am i suppose to sell beer/ largers or ciders if the cooler in the celler has broken down
If the Cellar Cooling has broken down you may be able to sell keg beers this time of year, though you may struggle to sell Cask ales. If the remote has broken down the wastage would be greater than any profit you may make, so it wouldn't be worth it.
is back filtering legal
We have already covered thishttp://www.inndoctor.co.uk/cask-ales/filtering-back-cask-beer/
What size kegs can you get in uk
This page might help http://www.inndoctor.co.uk/equipment/beer-container-sizes/
is it against the law to dry glasses with a clean tea towel
It's not good practice you will be transferring bacteria from the tea towel to the clean glass.
what is glycol and what does it do
Quite simply it is a Anti-freeze for water cooled remote python systems. Glycol is food quality and is supplied by the brewers Technical Services. Under no circumstances should the Anti-freeze that is used in cars be used.
which spile do you use when venting cask ale
A soft peg, you should read out cask ale section
where to store bottled beer
A cool room if possible, the cooler the better. Ready to go into the fridge.
Is unopened keg ok after best by date
A best before date is a best before date, who can say?
what is normal wastage in 11 gallon keg
There shouldn't be any wastage in normal use.
When a box of post mix is empty but is still connected to the gas should this waste gas??
No, when the box is empty everything will stop working. However if the bag in box connector is allowing air to be sucked in that means there will be an airlock in the gas pump and will keep pumping (using gas), till a new bag is connected; the pump is switched off or the gas bottle is empty, whichever happens first. Contact your tech services for a replacement.
how long does john smiths beer last
Once a keg of any beer is connected the clock is ticking. You should hope to sell a keg within 4 to 5 days ideally. After this depending where the keg is stored temperature is crucial, then you may find problems such as off flavours, frothing and in some cases infection within the beer setting in. The best before date describes the length of time within which an unopened keg may be put on sale. It does not indicate how long the beer will last once on service.
what gas for lager
Depends 60/40 Mixed Gas, 50/50 Mixed Gas or CO2
what are the legislation for a safe hygienic working practices when cleaning drink line dispense
With reference from the BRITISH BEER & PUB ASSOCIATION:- The Beer Quality and Safety Panel promote the regular cleaning and maintenance of beer dispense lines. Beer is classified as a food under The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and the same standards of hygiene should therefore be applied to cellars as to kitchens.
Cleanliness of dispense equipment is essential to maintain high standards of quality and presentation. Hazy beers with a poor palate can often be attributed to a build-up of yeast and other micro-organisms in beer lines. Good hygiene is also essential to prevent the development of micro-organisms which could present a food safety hazard. The objective of line cleaning is to maintain a constant state of hygiene and not to wait for yeast to accumulate. The guidance therefore recommends the cleaning of beer and cider dispense systems at least every seven days.
is it ok to use a 50/50 mix for guinness?
Definitely not.
beer-gas-the-cellar-and-colour-coding
do i have to turn off gas before disconnecting the keg
It is best practice to do so.
Is it legal to wash glasses in the same dishwasher as crockery?
Might not be illegal, but you should not put crockery in a glass-washer to avoid contaminating the glasses with grease etc.
are cellar gas monitors a legal requirement
Not at the moment, this has been discussed in the forum http://www.inndoctor.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1280144797/
I only use half the pumps on the bar to save the waste; so half of them are left in water... Every week when I clean the used pumps I run new water through the un-used ones... I recently tried to use all the pumps again and it started off ok, but now they stink... What shall I do?
They will need a really thorough clean emphasizing the word "thorough", will probably have to do it a couple of times filling the lines with beer in between over a few days. It will come right in the end but it takes time, used to have the same problem with caravan parks. In the future as well drawing plenty of fresh water through at each clean. Every few cleans or so, clean with cleaning fluid. Something to bear in mind if those lines are connected to the ones that are in use, your beer won't be tasting that good.
Is it against the law to polish glasses in a pub with a tea towel?
It is not good practice , how clean is your tea towel?
Is it ok to use out of date line cleaner what would happen if I was to use out of date line cleaner?
The question should be do chemicals degrade over time and is not a question we can really answer because none of us are chemists.
Do onions change the beers flavour
Well cheese and onion crisps will, if you mean in the cellar; you shouldn't be storing onions in the cellar and if that is the case yes it will.
What pressure should Co2 be at for Stella 4 and thatchers as I use 60/40 on my event bars but now going over to co2 as it's cheaper!! Many thanks
Co2 pressure on outside bars can be a nightmare you have to get the balance pressure right depending on the temperature of the keg, but as this is constantly changing throughout the day because you do not have a regulated cellar temperature, you will never get it right. Wastage through fobbing could cost you a lot more it is better to stick with mixed gas.
To do a line clean do I need to turn off the cooler that the lines go through first?
Coolers should be turned off before a line clean, water has a higher freezing point than beer and could freeze the coil in the cooler. Doesn't happen every-time but will do it when you least expect it to (Murphy's Law). Then you will have to wait hours for it to thaw, so to be safe, best practice dictates switch the coolers off before a line clean.
What will happen if I use 70/30 mixed gas with lagers?
The Co2 content isn't as high in 30/70 mixed gas and therefore 60/40 mixed gas should be used. If you do use 30/70 mixed gas over couple of days or so the product will lose some its charge and taste a bit flat. It is sometimes used for temporary bars where the product is selling fast. Do not and I repeat do not use 60/40 gas on ale products.
do I need to clean my cider line every time
yes
At the moment I clean my lines weekly.Someone has mentioned to me a system that uses "ultra soundwaves" to keep your lines clean and reduce the need to manually clean to just once a month. Does it work?
Perhaps the companies who sell these systems would like to come on to the forum and answer these questions.
post mix is flat but everything appears to be ok
Flat post mix would indicate lack of CO2 in the carbonator. Provided you have a full gas cylinder connected to your system,(if you have run out of Co2 on some systems the soda line may have filled up with still water this can sometimes be rectified by drawing off a few pints of soda water ) otherwise there is nothing you can do other than call the dispense engineer out to check your system.
do you need to clean the cider line
Of course you should - weekly
I have a cask which I want to serve in 10 days time, but I\'m not sure when I should vent it. I am worried that if I do it too early, the beer may go off, and too late, the keystone could be forced out. Please can you advise me. Thanks
AS long as it is well in date, stored in a cool place and not too volatile a brew you should be OK it is sometimes stored by wholesalers for that long anyway. This should really be up for discussion in the forum everyone's point of view is different. Personally in five days I would roll it, tap and vent and then hard peg it, then monitor it till it is used. http://www.inndoctor.co.uk/cask-ales/spiling-pegging-venting-real-ales/
how long should you leave a keg before putting it on sale
A keg is pasteurized beer, you can put it straight on sale.
i have cleaned my line but the beer still tastes funny and smells why?
This question should be directed to the forum it isn't a FAQ question. We will gladly answer your question if you could post this as a new thread in the forum (will only take a minute to register) so it will help others in a similar situation and then others can also add to it. This will also be useful to you, in that you will be able to ask further questions to their answers.
upuntil about 230 pm today the carling lager was perfect after this the pints were pulling flat any ideas
Did you change a keg during that time? If so it could be that the new keg is flat. If not then you may need to check the gas supply to the keg. Are you experiencing other problems with other products?
What causes excess fobbing of real ales?
Has the beer been properly stillaged and allowed to go through the proper secondary fermentation process? Sometimes cask beers can be put on sale too soon and the beer is still fretting. Make sure you beer has dropped out properly. How old is the beer, how long on service? Are your cask ale lines clean and free from yeast?
when do you use a hard peg in real ale barrel
Once cask ale has completed it's secondary fermentation a hard peg should be used. Also between serving sessions it is a good idea to hard peg your cask, it will help keep it in condition.
I clean my lines every Sunday night. I am getting bad tastes on the first pints of the day on my Keg lines that aren't used as that much. What can cause this?
Maybe the lines need a really thorough clean, yeast in the lines can give off tastes if beer is left standing in the lines for lengthy periods. Perhaps cutting down on some of your taps might be the answer. Or maybe cutting down on slow moving products. Beer always tastes at its best when moving fast.
My glass washer has broken down but I can\'t seem to get an engineer out until at least 24 hours. Is there a legal requirement that I have to have a glass wash machine in order to open my bar?
No, you can wash glasses by hand as long as you use the correct detergent, rinse them and let them dry.
how long would carlsberg and guinness keep once served?
Wouldn't it be better just to drink them.
Is the same gas used on Stella as it is on fosters
Depends, could be either Co2 or 60/40 mixed gas.
when i go to clean my lines and pull water in lines first is it safe to sell 2 pints off each tap of lager ciders and beers when i just put water in the lines when i pull through water it takes about 4 pints before water comes through ?
Water yes, as long as you make sure it is water. Otherwise it would be extremely foolhardy and could kill someone.
What waste occurs when line cleaning? Should same be costed @ purchase or selling cost?
Selling Cost, otherwise you will lose out with your VAT return.
after a pint is poured there are bubbles on the inside of the glass why is that?
The glass isn't as clean as it should be.
70/30 mix gas whats the the difference between co2 gas
This post should help Beer Gas the Cellar and Colour Coding
is it legal to return to keg after a line clean ?
While it may not be illegal it is certainly bad practice and very dangerous and on top of that, you would risk contaminating a container full of good beer with bacteria from dirty lines. For the sake of a couple of pints it isn't worth it?
should you hard peg a cask at night
Yes anytime it isn't on sale, by resealing the cask, the product will last longer.
Hi.. I have 2 kinds of gas left the John smiths in a pub I'm looking after. 60/40 and 70/40.. I don't know what to use as the 60/40 I put on makes the beer frothy! Please HELP!!
The normal gas for John Smiths Extra Smooth is 30/70. This post should help Beer Gas the Cellar and Colour Coding
what is the expected life of beer lines ? how often do they need changing ?
We would like to say five years however it depends who is paying and their point of view. It has been discussed in the forum.
Beer line replacement
how often do lines from a keg to a dispensing unit need to be flushed with water?
The line cleaning regime using line cleaning fluid, should be weekly.
what type of gas mix do i use with 3.7ABV draft carslberg?
Co2 or 60/40 mixed gas
is it legal to sell out of date ale
What do you think?
how would you store a cask ale when it is being delivered?
Lashed upright so it doesn't roll about, then roll it before stillaging.
can i sell out of date larger
You have a duty of care to your customers. Whilst we are not aware of any person being injured in any way by drinking out of date beer there is always the risk that over age beer might contain pathogenic microbes and their by-products, that could be harmful to health.
what is the wastage on cleaning a line
Depends how long the line is. The easiest way to find out would be to count how many pints of water you pull through, when you reconnect to the container after cleaning the lines.
how do i tell if the keg is out of condition
Keg beer like all beers can go off. It can develope vinegar taste, sulphur smells, lack of brightness in appearance and fobbing[ frothyness]. Keg beer should be sold within 4 days to a week for best results.
if the beer lines are cleaned can you get sick
No. If the beer lines are clean then they do not pose any problems.
why is it important to turn off gas supply before changing a keg?
see the gas section
can i turn my cooler off at night
This question has been answered in-depth in the forum.Turning off Remote and Flash Coolers
Hi there im working in a pub which has a low turn over or real ale so we have to beerlines that are empty should they be left empty or should they have water kept in them?
If you have lines not in use they should be regularly flushed through with water. After a short time water stagnates and you will be able to taste it in the beer otherwise.
please help- bought a bar with no cellar - would like to serve draft - no room need an under counter solution-any ideas please
Provided you have room for storing kegs under your bar there should be no problem. It is quite normal in restaurants and small bars to have under-counter installations. Using under counter flash coolers and small 11 gallon kegs you should be able to sell draught. Best to contact a local dispense engineer for a survey.
what is the correct cellar temperature for keg beers
11-13 degrees Centigrade. 52-54 Fahrenheit.
Can a part used keg be disconnected and stored.I,m thinking of making a home bar for barbecues,parties etc but will only occur at weekends.Does the keg have to remain connected and cooled.
Yes! but the beer won't taste as nice. And the lines must be cleaned.Best also to get a qualified dispense engineer to install your equipment for your own safety.
How long does a keg of lager last once opened?
Once opened, try to sell keg ales within a week, quite simply they don’t taste as nice after that. Once you start to introduce bottle gas into the keg, that starts to absorb into the liquid. Co2 isn’t as pure out of the bottle as it is in the brewing process.
Why is it essential to turn off the gas supply before disconnecting a keg of lager
Not essential, but good practice. The keg coupler is designed to stop the gas supply as you disconnect from a keg. If a keg coupler is faulty the gas may not turn off and the resulting escaping gas may cause any beer which is in the neck of the empty keg or the full one to blow about. So yes, I would always turn off the gas whilst changing a keg.
what does glycol do
Glycol is mixed with the water that is recirculated to the heat dump unit outside (bit like the radiator in a car) preventing the remote cooler refrigeration unit from overheating. Glycol stops the water freezing in winter, your service provider should be checking the mix periodically.
Is out of date beer ok to drink?
No. Keg or bottled it will have off tastes. Also not a good idea to sell out of date products to customers,you have a duty of care.
How much beer is lost when changing a barrel
Provided you have a fob detector fitted, which you should, waste will be very little,if any.
Where can i buy new smoothflow nozzles from?
Good question will let you know on this one have seen them advertised can't remember where at the moment. I have since found some, a bit expensive though.
http://www.a1barstuff.co.uk/detail.asp?ProdID=534
Why does cellarbuoy keep dropping
Check the condition of your keg seals. If at all damaged change them if you have been instructed. Could also be the gas balance pressure out of kilter, get it checked out.
Over the years I have accumulated some keg beer containers and my dray wont take them away how can I get rid of them?
You don't say if you are free trade or tied. Beer kegs are in short supply and cost brewers enormous amounts of money, so getting them back is in everyones interest. Try this site http://www.kegwatch.co.uk/index.htm. Failing this, I suggest asking a local wholesaler if they will take them ,as they get charged for non returned kegs and I am sure if you ask them they would pick them up for you.
Where would I find beer line cleaning specialists.
The industry is changing all the time most Local Dispense Companies now offer this as a service. This list is growing all the time.
Why does my Carlsberg Lager go flat so quickly.
Check your glasses, see the article on glass care on this site. Carlsberg is a proper bottom fermented beer that does not have co2 artificially injected into it. Also it does not have head retention agents either, so what you have is a very good lager that may not be quite so lively as some of the other popular products. All lagers need the correct balance pressures for best dispense so put in a non urgent call to your supplier and have him check things out.
HOW DO I OPEN A KEG TO SYPHON BEER OUT
You don't that would be too dangerous
What is Coors service number
0845 6001777
For all your urgent questions. Inndoctor will give you an answer within 24 hours or less.
