This article provides insight on the fundamentals of what beer fob systems are, why they're used in certain types of establishments, and why you need one if you plan on selling draft beer. This is an informative and factual post that will help those who have never heard of the term before gaining some knowledge about it.
What Is A Keg?
A keg is a cylindrical container in which draft beer is stored and dispensed. Kegs are most often made of stainless steel, but may also be made of other types of materials. The term "keg" was first used to describe the metal containers which were used to store and transport beer in the British Isles prior to 1822, as illustrated in the illustrations following.
What Is A Beer Fob?
A beer fob is a small object that attaches to the handle of a keg and displays pertinent information about the contents of the keg. Most beer fobs include just three pieces of information: the brand, size, and number of beers that are contained within the keg. The most common shape for a keg fob is an oval, but it may be any shape so long as it will fit on or near the keg's handle. Kegs with fobs are commonly referred to as "fobbed" kegs. Kegged beers which do not have a fob attached to them are referred to as "fob-less.
What Type Of Information Does A Beer Fob Display?
A fob is most commonly used to indicate the brand of beer in a keg, as well as the number and size of beers contained within a keg. The fob may also display information about the style of beer, such as ales or lagers. However, this information is included on drinking handles rather than on fobs, and it may be displayed only by the company that makes the kegs.
Why Do Pubs Need A Beer Fob System?
Although it's possible to provide taps that are used only for certain beers, most bars feature a selection of beers that are available through a sort of rotation. This system ensures that there are always fresh drafts available, and it gives bartenders and managers more flexibility in choosing which kegs to tap at any given time.
Why Beer Fobs Are Common In Certain Types Of Establishments:
Many pubs and restaurants use beer fobs as a means of tracking their keg inventory. It's one way to make sure that all kegs are accounted for and that there are never canned beers left on the floor for customers to stumble upon. It's also a way for bartenders and management to keep track of their inventory, which is an important consideration when handling large-scale operations.
Frequently asked questions about beer fob and kegs-
What Other Things Can Kegged Be Used For?
Although it's not common, fobbed kegs can be used by restaurants as a means of serving tap wine or other wines by the glass. In addition, many establishments use fobbed kegs as a means of providing sparkling water in cans for their customers. The choice is entirely up to the establishment's management staff.
How Are Kegged Beers Priced?
The price of a beer in a fobbed keg is usually similar to the price you would pay for a draft beer from the tap. However, this always depends on the brand and size of the keg. Some brands cost less than others, but almost all of them fall in line with their tap prices.
Why Is A Beer Fob System Important To A Brewery?
A fob system is important to breweries because it allows them to track inventory, provide fresh drafts with each order, and gives bartenders an easy way to remember which kegs they're using at any given time.
Are There Any Drawbacks To Kegged Beer?
While fobbed kegs are convenient and allow breweries to save money by limiting the number of cans used for delivery, it doesn't necessarily mean that fobbed kegs are the best way to market beer. Kegged beers have their own set of drawbacks, some of which include:
Kegged Beers Are Harder To Transport And Handle Kegged beers are heavier than canned beers. This may not seem like a big drawback on its own, but when you consider that a keg can weigh up to 100 pounds, it becomes obvious that they're not very portable. Kegged beers are also much harder to handle and transport. Whereas each bottle of beer can fit into a stack of perhaps 10 cans, only four kegs will fit in the space that would have been used by one.
How Are Kegged Beers Stored?
Although it may seem like an inconvenience, fobbed kegs take up too much space when stored unopened. It's best to keep them unopened so that they can be tossed into the back of the refrigerator when you're done with them. Kegged beers are also even harder to store. Although kegs can be stored upright in a refrigerator, the beer that is left sitting on its side makes a mess and may cause other bottles to shift.
How Often Are Kegged Beers Served?
The average restaurant will usually serve kegged beers just once during the week. The reason for this is that most restaurants have very strict rules regarding keg distribution and inventory, which means that a keg can only be restocked at certain times of the week. In addition, breweries limit how many beers are served per day as part of their buy-back agreements with distributors.
Are Kegged Beers Good For A Restaurant?
Some restaurants believe that kegged beers fare poorly because of the additional cost and difficulty involved in removing them from the tap. However, if you price your menu correctly, charge a fair price for your beer, and offer customer's a wide selection, kegged beers can be just as good for you as they are for customers. If you manage your inventory well and give customers a large selection to choose from, kegged beers can even increase sales.
Is The Price Of A Beer Always Equivalent To The Price Of A Kegged Beer?
Although it may seem that kegged beers are more expensive than canned beers, there are several things that you need to account for when deciding on a price. First, the cost of a tap system is not included when calculating the price for a keg. This includes the taps themselves, as well as any chemicals and brewing equipment needed to operate them. Tap systems can cost between $200 and $600 each depending on your needs. Also, some beers may be priced at a higher rate than they would be if they were bottled or canned because of tax and distribution costs.
How Are Kegged Beers Priced At A Brewery?
The price for kegged beers at a brewery depends on several factors. The first of which is the volume of sales the beer receives. If you sell enough keg beer, you'll most likely have to pay more for it than if you sold a limited amount of bottles or cans. This is because kegged beers are kept in storage until they're needed, and once they're gone, there's no way to re-order them for sale again.
Second, taking into consideration your tap network can help determine the price for kegged beers. Some breweries have larger numbers of taps than others, and as such, they can command a higher rate from distributors. In addition, if you're the only brewery in your area that offers kegged beer, the price for those beers can be higher than if you served bottled or canned beers at the same time.
Lastly, you'll need to consider profit margins when determining keg beer pricing at a brewery. It's standard for breweries to take into consideration their cost of goods when setting their prices. Because of this, some breweries may price kegged beers higher than their bottled or canned counterparts depending on how much it costs to produce them.
Can Canned Beers Be Kegged?
While it's true that canned beers can be kegged, it's not a very common practice. Usually, kegging is used for beers that are normally bottled or for draft beers that are sold directly to customers. There is no readily available equipment on the micro- or macro-brewing scale in America, as of 2009, to keg canned beer (and few places in the world).
This is all that you need to know about the beer fob system. If you owe a bar and you are a beer lover, then you can consider getting it from Kegswitcher and get the best for yourself.
Σχόλια