It’s an old saying, but it’s true. It’s impossible to beat the flavour of a cold one from the tap. Draft beer offers the finest overall experience, provided the bar staff is knowledgeable, and the draught lines are regularly cleaned. So why is the big question? Why is it that a keg is superior to a bottle or can? There must be a reason why draught beer is superior.
Several variables combine to give draught beer its superior level of flavour integrity. The experts say the noticeable difference between canned and bottled beer and draught beer is due to the carbonation process, the length of time the beer is exposed to light, the temperature at which it is stored, and the amount of light that penetrates the beverage.
The simple explanation is that newer food tastes better, yet this only scratches the surface. However, the quality of draught beer varies widely depending on several circumstances, making bottled or canned beer a viable alternative.
The efficiency with which the brewery is run, the quality of the beer, and the clarity of the beer lines are all factors. The following will explain why draught beer is better in most cases.
Drinking Draft
The simple fact is that draught beer tastes better in a well-run pub or restaurant. Professionals advise patrons to visit establishments that have enough staffing levels and a consistent level of foot traffic. You can also enquire as to the regularity of their draught line cleanings.
When the bartender gives you a puzzled look, suggest you switch to a can or bottle. However, if you have your system, you can readily dispel any uncertainty.
Freshness
Draft beer is prefered over bottled or canned beer because of its superior freshness. In a word, it changes the flavour drastically. Thus, it is generally accepted that keg-served beer will be superior in quality and freshness to bottled beer.
When the pressure and temperature are kept at the right levels, the draught beer will remain good for a long time. Draft beer’s unique flavour stands out when these conditions are met.
About 45-60 days is the average shelf life for unpasteurized draught beer, while 90-120 days is the average for pasteurised beer. In the process of brewery management, the majority of breweries now imprint a freshness date on the top or side of each keg as a quality control measure. The beer in a tapped keg will go stale in about three to seven days. In light of this, please ensure that the beer is served as soon as possible when it is delivered to the bar.
However, pressure plays a significant role in maintaining freshness. Beer stays fresh and carbonated from the keg to the glass, thanks to pressure. The beer flow rate is affected by both high and low pressure. Under excessive pressure, beer rushes out of the tap with excessive foam.
It’s possible to make mistakes when manually regulating the environment’s temperature and pressure. What’s more, it may affect the standard of your service negatively. Now, with Pubinno Smart Taps, you may know instantly if the keg is stale or if there is a problem with the pressure. In this manner, you can guarantee that the draught beer your customers get is always at its peak of freshness.
Pasteurisation
Draft beer is typically not pasteurised. Instead, heating liquids to temperatures over their bacteria-resistance threshold is a procedure known as pasteurisation. Because beer is often stored for extended periods in bottles and cans, where temperatures can fluctuate widely, pasteurisation is required to ensure that it is safe to drink when the bottle or can is finally opened.
On the other hand, draught beer is kept at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit throughout its journey to the bar. Pasteurisation, which involves heating the liquid to around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, does alter the taste of your beer.
Temperature
Beer is best served at a specific temperature, but maintaining that temperature throughout the glass is just as important. Bottled beer can’t tell you how many times it’s gone in and out of the fridge because of the bottle’s opaque label. Due to temperature fluctuations, you may find that your beer matures much more quickly than intended.
One must also maintain a constant temperature when serving draught beers. That’s why monitoring your beer kegs’ temperature is important and not losing track of them once they’ve been put away. By keeping the temperature constant, spoilage is avoided. This makes them superior to bottled beers in terms of flavour and freshness.
Time
For beer drinkers, fresher is better, especially those who enjoy IPAs and other hop-forward styles. In order to provide their patrons with the highest quality beer possible, responsible bar owners will usually only order enough kegs to last them through the week.
When you pick up a six-pack of beer at the corner store, the bottles or cans may be many months old. Since oxidation spoils most beers over time, drought has a significant benefit. Asking the bartender what new kegs have been delivered is a great way to upgrade your drinking experience, as suggested by both bar owners and brewers.
Pressure
When it comes to maintaining freshness, pressure plays a key role. In a keg, the pressure maintains the beer’s freshness and carbonation.
The quality of the pour changes depending on the pressure used. When the pressure in the beer line is too high, froth forms, and bubbles and air pockets form when it is too low.
Making a mistake when manually regulating the environment’s temperature and pressure is possible. What’s more, it has the potential to degrade the standard of the service you provide. Hence, the use of automatic beer taps by some individuals and establishments.
Light
You’ve had a “skunked” beer if you ever chose a nice, foreign wheat beer off the bottom shelf at Bevmo only to find that it was bitter or rancid. This occurs when ultraviolet (UV) radiation penetrates glass, and it is most prevalent in bottles with lighter hues. You can completely prevent this by selecting a keg or a can instead. There are very few see-through beer bottles. This isn’t just a design quirk; it was done on purpose.
Beer exposed to light has a higher risk of becoming bad or developing a skunky aroma and taste. Therefore, beer bottles are typically made of tinted glass to prevent off flavours from permeating the beverage.
To sum up, beer tastes terrible when served at room temperature but terrible when served light. This is why beer bottles are always dark and not clear, to prevent harmful UV rays from reaching the drink within. The beer in a draught system has already been placed in a container and atmosphere that prevents it from being damaged by the sun.
Draft beer doesn’t need to be protected from the light because it’s already stored in an appropriate container/environment. However, beer in bottles is constantly at risk of being exposed to light during travel.
When a beer is poured from a tap, that is the only time it will ever see the light of day. There is no way for ultraviolet light to degrade the flavour of beer stored in a keg. Only when it’s poured into a glass does draught beer see the light of day.
It’s not like bottled beer, which can degrade from exposure to the sun. Even if beer is stored in darker bottles, this can occur. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are detrimental to your beer because they destroy the cells responsible for the beer’s flavour. It’s a big reason why draught beer is more popular than bottled beer.
Carbonation
Beer is included in the category of beverages. One of the reasons you like the flavour of draught beer at your favourite bar so much is this. See, the draught lines’ pressure is what moves the beer from the keg to the tap. The carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) required to achieve this pressure give your beer its faint fizz and larger froth head.
Pouring Strategies
The technique for pouring from a keg tap is unique in comparison to that used for bottles and cans. As a result, the beer’s flavour and texture may be altered noticeably depending on how you pour it.
A lot of the CO2 is taken out of the beer as it goes through the line and exits the valve or spout before it reaches the glass, which makes for a mellower taste.
This is in contrast to bottled beer, which is poured in shorter, more rapid bursts by an automatic system, trapping more carbon dioxide inside. The beer is more likely to get increasingly bitter as a result of this.
This may be a good argument for you to stick to buying beer in bottles or cans if you’re a fan of the bitter variety. However, if you are searching for a more refined and flavorful drinking experience, draught is the way to go.
Conclusion
The higher flavour integrity of draught beer results from some factors coming together. Draft beer is more popular than packaged beer because of its greater freshness. Customers should only patronise businesses with sufficient personnel and regular customer flow, say experts. Unpasteurized draught beer has a shelf life of about 45-60 days, while pasteurised draught beer has a lifespan of 90-120 days. Beer’s freshness and carbonation rely heavily on pressure from the keg to the glass.
Pubinno Smart Taps give you fast feedback on the freshness of your keg and the stability of the pressure. Beer in a keg keeps its carbonation and freshness because of the pressure inside. When serving draught beers, it’s important to keep the temperature stable. In order to improve your drinking experience, you should enquire about what new kegs have been delivered by the bartender. All the beer in a tap will only ever be consumed at the moment it is poured.
There is no need to shield draught beer from the light because it is kept in a dark container. Beer in bottles, however, is always at risk of being exposed to light on the way to its destination. Furthermore, pouring from a keg tap differs from pouring from a bottle or can. Consequently, the beer’s taste and texture may be noticeably altered based on the method you pour it.
Content Summary
- Draft beer offers the finest overall experience, provided the bar staff is knowledgeable, and the draught lines are regularly cleaned.
- Why is it that a keg is superior to a bottle or can?
- There must be a reason why draught beer is superior.
- The following will explain why draught beer is better in most cases.
- The simple fact is that draught beer tastes better in a well-run pub or restaurant.
- Draft beer is prefered over bottled or canned beer because of its superior freshness.
- Thus, it is generally accepted that keg-served beer will be superior in quality and freshness to bottled beer.
- About 45-60 days is the average shelf life for unpasteurized draught beer, while 90-120 days is the average for pasteurised beer.
- In any case, the beer in a tapped keg will go stale in about three to seven days.
- In light of this, please ensure that the beer is served as soon as possible when it is delivered to the bar.
- However, pressure plays a significant role in maintaining freshness.
- Beer stays fresh and carbonated from the keg to the glass, thanks to pressure.
- Draft beer is typically not pasteurised.
- Due to temperature fluctuations, you may find that your beer matures much more quickly than intended.
- One must also maintain a constant temperature when serving draught beers.
- That’s why it’s so important to monitor your beer kegs’ temperature and not lose track of them once they’ve been put away.
- By keeping the temperature constant, spoilage is avoided.
- In a keg, the pressure maintains the beer’s freshness and carbonation.
- There are very few see-through beer bottles.
- To sum up, beer tastes terrible when served at room temperature but terrible when served light.
- The beer in a draught system has already been placed in a container and atmosphere that prevents it from being damaged by the sun.
- Draft beer doesn’t need to be protected from the light because it’s already stored in an appropriate container/environment.
- However, beer in bottles is constantly at risk of being exposed to light during travel.
- Only when it’s poured into a glass does draught beer see the light of day.
- It’s not like bottled beer, which can degrade from exposure to the sun.
- The sun’s ultraviolet rays are detrimental to your beer because they destroy the cells responsible for the beer’s flavour.
- It’s a big reason why draught beer is more popular than bottled beer.
- Beer is included in the category of beverages.
- One of the reasons you like the flavour of draught beer at your favourite bar so much is this.
- See, the draught lines’ pressure is what moves the beer from the keg to the tap.
- The technique for pouring from a keg tap is unique in comparison to that used for bottles and cans.
- As a result, the beer’s flavour and texture may be altered noticeably depending on how you pour it.
FAQs About Draft Beer
Does Draft Beer Taste Better Than Regular Beer?
If you go to your local pub and order a draft beer from the bartender, you may notice that it tastes a little different from the canned or bottled beer you are used to drinking back home. Not only are you correct, but many believe that draft beer has a greater taste and flavour than canned beer.
What Is The Best Way To Drink A Draft Beer?
Take, for example, the fact that every time you drink a draft beer, it will be from an open cup. This is because open cups do a far better job delivering the full flavour to your palette than bottles.
Is Fresh Beer Better For You?
Freshly brewed beer may make a difference in flavour and strength, especially if you prefer drinking a particular style of beer, such as an Indian Pale Ale. However, over time, the power of these rich tastes diminishes significantly compared to the original flavour. This is why you’ll find most IPAs and comparable varieties of beer in bottles unless the establishment is known for serving them on draft exclusively.
Why Does Draft Beer Taste Better Than Canned?
There is no exposure to light. Beer becomes bitterer than planned as a result of light reacting with the hops in the brewing process. As a result, beers served in transparent or light-coloured glass ″skunk″ more quickly than those served in brown bottles. The advantage of draft beer is that you have greater control over the flavour until it is offered to your guests.
Why Does Beer Taste Better In A Bottle?
Because beer cans are designed to prevent exposure to light and air, the beer inside remains fresh and tasty for a longer time. However, the prolonged exposure of beer to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes oxidation and the development of an unpleasant ″skunky″ taste in the beverage. Glass bottles block some light, but not all of it.