Draft equipment products.

New technologies for increased draft service efficiency

Multiplex Beer Master

Multiplex of St. Louis, MO, now offers the Beer Master, a draught beer dispensing system that comes in four different sizes to adapt to any long-draw draught application, from 20-foot runs to 450-foot runs from the walk-in to the bar. The units are housed in stainless-steel cabinets to prevent corrosion.

"Our systems will deliver beer from the walk-in cooler to the dispensing faucet at the same temperature as the keg in the walk-in or a couple of degrees cooler," says Timothy Caugh, product manager for beer systems at the Multiplex Co. "Our beverage bundle that houses the beer tubing is the only conduit in the industry that comes standard with one-inch thick Armaflex insulation."

The company does not manufacture keg boxes, but has recently developed a substitute called the DC150 direct chiller. "This is the first type of direct chiller developed in the industry that can be placed up to 30 feet away from the bar or point of dispense, that does not require a walk-in cooler," Mr. Caugh says. "If kegs are kept at ambient room temperatures, the DC150 will cool the beer down to 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit and keep it cool up to 30-feet away, where the beer is dispensed. his application eliminates the need for a walk-in cooler and recovers the valuable space under or on the bar where the traditional keg boxes and direct chillers are mounted."

Microstar manages kegs

Microstar of Redmond, WA, is a two-year-old company that specializes in managing kegs for small breweries. The company now has 45 clients and manages a float of nearly 85,000 kegs.

"The capital expenditure on kegs is normally 15-20% of a brewery's entire balance sheet or asset base," says Chris Sapyta, chief operating officer for Microstar. "Microstar provides an excellent vehicle for brewers to facilitate expansion, conserve capital and insure focus on the most important aspects of their business. Microstar allows the brewer to convert the real costs of draft beer to a measurable expense and eliminates the need for a brewer to spend any money on cooperage in the future."

Microstar buys a brewery's Sankey kegs at an agreed price, based on cost, manufacturer and age. At the time of purchase, Microstar sends representatives to a client brewery to mark kegs and make payment. As some kegs are certainly out in the trade, this process unfolds over a 180-day period. If the brewery has only Hoff-Stevens kegs, then the new Microstar client orders the kegs necessary to meet the brewer's production needs and Microstar delivers them.

Once the relationship with Microstar begins, the brewery simply advises the company of their keg needs 30 days in advance, and Microstar will deliver kegs accordingly.

"Microstar eliminates the need for a brewery to own its own kegs," Sapyta says, "and also tracks the kegs through the wholesaler system, retrieves and then delivers kegs to the brewery, assumes responsibility for any kegs lost at the wholesaler level, guarantees that a brewery has kegs when necessary and then converts existing Sankey keg inventory to cash."

Microstar is also investigating the possibility of developing a "keg cooperative" similar to that used by brewers in the United Kingdom. This coop was sponsored by Guinness in Europe to combat high keg losses, and Microstar believes that a similar effort would be helpful in the United States. "Microstar would like to sponsor a similar effort to attack the keg loss program," he says, "and we are interested in helping draft legislation to begin to address the loss that many brewers endure year after year."

Multiplex Beer Towers

Multiplex of St. Louis, MO, manufactures and sells a wide variety of draught towers. These units include beer column and tee towers with one to six faucets; brass, chrome or stainless finish. The company also sells beer pass-thin and mushroom towers with 6-10 faucets, also in stainless, brass or chrome finish. A variety of ceramic towers are also available (see photo) in 1-3 faucet round configurations and 4-6 faucet oval set-ups.

QuickChill Systems, Inc. presents the ArcticTap

Quickchill Systems, Inc. offers the ArcticTap, featuring stainless steel construction, plug-in installation, 115-volt, 60Hz. The unit is completely self-contained, with no plumbing or drain needed, and is set up for dual-product for multiple brand offerings.

According to Quickchill, "factory-balanced restriction insures clear product pours" and the company says ArcticTap is "built tough for years of trouble-free service."

ArcticTap does not rely on an ice bank, and faucets and a removable drip tray included.

The exterior dimensions of the unit are 14 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 27 inches high. And, as QuickChill points out, "The compact design allows for draft beer in the tightest spaces."

In terms of maintenance requirements, the exterior cabinet is food grade stainless steel, which Quickchill says creates "a neat sanitary dispenser, perfect for all restaurant/banquet applications."

All mechanical components are industry proven and require no maintenance, according to Quickchill, although the company recommends regular cleaning of beer lines.

The unit's dual product capability allows establishment to offer 2 styles of beer (for example, regular and/or light). The unit is designed for "universal brand acceptance" according to the company, which says "beer product-chilling capabilities are limited only by your imagination, the ArcticTap will chill virtually any brand of beer."

The unit is protected by a one year manufacturer's warranty, with a suggested retail price of $2,400 for the 1/2hp Model (CO2 cylinder, sankey taps, regulator and beer hose/fittings sold separately.)

CompuTap 2.0 from Multiplex

St. Louis, MO-based Multiplex offers the CompuTap 2.0, a system for managing draught beer systems. The CompuTap allows publicans to link their draught handles directly to personal computers to track sales. "The CompuTap 2.0 portion control valve with computerized key pad controls programs prices and size to be poured and accounts for every ounce that is dispensed from the valve," says Timothy Caugh, product manager-beer systems for Multiplex. "Portion control is simple for the bartender and accountability is assured for the manager."

All faucets can be programmed from a PC with Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, using Computap application software. Up to 999 faucets can be connected to a PC; The system can also directly interface with a cash register - and as the beer is poured the system rings up data automatically.

Data collected from every tap can be printed out in consolidated reports showing multiple timer periods and sizes for each station.

According to Multiplex, the system can track information on which brands are selling best, what sizes are most popular and which promotions are moving product.

Clean draught with BLM 2000

Precision Pour LLC of Chicago, IL, says brewers can keep draught beer "flowing brewery fresh" with the BLM 2000, an electro-mechanical beer line cleaner and maintainer. Recently being introduced to the US market, Precision Pour says that the BLM 2000 "has proven time and time again to eliminate the growth of yeast and bacteria while reducing beer waste and hazardous, environmentally unfriendly chemical use."

According to Precision Pour, the BLM 2000 System works by inducing signals into the beer line "to destroy the haven in which wild yeast and yeast spores reproduce to cause the beer to have an off-flavored taste."

McDantim Trumix Blender

According to McDantim of Helena, Montana, the McDantim Trumix gas blender mixes Co2 and nitrogen "on site" to give the precise blend(s) required to dispense beer in any type of bar without overcarbonating or allowing the beer to go flat. "It is the most economical source of mixed gas for beer dispense and can be used with any source of Co2 and nitrogen," the company says, "having many advantages over other gas mixers used for beer." The Trumix comes with a one-year money back guarantee. it is available in one and two blend models and is the only blender approved by Guinness.

For information, contact McDantim, Inc., P.O. box 818, Helena, Montana, 59624. tel: [phone].

Sabco Industries offers keg services

Sabco Industries of Toledo, OH, offers a variety of keg-related services. The company manufactures the MultiManual Keg Wash Station, a unit for cleaning one or two kegs simultaneously. Straight-sided or bung-style kegs can be cleaned using the machine, which features a thermostatically-controlled 50-gallon stainless holding tank with immersion heater. "The holding tank, combined with a large stainless basin and efficient all stainless steel pump motor are neatly packed within a heavy-duty baked enamel coated framework on four swivel casters for mobility," the company reports. "A nicely-arranged network of control valves make easy work of manual keg cleaning."

In addition, the company handles new keg sales, used keg sales, used container services and valve services. Sabco serves as a consultant for brewers on keg design and purchase decisions when it comes to new kegs. If used kegs are desired, Sabco reports that it hand-selects and volume purchases "only the most desirable used kegs."

Sabco's used containers services include keg "restoration" and valve reconditioning. "Containers that are out of service for any reason are the most expensive to own," the company notes, "and we use unique restoration methodology, not simply repair. Reconditioned stainless containers are returned to their original size, shape, shine and safety. Internal surface welds of many keg styles are reinforced and unwanted bacteria trapping roughness is removed. Stainless containers can then be acid cleansed to remove years of product "build up" and restore original luster."

AccuTrak from Multiplex

Accutrak, developed by the Multiplex Co. of St. Louis, MO, is an electronic measuring system that tracks the amount of beer dispensed from each faucet. Flowmeters for each keg account track each ounce dispensed at each faucet, and transmit data to a multiplexer, which then transmits data to a central controller. The controller can link up to 48 beer faucets for centralized programming and control, and can be attached to an AccuTrak narrow strip printer to produce reports.

The system does not require replacement of standard beer valves or towers - all equipment is mounted out-of-sight. "Typically, bars waste up to 25% of all the bear they buy," says Timothy Caugh, product manager for Multiplex. "AccuTrack allows bars to sell all the beer they buy, with no way to hide mistakes, freebies or waste. The real-time information that the system provides lets bar owners make faster, more accurate decisions on inventory levels, and helps accounts prevent cash tie-up in slow-moving items."

Keggy, the integrated dispenser

The Keggy is a beer package containing an integrated Co2 unit. Popular in Europe, it is now available in the United States as well. It is manufactured by Keggy Drink Systems GmbH in Neunkirchen, Germany.

At the brewery, keggy units can be cleaned thoroughly inside and out, and filled with beer. The dispensing unit is also filled at the brewery with 85 grams of liquid CO2, using a filling valve. When the beer is dispensed, Co2 in gaseous form flows into the Keggy via the dispenser head. At that point, a pressure regulator brings the high pressure of the Co2 down to that required for the type of beer in the keggy.

For the user, keggy is a simple package. There are no Co2 bottles with adjustable pressure regulators, no fittings, or any flow-cooling systems.