slow turnover brands should always be purchased in 25 litre kegs to improve the turnover cycle times and assist in maintaining freshness.

Double Banked Kegs

Kegs connected in series to create larger volume banks in high turnover outlets should always be fully exhausted before being replaced with new kegs. Changing part empty kegs on a banked system can cause beer performance and quality issues if not carried out correctly and accurately.

Keg Rotation

When storing kegs before use or sale always use the earliest dated kegs first to ensure consistant product rotation and movement of older kegs. Stack new deliveries at back of the keg rows and move earlier dated kegs tthe front of the row so that they are used first and the beer is consumed before reaching its best before date.

Keg Sizes

Lion Beer Wines & Spirits kegs are available in three sizes to offer flexibility with keg handling, keg storage to also assist with low volume brand turnover in smaller outlets.
50 litre keg
25 litre (tall) keg
25 litre (squat) keg

Glassware Management

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Correct Glassware

Always use branded glassware or beer styled glassware when supplied or if available. Using glassware designed for beer consumption will help ensure that beer consumers are able to appreciate the many characteristics unique only to beer. Correct glassware will assist in presenting the beer as it should be presented with the correct head and the opportunity to smell the aroma given off by freshly dispensed beer.

Glassware Storage

All glassware should be stored in a clean, cool, dry area on a clean shelf mat with bottoms facing up. Inverted glassware minimises the risk of dust or debris contamination the inner glass before use. Storing glassware in a refrigerated cabinet can negatively affect head presentation and head retention causing the beer to appear flat due C02 being held in solution for a longer period than intended.

Glassware Appearance

Before dispensing tap beer the glass should always be checked and should look sparkling and clear. To maintain the sparkling and clear look glassware should be regularly soaked in an approved sanitiser to remove mineral build up. For best results soak glassware for one hour when required checking visually against a good light source rinsing well before reuse.

Operating Temperatures

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Cool Room

Keg cool rooms should maintain a temperature range of 0 degrees Celsius to plus 1 degree Celsius. This temperature range will ensure the specified C02 content is held in solution at the correct levels. Beer stored at these temperatures will generally remain stable when dispensed.

Glycol Chilled Water

Glycol chilled water reservoir tanks should maintain a temperature range of minus 2 degrees Celsius to minus 4 degrees Celsius. This temperature range will help maintain the correct beer line operating temperature from the keg cool room to the point of dispense minimising any warming and C02 breakout due to temperature degradation.

Icebank Chiller

Icebank under bar chillers should maintain a temperature range of 0 degrees Celsius to 0.3 degrees Celsius. Icebank chillers rely on the water bath partly freezing to create an ice reserve to keep the water bath chilled. If too cold the entire bath will freeze stopping any heat transfer through the water. If too warm the beer will become frothy and unstable creating unnecessary wastage and excessive beer head.

Dispensed Beer

Beer dispensed into a glass should present at plus 2 degrees Celsius to plus 4 degrees Celsius. This is the optimum temperature range to achieve an even balance between cold beer, sensing flavour/aroma·and creating the recommended head size. This temperature range will also assist gradual C02 release as the beer warms contributing toward head retention and glass lacing.

Keg Pre Chilling Period

When using kegs in a temperature controlled environment (cool rooms & keg cabinets) the kegs should be pre chilled for 24 to 48 hours before use. Prechilling will ensure that when a new keg is tapped the beer will dispense at the correct temperature and perform as it is designed to. Under chilled kegs can cause CO2 break out resulting in frothy, warm beer creating unnecessary wastage and excessive beer head.

Beer Line Cleaning Standards

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Cool Room

Beer systems·based in a cool room·should have the beer lines·cleaned every two weeks to minimise and eliminate yeast growth and other biological processes that may affect·beer quality and integrity.
Beer taps should also be cleaned on the same cycle as the beer lines ensuring that all yeast residue is cleaned out when the beer lines are cleaned avoiding any cross contamination.

Icebank Chiller

Under bar Ice Bank beer systems should have the beer lines·cleaned·weekly to minimise and eliminate yeast growth and other biological processes that may affect beer quality and integrity.

Using ambient temperature keg beer dispense systems will encourage faster yeast growth because of the beneficially warmer conditions that allows yeast to propagate over time.

Beer taps should also be cleaned on the same cycle as the beer lines ensuring that all yeast residue is cleaned out when the beer lines are cleaned avoiding any cross contamination.

Keg Cabinet

Beer systems based in a refrigerated keg cabinet are similar to a cool room beer dispense system where·the beer lines·should be cleaned every two weeks to minimise and eliminate yeast growth and other biological processes that may affect·beer quality and integrity.

Beer taps should also be cleaned on the same cycle as the beer lines ensuring that all yeast residue is cleaned out when the beer lines are cleaned avoiding any cross contamination.

Cleaning Chemicals

When cleaning beer dispense systems always use approved cleaning and sanitising products to avoid affecting beer quality and its integrity. Incorrect cleaning products can also taint beer lines which will cause ongoing presentation and quality issues that could result in having to replace of beer lines to correct ongoing quailty issues.

Hygiene Standards

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Beer Tower & Drip Tray

Ensure beer towers and drip trays are regularly·cleaned using soapy water or·non abrasive products to remove beer spill and residue. Give special attention to the base area and underside surfaces of beer towers where beer spill tend to accumulate in difficult to see places.

Brush·and flush out drip trays/grills with soapy water daily to clean out beer spill and yeast growth. This area, if left yeasty is prone to attracting fruit flies and unwanted smells.

Drip tray drains are easily overlooked and will quickly·acumilate yeast growth over a short time. Use small bottle brush to loosen yeast build up in the drip tray drains and then and rinse away with water or a suitable cleaning product.

General bar area surfaces and glassware shelves should be regularly cleaned to minimise contamination, dust, fruit fly infestation and wild yeast growth.

Cool Room

Beer is a food product and has a limited shelf life and therefore needs to be served fresh to maintain approved hygiene and presentation standards. Poor cool room hygiene can affect beer quality causing spoilage and poor presentation when the beer is dispensed.

Cool rooms should be regularly cleaned with an approved chlorinated cleaner to remove yeast build up and other general build up. Beer spillage will cause yeast growth on walls, floors, ceilings and especially floor drains which can look unsightly and unhygienic.

Because of the differing temperatures they operate at keg cool rooms should only contain beer products and kitchen cool rooms should only contain food products.

Glass Washer

Glass washer units should be regularly inspected for·residue build·inside the unit and around the door frame. Glass washers quickly accumulate product and detergent residue which left uncleaned will affect unit performance and the overall quality of the wash cycle.

A well maintained glass washer in good operating order will operate at 77 degrees for the rinse cycle and 60 degrees for the wash cycle. Regular servicing will·ensure the temperatures and detergent injection are consistently operating to specification.

Over dosing of detergent will affect glass lacing and give the beer a flat appearance during presentation. Under dosing of detergent will result in a below standard wash cycle. Staff should check detergent level before use each morning before the start of trading to ensure detergent is being correctly dosed into the unit.

Beer Dispense System Operation

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C02 Gas System

Beer dispense systems use pressurised C02 and CO2 mixed gases to pressurise the keg enabling beer to be pumped through the beer lines to the dispense stations and beer taps.

Pressurised CO2 and CO2 mixed gases maintain the correct gas equilibrium levels within the keg beer ensuring correct head presentation and beer presentation when dispensing the beer.

Gas pressure helps determine dispensing speed at the beer tap at approximately 17 to 21 seconds per litre which ensures correct head formation and presentation of the dispensed·beer.

Excessive gas pressure in a chilled environment over a period of time can result in over carbonation of the beer causing excessively frothy beer when dispensed. Excessive gas pressure can also cause the beer to pour too fast which can make the beer lively to dispense.

Low gas pressure can result in poor head presentation and·flat looking beer in appearance. Low gas pressure will also make the beer pour slowly with some gas breakout similar to when the gas supply has been exhausted.

Reticulation Equipment

Keg Couplers are a simple quick release tapping devices used to tap and connect a keg to the beer reticulation system. Once connected the beer is then able to be·drawn·from the keg and pumped through the·beer reticulation·supply system to various points of dispense.

Fob Detectors are a basic 'float in chamber'·shut off valve used to shut down a beer supply line when the keg runs out reducing beer and time wastage. By shutting down the·beer supply at source a fob detector enables the majority of the remaining beer lines to remain fully primed and ready for a fresh keg to be connected to the reticulation supply system.

Beer Pumps are specifically designed beverage pumps powered by pressurised C02 or compressed air. Beer Pumps are used as the primary driver of·beer through the reticulation system to the point of dispense. Beer pumps have several·useful characteristics which are beneficial to the management of tap beer. They·allow smaller diameter beer lines to be used which reduces wastage during beer line cleaning and·also their ability to mechanically pressurise beer products without any risk of over carbonation. This characteristic allows lower gas pressures to be used and·will assist with dispensing standards when·the keg dispense temperature has been compromised thorough marginal·refrigeration.

Keg Cool Room

Keg cool rooms are used to store·kegs in a chilled environment primarily to pre chill kegs to dispense temperature before use and to preserve the integrity of kegged products by storing it like other food products in a controlled refrigerated environment.
Keg cool rooms are built with insulated walls and floors to ensure they are efficient and can continuously maintain the correct operating temperature in any season or geographical region.
Keg cool rooms provide a secure, remote location to store kegs well away from the bar area along with refrigeration and other cellar·equipment.·The keg cool room walls also offer an ideal surface to mount cellar boards and keg tapping equipment.

Icebank Under Bar Chillers

Icebanks or In Line Chillers beer chiller units are small to medium sized under counter positioned beer chillers units used in phyiscally small outlets or outlets that have limited space to position a cool room to locate kegs.

Icebanks do not chill the keg itself but chill the beer through a refrigerated stainless coil as the beer is drawn off from the keg. As the beer is dispensed at the beer tap more beer is drawn from the keg and cooled as it passes through the stainless coil.

Icebank units are required to cool beer down from an ambient temperature to between 2 degress and 4 degrees which requires efficient refrigeration but which ultimately places limits on the volume of beer dispensed over a period of time. Icebanks generally do not have refrigeration capacity to dispense very large volumes of beer over short periods of time which makes them more suited to restaurant and small volume hospitality businesses.