Metered Dispense

Metered dispense is also used to dispense keg beers. Metered units automatically dispense a measured half a pint of beer each time a switch is pressed. Metered units must be calibrated when they are installed (and regularly checked) to ensure that they accurately dispense beer in the required amounts. Metered units should be Government stamped with the Crown Stamp to confirm that they have been checked and approved by Trading Standards.

Gas And Electric Pumps

Where the pub’s cellar is located a long distance (horizontally or vertically) from its bar, a gas or electric pump can be used to assist with dispensing keg beer. These pumps are located in the cellar and push the beer through the lines. They can be powered by gas or electricity.

Gas And Gas Systems

Both CO₂ and a mixture of CO₂ and nitrogen are used to dispense a range of keg beers today. These gases are also absorbed by the beer giving it special characteristics. These characteristics can include the CO₂ ‘bite’, which is typical of many lagers or the smoothness produced by using nitrogen with CO₂ to dispense ‘smoothflow’ and ‘smoothpour’ ales.

Gas systems can be rented or more frequently, are loaned to you free of charge from your brewery or gas supplier. The brewery or gas supplier is responsible for maintaining the equipment and can be called out to deal with any faults. CO₂ and mixed gases (CO₂/nitrogen mixes) can be purchased together with your beer supplies or from other local gas suppliers. The mixed gases come in different percentage mixes for example: 60/40 or 70/30 mixtures (ie 60% CO₂ to 40% nitrogen mix, or 70% CO₂ to 30% nitrogen mix). Each keg beer product must be dispensed using its recommended gas or mixed gas, otherwise faults can occur, and the beer will not be served at its best. Your brewery or pub company will advise you on this.

Beer Cooling Systems

Due to changing customer demands, many beers are served at a much lower temperature than they used to be. Though lager has traditionally been served at a lower temperature than other beers, the introduction of ‘extra-cold’ and ‘super-chilled’ lagers has reduced these temperatures further. Other products have followed suit.

In days gone by, the temperature of the beer was dictated by the temperature of the pub’s cellar. Nowadays, technology in the form of cooling systems is used to cool products. These consist of:

• Cellar cooling: a cooling unit that cools the whole of the beer cellar.
• Remote coolers and ‘python systems’: these cool the beer lines by circulating chilled liquid through a snake-like sheath that surrounds the beer lines.
• Flash coolers: they are situated behind the bar through which beer flows and is cooled immediately prior to it being dispensed.

Cellar Services

Breweries and pub companies have teams of ‘cellar service’ staff who are on hand to attend to any problems with the dispensing or cooling of beer. They also have a team of experts on hand to attend to any problems with the beer itself. Faults are normally reported by telephoning a helpline number and call-outs are made within an agreed timescale depending on the nature of the problem. It is a good idea to keep these telephone numbers to hand and also ensure that your staff are aware of them, in case of any difficulties.

Glassware For Beer

Styles Of Glassware

A customer’s ‘drinking experience’ is made up of more than just the taste of the product. The smell and appearance of the drink are vital to their enjoyment too. Good glassware plays a large part in the proper presentation of beer, thereby enhancing its visual impact. Several different styles of beer glasses have become popular to use with different styles of beer.

Branded Glassware

Glassware is often used to display drinks brands; this is known as ‘branded glassware’. It is an excellent way of promoting drinks and enhances the overall presentation of the product. Train your staff to make sure that they serve drinks in correctly branded glassware.

Branded glassware is often supplied free of charge from drinks suppliers or it can be offered to you at a reduced price. Speak to your brewery or pub company to obtain stocks of these. Unfortunately, branded glassware does tend to attract souvenir-hunters, and you will need to ensure that you have sufficient supplies of these to take account of stolen glassware, as well as the usual breakages.