Beer Towers FAQs Beer Towers Foamy Beer If the beer towers are FOAMY, check: That the beer faucet is being opened completely That the beer is being poured to minimize foaming and waste That the beer faucet is clean obstructions can agitate the flow of beer That the flow rate is approximately 5 seconds for a 10 oz glass If beer is poured too slowly or too quickly, adjust pressure as required to see if problem is corrected That you are following proper tapping procedures If the beer is FOAMY, check: That you are using the right level and brand of sanitizer to clean beer glasses That your cooler temperature is correct and the right temperature of beer at the dispensing faucet Cloudy Beer Towers If your beer is FLAT, check: That your glassware is beer-clean That the temperature of your cooler and the temperature of beer (from the beer towers) at its dispensing faucet is correct. The ideal temperature is 34 to 38°F (1 to 3°C). That the flow rate is approximately 5 seconds for a 10 oz glass beer is pouring too slowly or too quickly, adjust pressure as needed That you are following proper tapping procedures That you use the recommended pressure source for dispensing your style and type of draught beer (air pressure, CO2 or special blended gasses), and that the air compressor has a source of clean (grease-free) air For OFF-TASTE BEER, check: That the temperature of your cooler and the temperature of beer (from the beer towers) at dispensing faucet is correct. The ideal temperature is 34 to 38°F (1 to 3°C). That you’re using the right level and brand of detergent to clean beer glasses In ALL instances, ensure: That you have your beer towers lines cleaned on a regular basis That the product has not exceeded the recommended shelf life That you use the recommended pressure source for dispensing your style and type of draught beer (air pressure, CO2 or special blended gasses) Pouring Draft Beer for Beer Towers Pouring beer towers is an art, and definitely part of the overall tasting experience. We always suggest that your staff is trained in this art to make sure your customer gets a refreshing beverage every time! The following demonstrates the most common pouring technique which can be applied to most beers and glassware types. Steps to a Perfect Pint: That the beer towers faucet is being opened completely That the beer from the beer towers is being poured to minimize foaming and waste That the beer towers faucet is clean so obstructions can agitate the flow of beer That the flow rate is approximately 5 seconds for a 10 oz glass If beer is poured too slowly or too quickly, adjust pressure as required to see if problem is corrected That you are following proper tapping procedures If the beer is FOAMY, check: Use a clean glass. A dirty glass, containing oils, dirt or residuals from a previous beer, may inhibit head creation and flavors. Hold your glass at a 45° angle. Grab from the base of the tap handle, not from the top, and open the faucet quickly and all the way open. Pour the beer, slowly down the side of the glass, targeting the middle of the slope of the glass. This allows the beer to flow smoothly without splashing or releasing too much of the carbonation. DO NOT ALLOW THE FAUCET TO TOUCH THE GLASS. At the half-way point bring the glass at a 90° angle and continue to pour in the middle of the glass. This will induce the perfect foam head. And remember, having a head on a beer is a good thing. It releases the beer’s aromatics and adds to the overall presentation. You may also want to gradually add distance between the bottle and glass as you pour, to also inspire a good head. An ideal head should be 1″ to 1-1/2″. FOB’s Foam on beer (FOB) detectors can be used to improve keg yield for bars with long draw systems. When installed, lines are kept full with beer, instead of filling with foam. This eliminates the need to refill the lines when tapping the next keg, and significantly reduces beer waste. With an FOB installed on a beer line, when a keg hits empty and the bartender taps the new keg, the tap will immediately pour beer. The FOB detects an empty keg and stops beer flow, which eliminates the foam created by an empty keg. It also eliminates the need to refill lines with beer and purge air from the system. The system won’t create any foam waste or cause system downtime. In addition, bars won’t have to pay the extra labor costs incurred when an employee has to spend time cleaning up the mess in a cooler with a blown empty keg. Systems that don’t have an FOB will cause the tap to start spitting and spraying foam when the keg is emptied. FOBs are also usually a misunderstood piece of equipment in a bar. Oftentimes, new employees and managers are asked to change the keg without undergoing proper training in resetting an FOB. It’s important for staff to be trained on how FOBs work. Another common issue with FOBs is maintenance. Since the FOB is full of beer, it will become dirty in the same way other equipment will. Knobs can become sticky and hard to reset. In a worst-case scenario, an extremely dirty bleed valve (vent) will stick in the open position and cause an entire keg to bleed through it. Cleaning an FOB The best way to clean an FOB is during an entire system clean, with a recirculating pump. Use a caustic solution every two weeks and conduct acid cleanings every four weeks for beer dispensing systems. To clean the system with FOBs in place, twist the knobs into an upright position and turn them clockwise. Press the vent or purge button on the side a few times while flush cleaning to ensure the vent doesn’t get stuck in this position. Leave the FOB in the upright position until the entire system has been flushed and the pH reading is between 7 and 8 before adding beer into the system. Draught Beer Line Cleaning Standards The Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual suggests the following summary cleaning recommendations: Perform draught line cleaning every two weeks (14 days), as follows: Push beer from lines with cold water. Clean lines with caustic solution at 2% or greater concentration for newer, well-maintained lines or 3% concentration for older or problematic lines. Maintain a solution temperature of 80º – 125ºF. Caustic solution should be circulated through the lines for 15 minutes at a velocity of 2 gallons per minute for electric pump cleaning or left to stand in the lines for no less than 20 minutes for static cleaning. Disassemble and hand clean faucets; hand clean couplers. After cleaning, flush lines with cold water until pH matches that of tap water and no visible debris is being carried from the lines. Quarterly (every three months): Disassemble and hand clean all FOB-stop devices (a.k.a. beer savers, foam detectors) Disassemble and hand clean all couplers. Perform acid cleaning of draught lines as follows*: Push beer or caustic cleaner from lines with cold water. Clean lines with an acid line cleaner mixed to manufacturer’s guidelines. Maintain a solution temperature of 80º – 125ºF. Circulate the acid solution through the lines for 15 minutes at a velocity of 2 gallons per minute for electric pump cleaning or let stand in the lines for no less than 20 minutes for static cleaning. After acid cleaning, flush lines with cold water until pH matches that of tap water and no visible debris is being carried from the lines. Disassemble and hand clean all FOB-stop devices (a.k.a. beer savers, foam detectors) Disassemble and hand clean all couplers. Perform acid cleaning of draught lines as follows*: Push beer or caustic cleaner from lines with cold water. Clean lines with an acid line cleaner mixed to manufacturer’s guidelines. Maintain a solution temperature of 80º – 125ºF. Circulate the acid solution through the lines for 15 minutes at a velocity of 2 gallons per minute for electric pump cleaning or let stand in the lines for no less than 20 minutes for static cleaning. After acid cleaning, flush lines with cold water until pH matches that of tap water and no visible debris is being carried from the lines. Draught Beer Towers Freshness How long will draught beer remain fresh?All beers are at their best on the day the keg is filled at the brewery. As days go past the freshness reduces. In general, the fresher your keg draft beer is, the better it tastes. Keg beer will remain fresh if dispensing with CO2, while maintaining the proper temperature and pressure: Non-pasteurized draft beer about 45-60 days. Pasteurized draft beer about 90-120 days. Dispensing keg beer with a party pump (air): Any draft beer will remain fresh for no more than 8-12 hours. Air contains oxygen, and oxygen is an enemy of beer. Quality Assurance For quality assurance, most breweries now print a freshness date on the cap or side of each keg. Depending on the brewery, this may either be a “born on” (filled) date or an “expiration” date, read the label carefully. While the shelf life for each of the brewers may differ, days in inventory before it reaches you are factored into the shelf life of the keg. For example Non-pasteurized beer has a shelf life of 45-60 days. Here is an example of a keg’s life: Days 0-10 (Transit / Satellite Warehousing) Days 10-20 (Distributor Warehouse / Retail Delivery) Days 20-60 (At Retail / Home) So the average keg has 25-40 days of shelf life at retail or in a home. Breweries recommend not drinking draft beer past the freshness date. Testimonials Everyone has been so impressed with the frosted cobra heads on the beer system and have given us multiple compliments on their design. Our partnership with Glacier is key. I like for my business to wow our customers – and Glacier helps me do it. Phil PaceOwner / Phil’s BBQ PreviousNext Glacier totally stepped up and finished the whole design and installation on budget and on time. I couldn’t be more excited about it. I highly recommend Glacier Design Systems to anyone I know. Their level of service, communication, and quality of the product is just phenomenal. Josh Kim Owner / Thirsty Cow PreviousNext What I liked about Glacier was that from start to finish, their team never dropped the ball. They were able to tackle the job, create my vision and produce a wonderful beer system that my customers love. Alan Paulson Owner / Tomkat Lounge PreviousNext I would definitely recommend Glacier Design Systems to any restaurant that is in need of a beer system. They are the experts in beer system installation and their work speaks for itself – our stunning beer tap system produces nice, cold beers and we’ve had absolutely no problems. I look forward to using Glacier in the future! Steve MelilloOwner / On The Rocks Bar & Grill PreviousNext Glacier Design Systems customer service is superior to their competition because of the personal attention that they give each customer. On top of that, they actually help you when you call with a question. If we ever need assistance with our beer system, I’m happy that I have Glacier Design Systems helping me over any other company. Dustin Seavey General Manager / Surly Goat PreviousNext Everyone’s got a beer system. But what makes one above the other is really the design of it, how you maintain it and how you service it. I think Glacier is incredible and really differentiates themselves from other vendors that way. John SolaPublic School 818 PreviousNext What makes Glacier so special is their ability to deliver a quality product. I loved how personable and readily available their staff was to help with whatever we needed. Mark Matters HQ Gastropub PreviousNext We told the folks at Glacier to build us your ultimate system, and they did. We’ve been very pleased with the response from our guests. Bill VivianCo-Owner / Regents Pizzeria PreviousNext Glacier’s work was thorough and specific. Exactly what we need and how we needed it. Our taps are beautiful, unique and protected. We couldn’t have asked for a better company to help with the full installation, and know if there are any future expansions, Glacier will be the company to call! Sean HaleGeneral Manager / Barrel Republic PreviousNext We couldn’t be more pleased with Glacier’s work. Our tap system is one-of-a-kind, and we would not have been able to accomplish everything we wanted without the help of Glacier Design Systems! Steve DurlerVP of Development & Facilities / Slater’s 50/50 PreviousNext We’re thrilled with the design. We love that the taps only take up a small area and—even better—it makes for a great backdrop to the bar! I don’t know anybody else who does what they do! Dave DonaldsonDirector of Operations / BXCR Wine Bar PreviousNext This is my third project with Team – Glacier Design Systems, Inc and at every location they continued to amaze me with their creative draft beer system design. At Ball & Chain we needed GDS to create a “Wow” factor draft beer tower and they came through with flying colors. Read More.. Their level of professionalism is unmatched by all the other companies that service the S. CA Areas. In my book you would be crazy to talk with anyone else but Glacier Design Systems, Inc. When it is time for service their 24/7 team is right there for us, day/night or weekend –incredible! Marc KreinerOwner of Ball & Chain PreviousNext Glacier’s work was thorough and specific. Exactly what we need and how we needed it. Our taps are beautiful, unique and protected. We couldn’t have asked for a better company to help with the full installation, and know if there are any future expansions, Glacier will be the company to call! Sean HaleGeneral Manager / Barrel Republic PreviousNext MBA and Glacier Design Systems Inc. have been doing business together for many years. MBA uses hundreds of vendors and Glacier Design Systems, Inc. is within the top 5 best without question. Read More.. Every staff member is extremely knowledgeable, kind, and hard working. If you’re a dealer or consultant you must have them as a regular vendor. If you’re an end user, you must demand your consultant/dealer specify Glacier Design System, Inc’s products and services. Ryan BlackmanOwner of Michael Blackman & Associates: PreviousNext Thanks so much … it seems when the bartender was working the FOB he did close the gas. You need to come in and have a pizza and beer on me for the amazing service!! Have a great holiday! Redd WilxGeneral Manager at Matchbox in Palm Springs: PreviousNext We are so grateful to have contracted Glacier Design Systems. Our restaurant was previously being serviced by one of their competitors, who left us with improper maintenance, missed appointments, and incorrect information. Read More.. The team at Glacier have been amazing. They did an in depth walk through of our our entire system and was quickly able to identify the source of many of our issues. He helped the management team come up with a service plan that will result in a serious improvement to the quality of our brews, as well as improve our pour cost. The expertise, guidance, and attention to detail demonstrated by all of the Glacier employees we have dealt with, is truly impressive. They are working diligently to correct the previous vendors errors and are committed to getting our beer system running as it should. Thank you Glacier! Amanda CreightonGeneral Manager / SmithHouse Tap and Grill PreviousNext When we were thinking about how to design our Draft Beer, Cider & Wine system at Story Tavern, we really had no Idea what was the most ideal way to get this done. Time and again, we were told that Glacier Design Systems, Inc. would be able to solve this issue for us, and they did. Read More.. Not only is the equipment they provided and installed top of the line, but the hands on guidance and recommendations is what sets them apart from their competition. Their realistic assessment of what could be done, and could not be done at Story Tavern was also invaluable. Any bar that wants not only the best equipment, but also the soundest advice for installing and designing a Beer, Cider & Wine Draft system need only call Glacier Design Systems, Inc. Brian and Diane SlaughtOwners of Story Tavern in Burbank: PreviousNext Just wanted to drop you a quick line and let you know what a great job the Glacier technician did the other day in my store. Read More.. Apparently prior management had really jimmy-rigged our store to make the beer system work with no additional equipment. He took the time to: search my whole store (even in the ceiling) to look for missing equipment, walk me through the process, make recommendations, talk to my boss, install the correct equipment and make sure I knew how to use it. NancyEmployee at Applebee’s in Alhambra: PreviousNext When Grill Concepts developed its new concept, PUBLIC SCHOOL-An Education in the Art of Food and Beer, we went out to solicit vendors with the best expertise in their field. Read More.. We were introduced to Glacier Design Systems, Inc. and it didn’t take long to recognize they were the best in the field. We did our first Public School in Downtown Los Angeles, and it was not only an immediate success, but also everything Glacier Design Systems, Inc. said they would do, they did. Glacier Design Systems, Inc. coordinated with our general contractor before installation, during installation and has made sure the system continues to operate 100%. We are now in construction with our second PUBLIC SCHOOL in Culver City and again Glacier Design Systems, Inc. is there to make sure it all happens as designed. We anticipate starting construction on our third PUBLIC SCHOOL in Westlake in December and Glacier Design Systems, Inc. will be there front and center. Mike WeinstockGrill Concepts’ Co-Chairman and Executive Vice President PreviousNext Glacier Design Systems, Inc. is great to have on complex projects—and we’ve worked on several. For Sammy’s, they quickly got involved, reviewed our designs, and came back with their engineering expertise. Read More.. Sammy’s wanted to make a real showing of the beer taps that we designed and Glacier Design Systems, Inc. did just that. They are great to work with and are a great support. We always go right to them for our beer tower needs. Geoff BeckhamAccount Director & Designer, TriMark/RobertClark PreviousNext