Hygiene is a vital ingredient in the perfect pint

For some, the quest to find the perfect pint is a little like searching for the Holy Grail. You know it exists, you believe in its power to grant everlasting happiness, but trying to find it can prove problematic.

The 2018 Cask Report states that around one in three pints is estimated to have been served through dirty lines or at the incorrect temperature – despite the fact that sales of cask ale throughout the UK are rising.

All too often, a potentially great pint can be ruined by a poor hygiene routine, lack of temperature control or even presenting it in the wrong glass. Cask ale in particular is a sensitive soul and can be spoiled by being too warm, too cold, or if the air in the cellar is damp.

Having a good hygiene routine in place is a vital element of providing the very best quality draught beer and cider. This applies not only to the cellar but to the beer lines themselves. Line cleaning is a time-consuming and costly process but is essential if an outlet is to preserve its reputation for selling great beer.

The industry standard is that lines are cleaned every seven days to remove bacteriological deposits that build up when beer is pulled from a cask or keg. However, devices are available that can prolong this interval and therefore save licensees both time and money.

Innserve’s InnClean appliance is easy to use, clamping directly onto the beer python, where it emits an electro-magnetic field down the length of the line to significantly reduce the build-up of scale and bio-film, while killing 70% of bacteria.

Depending on the products and throughput, this enables the interval between line cleans to be extended by between three and five weeks – results which have been verified by the Brewery Research Institute – which in turn can save outlets up to ￡1,500 a year.

With Christmas now firmly on the horizon, now is the time for licensees to ensure their drinks dispense systems are functioning at their very best in order to cope with increased demand. When fresh faces are coming through the door, serving an excellent pint is one sure-fire way to convert new customers into regulars.