5 Helpful Tips For Draft System with self-pour
“You can have the greatest software on the planet, but if your draft system pours a foamy beer it is useless.”
This is our favorite saying here at Table Tap because we know the validity and magnitude of it. A self-pour beer wall can be a profit center for your establishment if properly designed. However, pourability equates to profitability and if your customers are not pouring a good beer then they will not have a great experience. Table Tap understands the complexity of draft beer especially in a self-pour scenario where there is no buffer, also known as a bartender, in between the customer and the draft beverage. Your customers are their own bartenders.
Table Tap is the only self-pour company that designs and installs draft systems in-house and we have installed the most self-pour draft systems in the world. Our implementation team will work hand in hand with you to spec the appropriate equipment and facility for a seamless turnkey installation. We will install and design a draft system that will be profitable for years to come.
Below are our biggest tips for implementing a self-pour draft system within your establishment:
Glycol for the coolest
1. Use a glycol-based system if possible. Yes, it is a little more expensive, but you will have less wastage and a better pour each and every time with a glycol system. What’s glycol you may ask? Glycol is a cool liquid that runs with the draft lines to keep the liquid at the correct temperature from the cooler to the tap.
Beer Wall
2. Keep your walk-in cooler as close to the wall as possible. This has nothing to do with the pour of the beer and all to do with your budget. Table Tap can run the lines 100’s feet if needed, but that will add a significant cost. The most economical option is to keep the wall directly behind your beer wall.
The Best Taps
3. Use Micro Matic PushTaps. These are COVID-friendly taps that allow for contactless dispensing. These also ensure the perfect pour every time. The video below will provide additional information on these specialty taps.
Foam Over Beer!!
4. Install a FOB (Foam Over Beer) on every draft line. Too many times, we see self-pour systems installed without FOBs. This will cause the foam to spray all over your customer when a keg kicks while also causing the meters to have false readings. Foam and false readings lead to unhappy customers. You get the point, use a FOB.
ADA compliance
5. Keep ADA compliance in mind during the design phase. Not all municipalities mandate ADA compliance, so we recommend speaking to your local inspector to find out if your system needs to be within ADA. Table Tap offers both non-ADA and ADA-compliant designs. We take both the tap placement and car reader into account to ensure everyone can enjoy the power of self-pour. You can see an example of an ADA compliant beer wall below.
