BeerTubes

Have you ever wondered how Beer is made?  It is an extremely scientific procedure to take multiple items like Hops, Yeast, Water and other items to make an extremely delicious beverage.  So if you have ever wondered how beer is made before it is poured into your beer tube (or beer tower),  Grant Wood (Sr. Brewing Master from Sam Adams) has made a very good video on the process for brewing beer.  Grant also discusses several different types of beer in the process.  So if you have ever wondered how brew starts before it hits that beer tube table top dispenser…click the link:

The Chemistry of Beer

Happy Learning !

First of all a Big Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us here at Beer Tubes. Since this is one of the major beer tube beveraging holidays across the land (having the NCAA Basketball games helps to), we figure there may not be many folks working today.  If you are we compiled several beer “facts and factoids” to get you through the day and to 5:00 … in case you ever wondered:

• The first consumer protection law ever written was enacted over beer by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. It was a purity law limiting the ingredients of beer to barley, hops and water.
• Tegestology is what collecting beer mats is called.
• Beer is the second most popular beverage in the world, coming in behind tea.
• Pabst Beer is now called Pabst Blue Ribbon beer because it was the first beer to win a blue ribbon at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
• To get rid of the foam at the top of beer (the head), stick your fingers in it.
• Monks brewing beer in the Middle Ages were allowed to drink five quarts of beer a day.
• Bavaria still defines beer as a staple food.
• To keep your beer glass or mug from sticking to your bar napkin, sprinkle a little salt on the napkin before you set your glass down.
• The oldest known written recipe is for beer.
• The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because of beer. They had planned to sail further south to a warm climate, but had run out of beer on the journey.
• Anheuser-Busch is the largest brewery in the US.
• The longest bar in the world is the 684 foot long New Bulldog in Rock Island, IL.
• The powers that be at Guinness say that a pint of beer is lifted about ten times, and each time about 0.56 ml is lost in a beer drinker’s facial hair. That’s a lot of wasted beer!
• As of 2001, 62% of Americans reported using a designated driver at least once.
• Molson, Inc. is the oldest brewery in North America.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected in 1932 because of his promise to end Prohibition.
• The first United States Marine Recruiting Station was in a bar.
• The first brewery in America was built in Hoboken, NJ in 1642.
• In 1935 the canned beer industry was revolutionized by a vinyl plastic liner developed for cans made out of tin.
• The movie The Shawshank Redemption got their period beer containers wrong. The prisoners on the roof drank beer out of bottles in the 1930s, when beer was canned until many years later.
• Tossing salted peanuts in a glass of beer makes the peanuts dance.
• Samuel Adams Triple Bock is the strongest beer in the world with 17% alcohol by volume. The strength is achieved by using champagne yeast.
• In Japan, beer is sold in vending machines, by street vendors and in the train stations.
• Bourbon is the official alcohol of the United States, by an act of Congress. Many people have attempted to have that overturned in favor of beer instead throughout the years.
• Many actors started out as bartenders: Sandra Bullock, Bruce Willis, Tom Arnold, Chevy Chase, Kris Kristofferson and Bill Cosby are a few of these.
• American beer is made mostly by rice, unlike the beers of other countries. This was invented to give American beer a lighter taste and tap into the market of women buyers.
• Michelob was invented during a brewer’s strike in the 1930s from a recipe tossed together by the untrained workers left behind to run the brewery. It was so bad local taverns tossed their delivered barrels in the gutter until the streets ran with beer. When the strike was over, the brewery didn’t want to lose all that beer, no matter how bad, so they repackaged it and sold it as Michelob.
• Beer is a source of B- complex vitamins.
• If you collect beer bottles your are a labeorphilist.
• The portable beer cooler was invented in Australia in the 1950s.
• The ‘33’ on a bottle of Rolling Rock was originally a printer’s error. It refers to the 33 words in the original slogan. It has generated enough mystery over the years that the company left it in the label.

And naturally if you are looking to be the life of your party at the bar or restaurant … make sure you fill up a beer in the hottest way to keep beer cold … a beer tube (‘table top beer tower’ for those that are anti-tube name calling).  Have a safe and happy day!

David Stein

While we never got in the Beer Tube/Beer Tower business to get recognition, it is nice to have folks send you compliments and stories that are written about your products.  Please keep sending them our way as we love to hear about how folks are using them in the bar, restaurant and hotel world.  I am reposting a story that ran January 11, 2011 from the Hotel F&B edition mentioning beer tubes and how they use them to sell a great GModelo/Crown Imports brand in Modelo Especial.  Please keep the stories coming …

“The National Pastime Sports Bar and Grill at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, has been treating guests with Modelo Especial beer tubes since football season started last September. The tubes hold 100 ounces, stand 30 inches tall, and feature interchangeable sports bases. Up to four people can serve themselves from each tube.

“On Sundays, you can see several of the tubes in our bar with buddies pouring their own beer right at the tables,” says Brian Pillard, National Pastime’s general manager. “Everyone who sees the tubes wants to know what they are; they really do sell themselves.”

Pillard adds that the Modelo Especial brand is fast becoming popular with his clientele. The customers enjoy the rich, full-flavored, pilsnerstyle taste.

“Sometimes imports can be too heavy for many people,” he says, “but this is an easy beer for us to sell. It’s the number three imported beer in America.”

Pillard gives the tubes high marks, claiming they allow guests to keep their glasses full, and servers–or “stars” as they are called at National Pastime–can spend more time engaging with guests with fewer trips back and forth to the bar for refills. —MP”

Starts with the perfect condition beer is in for your home keg or bar/restaurant.  The following are Draught Fact direct from MillerCoors.  So when you are pouring beer into your beer tube from the tap … make sure you follow these tips/facts to ensure a perfect pour each time.

(These tips are also if you are pouring beer direct into glassware instead of a table top beer tower  Beer Tube …even though we prefer it to be a tube!)

If I have a problem … what can it be?

• 80% of the time the issue is Temperature & Pressure (note: if pressure & temperature are not set properly, foaming will occur, also flow rates will be impacted.
• 20% of the time the problem is: Equipment Related

Temperature:

• Storage Temperature at Distributor: 33 degrees F to 40 degrees F
• Delivery to Account – No greater then 50 degrees — 40 degrees F or less is IDEAL
• Cooler Temperature at Bar/Restaurant: 38 degrees or less (liquid temperature)
• Liquid Beer Temperature at Faucet: 38 degrees F
• Cooling System (glycol): 30-33 degrees F
• Glassware – Cool/Cold — NOT FROZEN – use Beer-Clean glass

Beer Fact:

Temperature of beer in a keg raises 1 degree in 1 hour … it takes TWO hours to lower the temperature of beer in a keg 1 degree.

Pressure Facts:

• Pressure settings for a “Direct Draw” systems based on altitude and temperature using 100% CO2 should range between 14-20 psi.
• A system using Blended Gas (60% co2/40% N) should have a gauge setting of 20-25 psi

FACT:  DO NOT USE COMPRESSED AIR (air compressor)

Flow Rate Facts

• Ideal flow rate is 2 ounces of beer poured every 2 seconds
• Do the Math:  Pouring a 16oz glass should take you 8 seconds.  Start the clock the second you open the tap until you turn the faucet off.  Adjust your flow rate accordingly.  A perfect “beer tower”/beer tube pour will take 50 seconds ! 
• Pretty quick to get an entire table of thirsty drinkers the perfect beer tube pour in less then a minute!

Line Cleaning Facts:

• Cleaning Lines and Faucets is critical to maintaining draught quality.  Foaming will occur if lines are NOT properly cleaned.  Cleaning shall be performed with approved chemicals on a regular basis per Draught Policy Guidelines (Brewers Association Guidelines)
• Draught systems MUST be cleaned every 2 weeks (14 days)  — prolonged intervals can increase beer foam and taste quality

Hope these little facts about beer pouring/draft quality help.  Let us know if you have any questions !

Changing the way you drink draft beer ….One tube at a time.

David Stein, President

BeerTubes.com

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Table top drink dispensers …who would think that a Beer Tube could bring so much excitement during the holidays.  When we started this “business” 5 years ago we never thought of all the fun people would have especially during this time of year.  It has been a great month of December talking to fans whom are purchasing their Beer Tubes in order to have Santa surprise a happy new beer tube drinker.  So that being said we ask …what’s in a name. 

People call the Beer Tube such names as Beer Tower, Drink Tube, Drink Tower, Super Beer Tower, Super Tube and so on … but the one thing is for sure … when you buy a ‘Beer Tube’ (or beer tower, drink tube, drink tower or what ever name you prefer) from BeerTubes.com you are assured of the highest quality version in the market.

During this time a year people are looking to get their special beer drinker a unique gift and folks ask us all the time … “What makes your beer tower table top drink dispensers different from the other versions we found on the internet?”.  Well … it’s all in the name.  Yes …you can go out and purchase another company’s tube …but a Beer Tube brand tube gives you:  top tier materials used making it the highest quality in the market, the only BPA free tube material in the market, 25+ unique designs (Some for Sports Fans and design for the classic beer tube fan) so there is something for any beer lover, interchangeable/replaceable parts if ever needed and most importanly …Team Beer Tubes standing behind the product 100%.  We pride ourselves in answering your phone calls, returning messages very promptly in case we are away and returning those emails as well.

So what’s in a name.  Beer Tubes mean quality …fun and a great product.  What’s in the name Prime Chancellor?  Well …didn’t you always watch movies like Star Wars or some other Sci Fi movie and wonder why people don’t use those titles?  I always thought it would be cool to have a name/title other than your standard ones…. so …Prime Chancellor of Beer Tubes it is! What’s in a name …Fun …

Happy Holidays and thanks to all our loyal customers.  We look forward to hearing from you .  Here’s to a great Holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Prime Chancellor … David Stein