The place you work might have some beer in a bottle and others on tap. Serving beer on tap is easy and simple, but don’t make a very common and pretty gross mistake.

pouring by [cipher] on flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Primary reading material for this section was found in Pouring the Perfect Beer. (MicroMatic moved the article on their website. I contacted them and I’ll update this link when it’s fixed.) Other reading material was found in the Glastender operation manual, and Draught Beer Quality Manual.

Pouring a beer

It’s pretty easy to pour “the perfect beer.” Although it seems like a lot when it’s written out, I’m sure you’ll have it down after you do it a few times.

First, test the glassware to see if it’s “beer clean.” As you pour the beer you can also check for beer clean glass. If bubble stick to the inside of the glass, you know it’s not clean.

Second, hold the glass at a 45-degree angle, about one inch (2.5 cm) below the beer faucet. Do not touch the glass to the faucet. The faucet might have old dried beer, which would contaminate the beer clean glass.

With your hand near the base of the tap handle, open the faucet all the way, in one quick motion. If you open the faucet part way, the beer will foam too much. Positioning your hand near the base of the tap handle reduces the distance your hand much travel, so it allows you to open the faucet more quickly.

Let the beer fall down the side of the glass.

When the glass is half-full, tilt the glass upright so that the beer pours down the middle. This helps create the right amount of foam.

When the foam reaches the top of the glass, quickly close the faucet in one quick motion. Do not waste beer by letting foam or beer pour over the side. Do not let the faucet come in contact with the beer.

We learned in the previous lesson that the proper thickness for the foam head is 1 inch (2.5 cm) of foam, except Weizen or Belgian Ales, which should have 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of foam.

Pouring a draft beer on nitro requires a slight variation in the process:

1. Hold the glass at 45-degree angle
2. Pull tap all the way open
3. When the glass is three-fourths full, set the glass down and let it settle for 1-2 minutes.
4. Pour down the middle of the glass to form the right amount of foam.

So that’s it! Nothing to pouring the perfect beer. I think the main thing is, just don’t be timid—open the tap all the way so you don’t get too much foam.

And never allow the faucet to come in contact with the beer. A common mistake I see is when the server holds the glass to close to—or touching—the faucet, then they fill the beer all the way up, with the faucet dipping into the foam. Now the faucet is wet with beer—it gets sticky, attracts flies and microorganisms. And is pretty gross.

Excellent beer service starts well before pouring. Storage temperature, clean glassware, and other details provide the customer with an outstanding experience culminating in the perfect pour. But our work doesn’t end there.

Changing a keg (same product)

When the keg is empty you might be the person to replace it with a new one. The following procedures describe how to change a keg with the same product. If you want to put a different kind of beer on the same tap, you’ll need to flush the lines.

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First, remember that the keg must be chilled prior to serving. There’s a lot of liquid in a keg, it takes a long time to cool. Put the keg into refrigeration 24 hours prior to serving.

Most kegs in the U.S. use the “Sankey” system. The Glastender operations manual has some illustrative photos describing these next steps.

First, grip the coupler handle and pull out. Next swing the handle up to disengage the coupler.

Turn the coupler counterclockwise 1/4 turn and lift it from the neck of the keg. (“Righty tighty, lefty loosy.”)

To install a new keg, just do it backwards. Put the coupler on the neck of the keg and turn it 1/4 turn clockwise to engage it. (“Righty tighty, lefty loosy.”) Grip the coupler handle and swing in down until it snaps into position.

If you’re using a long-draw system, there might also be a foam-on-beer (FOB) detector. This needs to be reset after each new keg is installed. Usually, the FOB is reset by venting it to release the foam and gas from the chamber.

So now we finally know how to serve a beer.

Next we’re going to get into Part II of the Certified Beer Server syllabus: Beer Styles.

I’m pretty excited.

I know some about the basic beer styles, but the syllabus seems a bit more extensive than my intermediate beer knowledge.

I guess it’s like what they say with wine: If you want to learn about beer, drink beer. If you want to learn more about beer, drink more beer.

Friend me on Untappd to see what I’m checking in.

Flashcards for this section

Based on the reading materials mentioned and my notes above, here are my flashcards for this section.

At what angle should you hold the glass under the tap faucet?

Hold the glass at a 45-degree angle until half-full, then hold it upright.

How do you pour a beer on nitro?

Hold the glass at a 45-degree angle until three-fourths full, then let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

Pour down the middle of the glass to form the right amount of foam.

How far from the tap faucet should you hold the glass?

Hold the glass about one inch (2.5 cm) below the faucet.

How far should you open the tap?

Open the tap all the way.

When should you let the faucet touch the glass?

Never let the faucet touch the glass.

When should you let the faucet become submerged in beer?

Never let the faucet become submerged in beer.

At what point should you shut off the tap?

Shut off the tap when the foam gets to the top of the glass.

Don’t let foam or beer pour over the side, it wastes beer.

Which direction does the coupler handle move to disengage from the keg?

The coupler handle moves out and up to disengage.

Which direction does the coupler turn to remove it from the keg?

Turn the coupler 1/4-turn counterclockwise to disengage it from the keg.

How is a keg coupler engaged?

Place the coupler on the neck of the keg.

Turn it 1/4-turn clockwise.

Swing the handle down until it snaps into place.

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The customer has chosen a beer that you carry in a bottle. Good beer service for bottled beer starts with storage and carries through to actually presenting the glass to the customer. In addition to storage and presentation, there are best practices for opening a bottle, and pouring the beer into a glass. All of it is important for excellent bottle service.

Pouring a wheat beer by Clemens V. Vogelsang on flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Peculiarly, the Cicerone® Certification Program’s list of free study resources doesn’t show anything pertaining to this section. I’ll followed mostly just the syllabus to learn about serving bottled beer.

For the part about storage temperatures, I read from Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher.

Prepare for service

Serving bottled beer starts before the customer even enters the bar. For excellent beer service, the bottles should be stored properly.

Bottle conditioned beer, should be stored upright. This lets the dead yeast and other particulates settle to the bottom of the bottle. Be gentle when you gab the bottle, you don’t want to stir it all up.

Remember from lesson 005, that beer is best consumed fresh. For professional beer service, we’re probably not talking about storing beer for super long periods of time. If you’re interested in Beer Advocate’s advice on storing beer for prolonged periods, you can read this article.

Also, from lesson 005, we know to refrigerate beer so it stays fresh longer. Now we must understand that different beer styles should be stored at different temperatures.

If possible, have different coolers set to different temperatures:

35° F (1° C) – Domestic and specialty lagers

45° F (7° C) – Specialty ales (slightly warmer for English-style ales)

50-55° F (10-12° C) – Real ale (cask ale)

Otherwise, just store all of your beer at 43° F (6° C) or less.

Examine bottle

Before you open the bottle, give it a visual inspection. Look through the glass.

If you see white-flakes (like snowflakes), the beer is old. Do not serve beer that has white flakes inside.

If you see a ring of gunk around the glass at the surface of the beer, the beer is old. Do not serve beer that has a ring of gunk around the inside of the bottleneck.

Look for yeast at the bottom of the bottle. Generally you want to pour the beer subtly, so that the yeast remains inside the bottle. Weissbier is an exception, when serving Weissbier you can pour the yeast out with the beer.

Sometimes the customer will request that the yeast be poured with the beer. If the customer requests that you pour the yeast, don’t get nuts. You don’t need to shake the bottle too much. Gently rouse the yeast by swirling, rolling, or inverting the bottle.

Opening bottle: twist off, pry off, cork, combo

When you’re ready to open the bottle of beer, there are different approaches based on the type of seal:

1. Twist-off cap
2. Pry-off cap
3. Cork
4. Combo: cork and cap

Twist-off cap

If the bottle of beer has a twist-off cap, go ahead and twist off the cap by hand.

Be careful not to cut your hand on the sharp edges of the bottle cap.

You can use a napkin to help grip the cap and to protect your hand.

Pry-off cap

If the bottle of beer has a pry-off cap, it’s best to use a bottle opener that has a bar at least 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) wide. Using a bottle opener with a narrower bar risks breaking the bottle during opening.

Pry the cap off in one, smooth motion.

Mushroom cork

Bottles of beer that are sealed with a mushroom cork will also have a metal cage to prevent the cork from popping out from the pressure.

Handle the bottle gently to prevent the yeast and particulates from being roused off the bottom of the bottle. Rough handling can also make the beer volatile (pop when you open the bottle, or cause excessive foam).

Untwist the cage by hand and remove it.

Now remove the cork by hand. Practice cork safety—point the cork away from people while opening.

Sometimes those little corks are slippery to the hand and sticky to the bottle. You can use a napkin to help grip the cap.

Combo: cork and cap

Occasionally, you will serve a bottle of beer that is sealed with both a cork and cap.

First remove the cap. Then use a corkscrew to remove the cork.

After opening the beer, there a few things to do before serving the beer to the customer.

First, don’t throw away the cork or the cap. You should always present the cork to the customer. You should present the cap to the customer when serving a rare, unusual, or new beer.

Next, check the lip of the bottle for broken or damaged glass. Do not serve beer from a bottle with broken or damaged glass.

Also check the lip for: rust from the cap, dried beer, or yeast. These things could affect the flavor of the beer.

Pouring bottled beer

Finally, we’re ready to pour the beer into a glass. In lesson 7 we learned how to select the proper glass.

Hold the glass at a 45-degree angle. Pour the beer down the side of the glass until the glass is half full.

When the glass is half full, tilt the glass upright and continue pouring down the middle, directly onto the beer. This helps create the head of foam.

The perfect head is 1 inch (2.5 cm) of foam. Weizen and Belgian styles of ales should be poured with 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of foam.

Some beers have yeast or sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Take care to not pour the yeast out with the beer. While pouring, watch the yeast as it moves closer to the top of the bottle. Stop pouring before the yeast falls out.

As described above, for some types of beer, it is customary to pour yeast. When in doubt, ask the customer whether she wants you to pour the yeast with the beer.

Cool! We know how to provide excellent beer service with bottled beer. Let’s talk about excellent beer service with draft beer. Then we’re all done with Part I of the Certified Beer Server syllabus.

Flashcards for this section

Based on the reading materials mentioned and my notes above, here are my flashcards for this section.

What is the proper angle for storing a bottle of beer?

Store bottled beer upright.

What is the proper temperature for storing bottled beer?

35° F (1° C) for lagers

45° F (7° C) for ales (slightly warmer for English ales)

50-55° F (10-12° C) for real ale (cask ale)

Otherwise, 43° F (6° C) or less.

2 visual signs of bad beer

1. White flakes
2. A ring of gunk inside the bottleneck

For what style of beer should yeast be poured?

Weissbier is traditionally poured with the yeast.

All others, keep the yeast inside the bottle unless the customer asks for it.

How should yeast be poured with beer?

Gently rouse the yeast by swirling, rolling, or inverting the bottle.

4 basic types of bottle seals

1. Twist-off cap
2. Pry-off cap
3. Mushroom cork
4. Combo: cork and cap

What size bottle opener should be used for pry-off caps?

The bar should be at least 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) wide to prevent breaking the bottle.

2 considerations when opening beer that is sealed with mushroom cork

1. Handle gently to not rouse the yeast or make the beer volatile.
2. Point the cork away from people when opening.

How should you remove the cork from a bottle that is sealed with cap and cork?

Use a corkscrew.

What should you do with the cork or cap after opening a bottle of beer?

Always present the cork to the customer.

Present the cap to the customer when serving a rare, unusual, or new beer.

4 things you should look for in the lip of the beer bottle

1. Broken or damaged glass
2. Rust from the cap
3. Dried beer
4. Yeast

How should you hold the glass while pouring beer?

Hold the glass at a 45-degree angle until half-full, then hold it upright.

What is the proper thickness for the foam head?

1 inch (2.5 cm) of foam.

2-4 inches (5-10 cm) for Weizen or Belgian ales.

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Providing great beer service starts even before you meet the customer. Great beer service requires great beer, of course. To make sure that the beer you’re serving is the best that it can be, be sure that you properly store all of your beer at all times.

beer by Mary-Frances Main on flickr (CC BY 2.0)

I couldn’t really find any suggested reading material on this topic. The actual Certified Beer Server syllabus has some details about what to know for this section. My notes below elaborate on the syllabus section about beer storage.

Beer is best consumed fresh

Beer is a natural food product. Ingredients are heated to sterilizing temperatures during the brewing process, and hops are a preservative. But a beer won’t last as long as a Twinkie.

Beer is best consumed while it’s still fresh. Fermentation has already taken place at the brewery. Carbonation has occurred, either force-carbonated in the bright tank or bottle conditioned. So by the time the beer leaves the brewery, it’s ready to drink.

My friends laughed at me when I said that I was saving some beers to age. But some beers can be kept for aging. Very strong beers (high in ABV) or beers with strong flavors age best.

Age beer in a cool dark place for a few months or even years, and see how it evolves. I think it’s kind of fun.

But for the most part, serve beer while it’s fresh.

Freshness can be preserved and enhanced by wholesaler and retailer actions

There are some methods to ensure beer stays fresh before you serve it.

• Rotate inventory
• Store beer properly
• Serve beer properly (draft beer should use CO2, not air)

Rotate inventory

Obviously newer beer is fresher than older beer. Train the staff to sell all of the beers you offer. If you have a product that is not encouraged or promoted, it will sit on the shelf until it’s no longer fresh.

Stock new shipments behind or underneath product that is already in stock or in the cooler. Don’t put it on top or in front of existing stock.

Dated beer – Keep track of shipment dates. Serve beer in the order of the date on the label. Get rid of any beers that are expired.

Undated beer – If there are no dates on the product, serve beer in the order of the shipment date.

Draft – Non-pasteurized draft beer can last 45-60 days (1 1/2 to 2 months) in refrigeration. Pasteurized draft beer can last 90-120 days (3-4 months) in refrigeration.

Bottled – Bottled beer lasts much longer than draft beer. Bottles can be kept for up to 6 months refrigerated. If it’s not refrigerated, you better move the product within 3 months.

If there is any product that you’re unsure about, taste the aged product beside the fresh product to determine whether you can still serve it.

Store beer properly

Storage will also contribute to the freshness of the beer. All beer will stay fresh longer if they are refrigerated. If you don’t refrigerate the beer it will deteriorate and develop off flavors sooner.

Draft beer – Refrigeration is required.

Bottled beer – Refrigeration is recommended.

All beers will deteriorate with time. If your beer has one of the following signs of oxidation, your product is no longer fresh:

• Papery flavor
• Wet cardboard flavor

Bottled beer is especially subject to “skunking.” Skunked beer has been damaged by light coming through the glass. Skunkiness is mostly evident in the aroma of the beer.

Both sunlight and fluorescent light can skunk a beer within just a few minutes. That’s why so many beer bottles are colored brown.

Brown glass provides the best protection, blocking 98 percent of light wavelengths that cause skunking. Green glass blocks 20 percent of the wavelengths that cause skunking. Clear glass provides no protection from light.

Million-dollar idea:

Sunblock for beer bottles. Spray it on at the factory.

BOOM!

Send me a check.

Aluminum cans, ceramic bottles, and bottles in closed-box cases provide maximum protection from light.

Serve beer properly

Lastly, to preserve freshness of draft beer, make sure that you are properly operating the draft system.

Make sure the pressure is at the proper setting. Use only CO2 or a CO2-nitrogen mix. Never use compressed air—air oxidizes beer. A “party pump” on a keg will keep beer fresh for less than one day.

The next section goes into more detail about draft systems.

Flashcards for this section

Based on the reading materials mentioned and my notes above, here are my flashcards for this section.

Does beer have a shelf life?

Yes. Beer is best consumed while it’s fresh.

Which types of beer are best for aging?

Beers with high ABV or with strong flavors are best for aging.

3 tactics to ensure that the beer you serve is fresh

1. Rotate inventory
2. Store beer properly
3. Serve beer properly (draft beer should use CO2, not air)

How long will beer say fresh on tap?

Non-pasteurized draft beer – 1 1/2 to 2 months refrigerated

Pasteurized draft beer – 3-4 months refrigerated

How long will beer stay fresh in bottles?

Up to 6 months refrigerated

Must all beer be stored in refrigeration?

All beer will stay fresh longer in refrigeration.

Refrigeration is required for draft.

Refrigeration is recommended for bottled beer.

2 characteristics of oxidized beer

1. Papery flavor
2. Wet cardboard flavor

How does beer become “skunked”?

Light damages beer within a few minutes.

Skunkiness mostly shows up in the aroma.

Does glass color protect the beer from light?

Yes. Glass color protects beer from light.

Brown glass protects best

Then green

Clear glass provides no protection from light

Aluminum, ceramic, and boxes provide maximum protection from light.

4 ways to keep draft beer fresh longer

1. Always refrigerate draft beer
2. Always use CO2 or CO2-nitrogen mixture
3. Use the proper pressure
4. Never use air or a “party pump”

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