Beer Chilling Systems: Which Type Is Right for My Restaurant?
March 24, 2018A refrigeration unit is integral to the functioning of any restaurant.
Beers are best served cold – there’s no questioning that! But which beer chilling system is the best? From reach-in coolers to glycol chillers, a beer chilling system is an important piece of restaurant equipment that completes your commercial kitchen, ensuring a positive experience for your customers. Thus, it must be selected carefully.
The right restaurant equipment is a must if you are to set up your commercial kitchen successfully. Before buying a refrigeration unit, consider your available space. Consideration also has to be given to your restaurant concept and style. We’ll dive into two major beer chilling restaurant equipment options to help you decide.
Reach-in Freezers and Coolers
A reach-in cooler can be carefully placed in the bar area of your restaurant. This restaurant equipment is usually low to the ground, and can be set to just the right temperature for your beer. Staff will have to reach into the freezer or coolers to retrieve the beer. Such restaurant equipment is best designed for storing bottled beers. Still, there are a few factors that must be considered before making the purchase for your commercial kitchen.
Size and Position: One of your most important considerations when buying a reach-in freezer or cooler is its size. The refrigerator will likely be positioned in the bar area of your restaurant. However, you want to ensure that this restaurant equipment is easily accessible and that the size is just right for its location.
Style: There are different styles and types of reach-in coolers. While some consist of a refrigeration unit and a freezer unit, you will likely need this restaurant equipment to be all refrigeration and no freezer. The door style – transparent or opaque – should also be considered.
Glycol Chillers
This restaurant equipment keeps the beer cold from the store room to the tap, allowing your customers to enjoy fresh, cold beer without opening a bottle.
Glycol chillers are essentially refrigerators that function in a draft system. This will require a cooler, kegs, pressure gas, tubing, and a faucet for direct serving. This restaurant equipment allows you enjoy reliable control over the temperature of the beer running out the faucet. A walk-in cooler houses all beer kegs.
With the right amount of gas pressure (usually a bottled combination of carbon dioxide and nitrogen), the gas is forced out of the keg through the tube and out through the faucet. Although this process might seem straightforward, there are certain considerations to be made when employing this restaurant equipment.
Pressure: The location of your walk-in freezer and tubing will impose some resistance against the free flow of beer. You must ensure that the right amount of gas pressure is applied to see the beer through to the faucet.
Carbonation and Temperature: How carbonated is the beer in the keg? The kind of beer you are selling and the temperature of your keg will have a major impact on the kind of gas combination needed to push it through. You want to be careful not to overly carbonate the beer; it could get too foamy or go super flat.
Your choice of restaurant equipment must be made with due consideration to the style and ambience of your restaurant and bar. Ultimately, you want to ensure that your chilling system leaves your customers feeling refreshed and satisfied. With the right amount of care and consideration, your restaurant equipment can sate their thirst for the perfect, cold beer.
Why Your Restaurant Needs an App
We know, you’re a restaurant owner, not a developer or programmer. Let other people worry about apps, you just want to run your restaurant! The truth is if you want to have a successful establishment, you have to take advantage of the technology that brings people in....
Choosing the Right Sink for Your Restaurant
There are many, many pieces of kitchen equipment that are vital but often taken for granted. The kitchen sink is one of them. This workhorse of the back of the house handles a lot of jobs. Sinks give you running water as well as a place to wash either food or dishes....
Restaurant Supplies You Need to Add Delivery
Delivery services are becoming more and more popular, and that’s generally good news for restaurants. The ability to order online and receive food in the comfort of home drives up sales and that’s good for revenue. And when these sales don’t require additional tables,...
Should You Add a Salad Bar to Your Restaurant?
New Year’s is a prime time for resolutions – and one of the most common is to eat healthier and lose weight. In fact, for 2018 45% of Americans said they wanted to lose weight or get in shape for the new year. The new year might have you eyeing new options for your...
How to Overcome the Seasonal Rollercoaster
Are you tired of having huge swings in your business throughout the year? Do you wish you could just have consistent, easy-to-predict income? If so, it’s time for you to get off of the seasonal rollercoaster. You might think there’s nothing you can do to overcome the...
The Restaurant Supplies and Strategies You Need in 2019
Are you ready for the new year? If you’re like many restaurant owners, you’re thinking about how to get through the holiday rush – both in your restaurant and in your own life. However, you can’t overlook planning for the future. It’s vital to make sure you have the...
2018 Cooking Equipment Holiday Gift Guide
Do you know someone who loves to cook? Or are you looking for a new, special piece of cooking equipment for yourself? Whether you’re interested in home cooking or you run a restaurant, you can benefit from these gift ideas. These great cooking items will thrill...
Accommodating the Keto Diet at Your Restaurant
The keto diet – a low-carb, high-fat combination – has been gaining a lot of traction in the last couple of years. As a restaurant, it’s vital that you are able to accommodate your diners’ needs. More than that, having popular options on the menu can help bring people...
Restaurant Supplies You Need to Prepare for a Power Outage
It happens to all of us. You’re going on, doing just fine, and suddenly…Dark. The power is out. And of course, you have no idea how long it will last. Fortunately, you have the restaurant supplies and process in place to weather the storm without losing your...
Considerations when Converting a Food Truck to a Restaurant
Your food truck has been successful, and you have a loyal following. So loyal, in fact, that you struggle to serve them all each day. Customers have started to ask you when you’re going to open a restaurant. It started as a teasing suggestion, but it’s become more...
How to Incorporate Curbside Service in Your Restaurant
Are you looking for creative ways to grow your business without also growing your expenses? Are you interested in strategies that can start making a difference today, not just a year from now? If so, then
Tips for Great Plating & Why it Matters
You may have heard that we “eat with our eyes” before we physically eat food. That’s why pictures are so important – on menus, in cookbooks, online, and more. It isn’t just a gimmick – the truth is that the way food looks and smells actually changes our experience of...
Be Proactive: Assess and Address Risks in Your Restaurant
As a restaurant owner or manager, you have a lot on your mind. You want employees to show up on time and ready to give great service. You want your food to be well-stocked, high quality, and ready to use. You need cooks to be attentive and customers to be clear in...
How to Reduce Noise From Restaurant Equipment and More
Having a popular restaurant is wonderful. You have a lot of guests, tables turn over quickly, and you and your employees make a lot of good money every night. However, sometimes popular spots can get low ratings for a simple reason – they’re too loud! It’s not an...
Foodservice Equipment Gone Wrong: When the POS Crashes
The point of sale (POS) system that you have helps you keep your restaurant running smoothly. It helps you track inventory, sales, and revenue. It allows your staff to create checks, swipe cards, and keep tables turning. The POS is a lifesaver – until it isn’t. Maybe...