Draft Beer Help

About BottomPour™

My name is Jeff Grunewald, I am the Service Manager for Stuever and Sons, Inc.

I have been doing The Troubleshooting for Stuevers & Sons in the Chicagoland area & Suburbs of Northeast Illinois & Northwest Indiana for 22  years! With my boss and partner, Tom Stuever and his Sons, we have over 1700 accounts and thousands of installs in the Chicagoland area.  We are the number one provider of draft beer installation and service that Beer Distributors, Brewmasters, Cicerones, and Bar and Restaurant Professionals turn to for their draft beer needs! With the microbrew explosion and the cost of draft beer, do it right the first time with the right equipment and the experience that we have! If you're not in our area we have a Network of Installation and Service Providers across the country to service you!

My Resume
Purdue University graduate
Restaurant Manager for seven years
Manager & Draft beer troubleshooting for 22 years
Draft beer product testing and development
Knowing what will work for you!

Tom Stuever's Resume
The God Father of this business! 45 years plus!

Troubleshooting Draft Beer System before installing BottomPour™

Pouring draft beer is all temperature & pressure with the right gas & restriction! And proper training of your bartenders! See BottomPour™ How To Videos.  All adjustment should be done by a qualified service tech.

For additional help click here to contact us!

Temperature

1) Take the temperature of the very first glass of beer and the second glass of beer. If you have a 3°F or more difference and it's above 38°F
2) Make sure beer pours full and clear out of the faucet
3) Check beer cooler to make sure liquid temperature is 35°F two 38°F.  Always put the cooler wall thermometer in a bottle of water to get an accurate liquid temperature from the cooler.  Otherwise take the liquid temperature of something that's been in the cooler for 24 hours!
4) Checking the glycol unit (On glycol systems)
A) Make sure Glycol Bath  is full, clean, ice free below the liquid, and the  temperature is between 29°F and 34°F
B) Make sure glycol refrigeration condensers are clean, In an open area and the ambient temperature around the unit is below 90°F, unless watercooled unit

For additional help click here to contact us!

Pressure & Gas

There are several types of beer gases available.  But no matter what gas you use they are all design to put the required amount of CO2 back into the keg depending on what system and pressure you apply! Without getting into the chemistry and physics, this is the SIMPLE EQUATION that will work for you.  Pressure(lbs)  needed to pack & pour beer are  calculated by how your system is restricted on installation!

For Ales and Lagers

No matter what system you use, the apply pressure of CO2 to the keg at 35°F to 38°F should be between the range of 12 and 14 pounds. Higher levels especially levels over 17 pounds will start to over carbonate your beer overtime.

Straight CO2

For a direct draw box simply apply 12 to 14 pounds of straight CO2 on the regulator!
For a beer pump system you apply 12 to 14lbs of CO2 to regulators going to the kegs and then you apply 25 to 40lbs of CO2,  depending on what's needed, to the regulators going to the beer pumps.

For pressures above 17 pounds you need mix gas!

Mixed gases ideal ranges

For 70% CO2 30% N2 blended gas your pressure ranges are 17 to 24lbs

Low 12 / 70%= 17lbs 
High 17 / 70%= 24lbs

For 60% CO2 40% N2 blended gas your pressure ranges are 20 to 28lbs

Low 12 / 60%= 20lbs 
High 17 / 60%= 28lbs

For 50% CO2 50% N2 blended gas your pressure ranges are  24 to 34lbs

Low 12 / 50%= 24lbs 
High 17 / 50%= 34lbs

For stout beers they require 
75% N2 and 25% CO2 @ 32lbs to 35lbs of pressure
@ 35°F two 38°F

For additional help click here to contact us!