On our journey to becoming best stocktakers in the world, I have descended the steps to hundreds of cellars. As part of that noble mission, I went on a cellar management course yesterday which, aside from being unexpectedly interesting, means I need to have some awkward conversations with some of our clients about their downstairs areas.
Some of the practices that I have regularly seen over the years which are a definite no-no, according to Mike, the Beer Genius (www.beer-genius.co.uk) are:
· No food should never, ever be stored in the cellar. It attracts vermin, introduces bacteria and odours that can taint the flavour of ales.
· Beer nozzles should not be left in pints of water over night. Instead, they need to be removed, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, washed, rinsed then air dried.
· The gas for all kegged beer should be shut off at night. This minimises the amount of CO2 absorbed by the beer.
· The line cleaning bottle should be stored upside down. Sediment can’t settle in the bottom which will end up in your beer lines.
Essentially, beer is a food product and it and everything around it needs to be treated as such. If you want me to come and give you a report card on the state of your cellar, find the contact button and drop us a line.
Ant Ciavarella | Founder and CEO