Beer Draft System Flashcards
Draft system gas
Use only beverage grade CO2 or CO2-Nitro mix as a
gas source. Never use compressed oxygen because it causes rapid
oxidation of beer.
What are the common types of US draft systems?
- Direct-draw systems are the simplest tap systems. There are two types: walk-in coolers with faucets going directly through the wall to the bar; and small, keg-sized refrigerators (aka kegerators) under the counter with tap towers directly above
What are the common types of US draft systems?
Glycol-cooled long-draw systems are draft systems where the beer lines need to be cooled as they run between the cooler and the faucet, which could be as far as several hundred feet away. Glycol is a chemical refrigerant, cooled and pumped through glycol lines. Tubes filled with chilled glycol are wrapped up along with the beers lines inside of insulated trunk lines.
Kegs
(1) The common commercial volumes of kegs range from the standard half-barrel size of 15.5 gallons (these are the big ones you’re used to seeing) to the common 5-gallon kegs (1/6th barrels) that pricier craft beers often come in.
There are several different keg valve and coupler systems on the market.
Most use Sankey valve types.
The keg’s anatomy includes:
(a) The keg’s structure can be stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, “bag-
in-ball,” or rubber coated steel. It protects the beer from air and
light. Kegs are pressurized and dangerous if mishandled
What are some of the most important elements of the draft system?
When tapped, a keg’s valve admits gas into the headspace, which
applies the pressure needed to push beer up through the spear (or “down tube”) and out of the keg, while maintaining the correct carbonation in the remaining beer.
Couplers
(1) On the pressure side of the draft system:
(a) Couplers allow gas into the headspace of the keg.
Couplers
(2) On the beer side of the draft system:
(a) The same coupler on the keg that we discussed just above is also important to the beer side of a draft system because as gas flows in, beer flows out of the keg, through the coupler. When attached to a keg, the coupler pushes down the ball or poppet in the neck of the keg. This allows gas to flow into the keg, which creates the pressure in the keg’s headspace that pushes beer up through the keg’s spear, into the beer line, and all the way to the faucet.
FOB detectors aka “Foam on Beer detectors”
FOBs are used in long draw systems. An FOB is a float in a sealed bowl
that drops when the beer flow stops:
When the beer stops flowing because the keg runs out, the FOB fills the beer line with dispense gas, which keeps the line full of pressurized beer while the keg is changed.
FOB detectors aka “Foam on Beer detectors”
(2) FOB detectors save the bar operating costs by limiting beer waste.
FOB detectors aka “Foam on Beer detectors”
FOBs must be cleaned every two weeks with the entire draft system.
FOB detectors aka “Foam on Beer detectors”
Beer Faucets dispense beer into the glass and hold the tap handle
