Serving top-fermented ales

[syarak]

It seems as though this site recommends keeping beer kegs at ~36F, but that is way too cold to serve a top-fermented ale. Most brewers suggestions for ales are more like 50F. How can I serve an ale at the proper temperature without storing the beer unacceptably warm?

Would it be possible to setup a glycol cooled system with the glycol at something like 55F? My hope would be that this would acceptably warm up the beer without causing it to foam too much.

Thanks.

[syarak]

A month goes by and no replies? I guess it's really not that surprising since the #1 complaint leveled against bars by beer lovers is that it is always served too cold. Guess I'll have to find answers elsewhere, probably by trial and error. I'm think that the guideines given here (36-38F) are for the swill passed off as beer by the megabrewers and that an ale fermented at 60-70F won't lose much being stored at higher temperatures. Does anyone have anything to add?

[Scott Zuhse]

Most certainly you could manage a glycol chiller at a warmer temperature as well as the keg cooler. Be aware that the crowd you aim to please may be minimal compared to the market conditions that exist at retail today. We all are aware that certain products are specified for consumption at a higher temperature. The problem is that the average consumer in the U.S. just does not like warm beer.

Should a retailer set up their system to accommodate the different temperature specifications? By all means. Will they? Probably not.

As to the "most brewers" you refer to. Is this the temperature that they recommend based on their palate or have they spent tons of money as the "swill" brewers have to determine the optimum conditions desired by the consumer?

If you do attempt to dispense at a higher temperature, you will need to know the gas content of the product. Thus, this will determine the counterpressure required to maintain this gas content.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[barley]

I keep my walk-in and glycol chiller at 42 degrees. The beer temp rises something like 10 degrees above that when you poor it and that seems to work out well. A simple explanation to the customer remedies the rare complaint. I also keep my bottle cooler at the more common 38 for those that tend towards the shwag that needs to be cold.

Cheers

[barley]

I keep my walk-in and glycol chiller at 42 degrees. The beer temp rises something like 10 degrees above that when you poor it and that seems to work out well. A simple explanation to the customer remedies the rare complaint. I also keep my bottle cooler at the more common 38 for those that tend towards the shwag that needs to be cold.

Cheers

[barley]

I keep my walk-in and glycol chiller at 42 degrees. The beer temp rises something like 10 degrees above that when you poor it and that seems to work out well. A simple explanation to the customer remedies the rare complaint. I also keep my bottle cooler at the more common 38 for those that tend towards the shwag that needs to be cold.

Cheers

[Scott Zuhse]

Barley, do your customers drink more of the "schwag" or the 42 degree beer?

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute