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Answers to some burning questions

Common draft beer questions

Q: How long will a keg last?
There are a lot of opinions and facts out there on this topic. This is a general discussion on the topic and does not account for all circumstances and opinions. I'll start with some facts. Beer does not go bad…sort of! It only changes flavor. The 3 main components of spoilage are bacteria, oxygen, and temperature. The rate at which beer will spoil is dependent upon the combination of all three of these factors.

Let's start with Bacteria. It is everywhere. You can't get rid of it. There are good bacteria, ones that won't make you sick, and there are bad bacteria, the kind that will make you sick. Beer does not support bad bacteria. It does support good bacteria. Over time, these bacteria will grow and impart a flavor in the beer. For the most part, these flavors are undesirable. The unique aspect of beer is that it has a natural bacteria inhibitor - Alcohol.

Next is Oxygen. Oxygen has two negative effects on beer. It provides fuel for more bacteria and it oxidizes the beer…changing the flavor. Once Oxygen (air) is introduced into the keg, it has only days before the flavor has changed substantially. It also goes flat. When you use a hand pump or picnic pump on a keg, the keg is pretty much done within 48 hours.

Finally there is Temperature. Temperature will inhibit or accelerate the growth of bacteria. The colder the beer, the slower the growth. The hotter the beer, the faster the growth.

What does it all mean? It means if you keep your beer cold, use Co2, not air to drive the beer, you keep the dispensing system clean, and you buy kegs from breweries that have strict sanitizing and cleaning procedures, you're keg will last 4 months or more with minimal or no noticeable flavor change.

If you keep your kegs warm, and drive them with Co2 through a jockey box or other faucet, they will most likely last a couple of months. Just be sure to clean your lines after every keg.

Q: How many beers are in a 1/2 barrel keg?

1 barrel of beer=31 gallons.

1/2 Barrel=15.5 Gallons or 1984 Fluid Ounces.

1/4 Barrel=7.75 Gallons or 992 Fluid Ounces.

There are 128 oz. in 1 gallon.

124 Pints 16-oz. glasses

165 12-oz. glasses

198 10-oz. glasses

Q: What is the ideal beer temperature?

Temperature is a key factory in storing and dispensing draught beer. Beer can freeze at 28°F, so it is important to select and maintain proper operating temperatures inside the refrigerator cabinet. Optimum temperatures for serving cold beer are 34°-38° F (1°-3° C).

Q: What pressure should I run my CO2 regulator?

You should monitor the pressure regulators to ensure applied operating pressures remain constant (10-12psi/lbs).

Wade's Stock Tips:401-Keg Plan.

Retirement Plans Compared: If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000. With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left. If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left. If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left. But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for recycling, you would have $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is called the 401-Keg Plan.

Fuller's ESB as seen through an optical microscope

If you like this lovely ESB image they sell posters @ http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu
 

From Beer Chuch

More Than You Need to Know About IPA (India Pale Ale) I have long been a fan of IPA. Back in the day when most people had never heard of craft beer, it was my favorite style of ale. Now, it seems that everyone loves IPA. On one level, I’m very grateful for that fact. It means my chances of finding IPA on tap at the local watering hole has greatly increased. On the other hand, I’m amazed that so many people like IPA. It is an aggressive style—much too bitter for timid beer drinkers and much too strong for amateurs. There was a time when people thought you were a beer geek because you knew that IPA was an acronym for India Pale Ale. Nowadays, it seems that everyone knows that much. In fact, almost everyone knows that it was originally a colonial beer formulated to handle the voyage from England to India. The higher hop and alcohol content helped to preserve it for the 6 months the beer would spend at sea before reaching the lips of thirsty, homesick British colonialists.  If that’s all you know about IPA, then I suppose you deserve a smiley face on your report; however, if you want to consider yourself a real beer geek you need to know more. A common misconception is that IPA was a style of beer invented specifically and intentionally for the voyage to India because the troops in Calcutta were homesick and thirsty. Let’s dispel that myth. Plenty of beer was making it from England to India back in the late 1700s. In London, Porter was especially popular. Unlike today’s porter, it was strong—about 7.5 percent alcohol.  Porters traveled especially well. There is historical evidence that porter successfully reached India prior to the introduction of IPA. As I said, the lads were homesick and thirsty. Porter tasted like home. Still, IPA is not porter. An important name in the chronicles of IPA is George Hodgson—often cited as the inventor of IPA.  In the late 18th and early 19th century, George worked for the Bow Brewery, on the river Lea just east of London. There is no historical record of George Hodgson actually planning to create what we now consider IPA. There is no historical record that he had much interest at all in trying to corner the Indian beer market. It just happened. George Hodgson got lucky on two accounts. First, the Bow Brewery was the closest brewery to the headquarters of the East Indianmen—the merchant ships that went back and forth between England and India. When the ships’ captains went looking for a brewery, they didn’t have to look far to find the Bow Brewery and George Hodgson. Second, the voyage had a fortunate affect on a particular batch of beer. George brewed up a batch of October-brewed stock bitter ale, which made it onto a ship headed for India. Perhaps it was the first non-porter to make the voyage, though there is no record of that. On the voyage to India—via the frequently turbulent waters off the Cape of Good Hope—Hodgson’s October stock ale underwent the sort of maturity in cask that would have taken up to two years in a cellar. It was not a secret recipe. October stock ale was brewed specifically to age for a long period—up to two years. It featured a lot of malt (making it strong) and many hops (making it bitter). It was a rather common style back in those days. Because of the conditions encountered during the voyage, Hodgson’s beer arrived in India in prime condition. There is no evidence that he planned this or that he had any idea that it would happen. He was just lucky. By all accounts, it was very good beer. George was no dummy and quickly branded the beer, “Hodgson’s India Ale.” Why did the lads in India like it better than porter? Who knows? Eventually the style --or a less-travelled version of the same style-- became popular back in London, too. At one point, Hodgson controlled, perhaps, as much as 50% of the market in India. This is largely because of his proximity to the East Indiamen headquarters and his willingness to extend credit to the ships’ captains. Other brewers knew what he’d done and followed suit. They all knew that strong ale with high hop content would travel well. They all knew how to make October brewed stock bitter ale. Now, they all knew the secret. Put it aboard a ship and send it out to sea. Today’s IPA has little in common with Hodgson’s India Ale.  IPA is pale ale made with higher hop content and higher alcohol content. As a beer geek, you likely know that within the style IPA, there are huge variations.  Some IPAs are stronger than others are. Some are bitterer than others are. Some have a floral nose. Some do not. IPA is either copper colored, pale blond, or golden. Congratulations, it is now very, very likely that you know way more about IPA than any bozo sitting on a bar stool.

Thank the Cobra

http://beerfestivals.org

Duvel Draft

Duvel Draft - Info from Duvel Moortgat Posted by: Todd on Thursday - August 28, 2008 - 18:25 UTC Topic Origin: Beer News & Opinions

With all of the recent Duvel draft talk and Duvel Moortgat saying in the past that they'd never release Duvel in kegs, I figured I'd go to the source to get the 411. An official press release is in the works, but Duvel Moortgat told us that Duvel draft is indeed coming to the US very soon. Here's what we can divulge to everyone in BA-land: * The kegs are on their way. * The official public launch will be Oct 1 or the 15th, at 20 or so bars in NYC--followed by a wider release. This all depends when the ship arrives. * It could be pouring at The Return of the Belgian Beer Fest on Sep 27. * Duvel draft is not the Duvel Gefilterd "green lettering" version seen here:  http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/222/5962  , even though the branding shows that Duvel draft will have green lettering vs. red and seperate glassware. * Duvel draft is the same exact beer that goes into the bottle version. The only difference being that unlike the bottle, there will be no third fermentation in the keg, which means it's fermented only twice and will have a lower ABV (6.8%) as a result. Duvel goes through a primary fermentation and then a secondary fermentation in maturation vessels, the bottles go through a third (aka - bottle conditioning). * It sounds like the goal of this release is to compliment Duvel in the bottle by providing the same Duvel experience on draft, with a slightly easier to drink beer (less alcohol) that will hopefully introduce the Duvel brand to a whole new audience of consumers--like draft beer drinkers. So there you have it. You heard it here first and we'll post the official press release as soon as it's distributed. We're not sure if we're going to create a new entry for the beer though ... as it's the same beer. We'll make that call soon. Personally, I'm still a bit leery of their messing with such an iconic beer and experience, but I'll save my judgment for that first glass or pour at the fest. Cheers! Todd Founder & Chief Executive Advocate