use of various types of beer dispensing equipment

[Dmitry]

Dear Sirs,
My question concerns beer dispensing equipment used in bars and restaurants. Please, correct if I am wrong.
If draft beer is non-pasteurized, it needs to be dispensed through Direct Draw, Air Cooled, Glycol Cooled systems or kegerators, while pasteurized draft beer can be dispensed through Direct Draw, Air Cooled, Glycol Cooled systems, kegerators AND so called pre-mix beer coolers (where not the keg but the beer flowing through the cooler is refrigerated).
Does the use of various types of refrigeration equipment have to do with the size of the bar - small bars do not have walk-ins and have to use kegerators or pre-mixes, while larger bars use walk-ins?
What does the choice between kegerators and pre-mix equipment depend on?
Thank you very much in advance,
Dmitry

[mmwmike]

The bottom line is ALL beer needs to be kept cold for best dispensing. It seems that your question is about space available in a bar. The least you should have is a Direct Draw self-contained kegerator (i.e. Beverage Air unit). These can hold from 1 to 5 kegs depending on size of unit and or keg configuration. If the bar has space for a walk-in cooler and the beer tower is located a distance from the keg, then you will use either an Air Cooled or Gylcol Cooled system to keep the beer cold from the walk-in to the tower.

The issue has nothing to do with pasteurized or non-pasteurized. For best results on a day to day dispensing basis - refrigerate the keg.

However, for special events or temporary dispensing both pasteurized (imports) and non-pasteurized (domestic)can be left out and dispensed through coil coolers or cold plates. This type of dispensing is only intended for a few hours.

Note: pre-mix is a soda term and not used when discussing beer.



Mike Godwin, Micro Matic USA, Inc. Northridge, CA

[Dmitry]

Dear Mike Godwin,
Thanks a lot for your answer!
Basically, my questions are more towards marketing area. I am trying to estimate the market potential for kegerators and pre-mixes (I guess, post-mixes are for soda, pre-mixes (ready-to-drink) are for beer, but can be used for soda as well). In Russia or Ukraine bars and restaurants use pre-mixes. I was told that in the USA, Canada, Mexico, China kegerators are more common then pre-mixes. Generally I would divide beer refrigeration equipment into three types - walk-ins with Air Cooled or Gylcol Cooled system, Direct Draw self-contained kegerators, and pre-mixes. With this breakdown there should be reasons for choice among different types of equipment. My understanding is that in the US walk-ins and self-contained kegerators are mostly used. I am trying to figure out where to draw the line between them by identifying the breakdown basis.
Thanks a lot again,
Dmitry

[Scott Zuhse]

What area are you marketing too?

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[Dmitry]

Dear Scott Zuhse,
The company wants to enter both Western European market, North America, Asia, Africa. The rationale is to increase sales, of course, and to handle seasonality. I understand the difficulties that have to do with purchasing behavior of the companies, and Eastern Europe has still much to offer, but I wanted to get an idea of what is sold where in the global market.
Sincerely,
Dmitry

[Scott Zuhse]

Not sure what the breakdown is globally. Here in the U.S. retail market direct draw systems such as kegerators are losing ground to long remote systems using glycol circulation. Probably 50/50 at this time. Not sure what you mean by pre-mix beer.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[Dmitry]

Dear Scott Zuhse,
Thank you very much for the information.
Here is what I would call a pre-mix - http://www.scot-bev.com/products/beer.html. It cannot accomodate the keg inside and therefore does not refrigerate the keg (the keg can be put under the counter near the machine). If those are not pre-mixes than what is the name you would use for the equipment on the web site.
A US beer distributor says that usually beer distributors not beer companies purchase direct draw units and sell or lease them to bars and restaurants. Do you think this is the most common way for DDU to get to its end-user or bars and restaurants purchase equipment on their own?
Regards,
Dmitry