TIPS FOR PUBLICANS ON SERVING A PERFECT PINT OF

TRIBUTE EVERY TIME  

AT THE BAR

CHECK YOUR BEER EVERY DAY. Pour off a small amount of beer and check it for aroma, clarity and taste. Even if you are not a beer drinker yourself, the reputation of your pub depends on serving top quality cask beer.

PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. Keep your pumps polished and pumpclips clean and straight. Always pour Tribute in a clean, dry and cool ‘Tribute’ branded glass. Use a sparkler if you like to generate a stable quarter inch head on the beer. Remember, drinkers drink with their eyes; if the beer looks good, you are half way there. Show your customers you take pride in your cask ale by taking pride in your bar and taking time to pour the perfect pint - everytime!.

CHECK THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BEER IN THE GLASS. It should be ‘cellar cool’, between 11 and 13 degrees C. Even without a thermometer, you can feel and taste if the beer is cool and appetising, without being over chilled. If your beer is too warm or too cool, you may have a fault with your cooling equipment.

WATCH AND LISTEN. Watch how your customer’s beer sits in the glass and listen to their comments. Is the beer crystal clear with no bubbles around the inside of the glass? Is the head steady and does it cling to the side of the glass as your customer drinks their beer? If not, you may have a problem with your glass washer. 90% of problems with beer presentation come down to inadequately clean glasses.

IN THE CELLAR

KEEP IT COOL. Check the temperature of your cellar every day. Cask beer should always be stored between 11 and 13 degrees C. Your ale python controller, if you have one, should be set between 7 and 9 degrees C. Check the water level regularly and top up with tap water if required.

KEEP IT CLEAN. Clean your beer lines using a recommended beer line cleaner at least once a week. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Do not use a chemical that is too strong or too weak, and ensure that you leave the lines to soak for the recommended period. Skimping on beer line cleaning may save you a pound or two in the short term, but will cost you customers in the long run!

CLEAN YOUR TAPS OR RODS using beer line cleaner every time you change them. Use a bottlebrush to clean the inside on the tap or rod; this is the area your beer comes into contact with. Thoroughly rinse off detergent after cleaning and store in a clean, dry place until needed.

DO NOT DISTURB. Stillage the beer in the place that it will be drawn as soon as possible, but a minimum of 24 hours before serving. Broach the cask and vent with a soft peg if necessary, until the beer has stopped fobbing. Then seal with a hard peg until needed. Tap the cask, or insert the extractor rod at least 12 hours before serving to allow any disturbance to re-settle. Remove the hard peg during service, but always re-seal by replacing the peg, or closing the vent at the end of a session.

CHECK THE BEER BEFORE SERVING. Pour off a quarter pint of beer, to clear yeast from the tap. Throw this away and then check the next quarter pint. Is it bright, clear and sparkly? Does it smell and taste good? If there is a problem, far better to stop it here than to wait for your customers to tell you!

ORDERING AND DELIVERY

DON’T STOCK TOO MANY CASK BEERS. You should always be able to sell a full cask of each beer brand in three days. It is better to sell two or three beers in perfect condition than stock four or five that are past their best.

DON’T OVER ORDER. Following delivery you should hold about ten days’ stock in your cellar.

STOCK TRIED AND TESTED BRANDS FIRST. Stock a well-known beer brand such as Tribute first. You know it will perform well in the cellar and it is easy to sell across the bar. You will build a solid cask ale business and, if trade allows, you can then experiment with unusual or lesser-known brands if you choose.

KEEP IT IN THE CELLAR. Cask beer should always be stored in a cool cellar. Beer that has become too warm or too cold will be difficult to settle and lack condition.

CHECK THE DATE. On delivery, make sure that you have sufficient time to sell the beer. Cask beer should be delivered at least 14 days before the ‘Best Before’ date.

ROTATE THE STOCK. Always use the oldest beer first.

TECH SERVICES: 0845 2411122 St Austell Brewery | 63 Trevarthian Road | St Austell | Cornwall | PL25 4BY www.tributeale.co.uk