Jeff Singer from Beer Piper looks at how dirty beer lines, inferior cleaning products and serving beer at the wrong temperature can leave a bad taste in the mouth
Although Britain’s traditional pub scene has been in decline for years, it may surprise seasoned beer lovers to find out that – as a nation – we still drink an incredible 122 pints per head every year*.
The old fashioned boozer may be making way for the new wave of craft beer taprooms and microbreweries, but beer is still very much our national tipple, whether it’s a hand-pulled pint of cask ale in the local or a grapefruit infused IPA at the craft beer bar.
The craft beer revolution has injected some much needed passion and pizzazz into the beer industry, bringing aboard a whole new generation of younger drinkers who are enthusiastically seeking out new and exciting brands and brews.
In fact, a recent report by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) found that British independent brewers brewed more beer last year compared to 2017, and British craft beer helped boost the overall beer market which saw growth of 2.6% in 2018 – the biggest increase for 45 years. There has also been a steady increase in these independent breweries – 2,274 in 2018, up from just 1,352 in 2013.
Because of this evolution in the beer industry, taste and quality has never been so important to the discerning British drinker. It follows then that landlords and pub owners – of both traditional pubs and trendy microbreweries – need to ensure their cellar management and serve quality is tip top in order to serve the best pint that they can.
According to a recent article by Cask Marque, 50% of drinkers leave a pub if they’re served poor quality beer, and of those 60% either never go back, or go less often – something that needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency if we want to preserve Britain’s pub trade.
“Beer quality is impacted by three main factors” says Jeff Singer, Commercial Manager for the UK’s biggest beer line cleaning firm, Beer Piper. “Landlords, managers and craft beer bar owners are taught many things about looking after their beer, but can sometimes cut corners when it comes to cellar management and cleaning, or they serve beer at the wrong temperature which has a huge impact upon beer quality.
- Dirty beer lines
“We have seen some horror stories over the years, where pub owners are confused about their bad tasting or cloudy cask ales – only to find out that their lines are clogged up with yeast build ups, resulting in poor quality pints for punters and disaster for their sales figures.
“We have pulled things out of beer lines that look like dead squids – certainly not what British Beer lovers want when opting for a pint of their favourite drop.”
- Opting for poor quality cleaning products
“Another error is using poor quality, cheap cleaning products in the cellar, bar and beer lines” continues Jeff. “What many landlords and managers do not know is, cheaper or inferior quality products can contain large amounts of harsh chemicals that actually damage the equipment – as well as the environment. Opting for cheap line cleaners and cleaning products can also be a false economy. Landlords and staff members end up using more to get the correct dilution and even then, they do not do a sufficient job compared to high quality products.”
Beer Piper always recommends using quality products, such as Chemisphere’s Purple Pipeline Auto range, with its advanced systems. The products use environmentally friendly chemicals to soak, pulse and clean lines and other cellar equipment.
- Serving warm beer
According to beer quality experts, Cask Marque, cask beer should be served at cellar temperature, which is between 11-13C, but its latest research shows that 25% of pubs were selling beer at a higher temperature. Getting this right can have a big impact upon customer satisfaction, and testing the beer temperature a few times a week will help landlords and managers to serve their best pints and keep punters happy.
Jeff continues: “We are on a mission to clean up Britain’s beer lines and save our nation’s beer. We are sure that, if the industry works together to preserve the quality of our beer, we can revive the pub scene in all its guises, and keep drinkers coming back for more.”
The firm is so sure that using their systems and products will improve beer quality, as well as saving money and waste, they even offer new customers a 21 day free trial to test out the equipment for themselves.
Jeff adds: “Using Beer Piper systems will cut costs, save beer and use less chemicals and water. And, most importantly for your customers, you will serve a consistently top quality pint and preserve the taste and passion that you have no doubt persevered to produce.”
Beer Piper works with over 800 pubs, breweries and chains, saving Britain’s beer one pint at a time with their beer line cleaning systems that use advanced tech to provide a top quality clean, every time.
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