Draught Is My Craft: Troubleshooting Life from the Draught Technicians Perspective

          I hate the word "tap." And I get it; people aren't going to change. It's the word they have always used. That does not mean that I am going to stop fighting. Just because people keep doing it, doesn't make it okay. Examples: racism, spousal abuse, child abuse, slavery, sex trafficking, murder, using the word "decimate" where they mean annihilate, massacre, or obliterate, listening to Nickelback... All of these things still happen, even though we all know how wrong they are. Consider this an official warning: If you, the Beer professional, continue to use the noun "tap" in  my presence, I will do my best to berate and belittle you, in the presence of your peers and underlings.      For you non-professionals and Newbies, I can sense the confusion and shock as it falls across your faces. How does this little, utilitarian word envoke such white-hot rage in the heart of an otherwise kind person?  The thing is, some...

   There are certain... Personalities... that we come across, and have to deal with,  while working within the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industries. I find that there are about 4 main types but I would classify as our nemesis', or at the very least, our frenemies. These are the people that make our lives difficult, day after day. However, these are also the people who keep us employed, as they continue to ignore our advice, and our warnings, resulting in ever larger invoices.      Today I will introduce you to the first, whom I have named Gui(Ghee).  If you are unfamiliar with this French origin nickname, it is the short form of Guillaume. If you live in the Southern United States, you might be familiar with the Spanish version, Guillermo. I imagine there are many other derivatives, but the name is not actually important. You may call this guy whatever you like. I don't wish to be gender biased here, but in my personal experience, this pers...

  These are the rules that I follow, to guide the way in which I do this job. They have served me well. They have, and will continue to evolve. It may not even be a complete list, because after a while, some of the things we do are instinctual, and don't enter consciousness. I will try to revisit this list twice a year, and if I think of an addition or a tweak, I will put it in as soon as it comes to mind. I hope they serve you half as well as they have served me. 1. Always specify equipment capable of delivering 125% of Armageddon-level demand. Pretend St. Patrick's Day falls on Halloween, durring game 7 of a Stanly Cup final between the Leafs and the Penguins.  2. Whenever possible, pull two extra lines. 3. When estimating run lengths, labor hours,  or BTUs, Round up.  4. Drip trays are for drips, not dumps, pours, or send-backs. Only drips. Otherwise it would be called a pour tray.  5. When you are told over the phone that "the tap" is broken, it is never the...

At what temp should Draught be stored, and poured? This may not seem like a controversial subject, but for some reason, it is.  The issue is that the best temperature for tasting your beer often differs from the best temperature for pouring your beer. The bottom line is, beer that is properly carbonated needs to be below 40° f/4° c, to pour correctly. Some beers will even begin to act up at 39° f/3.5° c. Most literature on the subject says 38 degrees Fahrenheit or 3° c is your desired keg temperature. This is not false, nor is it entirely true.      Let me tell you what I think, and then defend it. Target your keg storage temperature for 2° c/ 36° f.      "That's too cold." drones Morgyn, who is my fictitious, archetype, Know-it-all.  This is mostly true, especially when you're talking about craft ales. Most experts will agree that the optimal flavor profile is found between 4° c/40° f and 7° c/48° f.. "But, what about light lagers,  Morgyn?"...

  As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, a lot of us have food on the brain. As well we should. When we are dealing with craft Brewers, and bar people, alone, it is never difficult to explain the concept of beer as food. Yet, for some strange reason, this is a difficult concept for chefs, and restaurant GM's to absorb, at times.    One great thing about this job is that you get to have the same conversation over and over again. "How is this great?", you might ask. It's great because you get to practice. How many times in your personal life have you walked away from an argument feeling like you've lost it, and an hour or so later thinking of the perfect retort. It is because we have the same arguments over and over, we get to develop the perfect retort in advance.      I will give you an example.  I was called to get a beer system running in a restaurant that was quite old, but had been purchased by a new owner. They were spending tens of thousa...