Keeping and Serving Beer

Question 1

What are the 3 tiers in the “3 tier system” of alcohol distribution in the US?

Answer 1

Brewer/Importer; Wholesaler (distributor); Retailer

Question 2

What is the purpose of the 3 tier system of alcohol distribution in the US?

Answer 2

1) Make tax collection easier for the state
2) Protect consumers from abuses by companies that make/sell alcohol
3) Create market competition

Question 3

What are the common exceptions to the 3 tier system?

Answer 3

1) Allowing production breweries to brew and sell directly to consumers via a taproom
2) Allowing brewpubs to brew and sell directly to consumers
3) Allowing small brewers to make and sell some beer directly to retailers

Question 4

Which taxes are levied on beer and who is responsible for paying which?

Answer 4

1) Federal Excise Tax: Brewers
2) State Excise Tax: Wholesalers
3) Sales Tax: Retailers
4) Income Tax: All parties

Question 5

What should be checked when assessing the age/physical condition of a beer shipment?

Answer 5

1) Date code if available
2) Physical condition of container
3) Temperature

Question 6

What does a Date Code indicate?

Answer 6

Either the best-by date or the bottling/packaging date

Question 7

What should you check for when inspecting the physical condition of a beer container?

Answer 7

Dents or broken containers. Signs of leakage or container weakness.

Question 8

How is alcohol primarily absorbed and eliminated by the body?

Answer 8

Absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract (primarily small intestine) by diffusion into the blood. Primarily metabolized and eliminated by the liver. Some is eliminated via bodily fluids.

Question 9

Explain responsible serving practices

Answer 9

1) Provide accurate ABV information to consumers
2) Adjust serving size based on ABV

Question 10

What should we assume about beer when it is released from the brewery? What is the exception to this rule?

Answer 10

It is ready to drink. The exception to this is that certain types of beer may age in interesting ways if properly cellared, but this is the minority

Question 11

How does one properly rotate inventory?

Answer 11

Sell older beer first, remove out of date products from service

Question 12

What are the types of codes that brewers may use to indicate date codes?

Answer 12

Traditional date codes, Julian/ordinal dates, propietary formats

Question 13

How long does draft beer remain fresh when refrigerated (non-pasteurized and pasteurized)?

Answer 13

Keg of non-pasteurized beer: 45-60 days
Keg of pasteurized beer: 90-120 days

Question 14

What happens to shelf life if draft beer is not refrigerated or subjected to other stresses

Answer 14

It decreases significantly

Question 15

How long does bottled/canned beer remain fresh if refrigerated vs non-refrigerated? Are their exceptions to these rules?

Answer 15

-Refrigerated: up to 6 months
- Exception is hoppy styles which may show flavor changes in as little as 3 months
-Unrefrigerated or subjected to other stresses: May be noticeably off after 3 months

Question 16

What is a surefire way to test a beer for deterioration?

Answer 16

Taste it compared to fresh beer

Question 17

If beer cannot be refrigerated, what should be done to mitigate damage?

Answer 17

Keep inventories small, sell beer quickly

Question 18

What happens to non-refrigerated beer that impacts its flavor?

Answer 18

1) Oxidation is sped up. This leads to diminished hop flavor/aroma, malt shift, papery/wet cardboard flavor
2) Bottle-conditioned and unfiltered beer with yeast may develop autolysis off-flavors
3) Microbial contamination can spread rapidly leading to related off-flavors

Question 19

What is a “reasonable range” of temperatures within which a beer can be transferred without damaging the beer’s flavor?

Answer 19

Cold storage (38F) to room temperature (68-77F)

Question 20

What is the temperature ceiling that a beer should be prevented from surpassing? What is the expected result of allowing the beer to get warmer than this level?

Answer 20

77F (top of room temperature). Rapid flavor degradation

Question 21

What causes a “skunky flavor” in beer

Answer 21

Light from the sun, fluorescent bulbs, most LED lights

Question 22

How quickly can skunking take effect after exposure to light?

Answer 22

a couple of minutes

Question 23

What kind of gas must be used for serving draft beer? What should not be used? Are their any exceptions?

Answer 23

CO2 or CO2-Nitrogen mix. NEVER use compressed air. The only exception to this are single-use kegs with an internal bag holding the beer.

Question 24

How long does beer served via a Party Pump last in terms of flavor stability? Why?

Answer 24

Less than 1 day due to oxygen being put in contact with the beer