Beer Engines

Beer engines dispense cask beer. Pulling the handle actuates a piston or chamber of the engine and pumping beer from the cask to the customer’s glass. Beer engines can be clamp-on or built into a bar. Some breweries that make cask ales will require a sparkler (perforated disk) that attaches to the end of pouring spout.

Beer Engine 

Pouring Hygiene for Cask Ale

Pouring cask ale from a swan neck beer engine faucet is the only instance when the faucet should come into contact with the inside of a beer glass. Due to the unique nature of this beer dispense system, a list of guidelines must be followed to ensure proper sanitation.

1. Always use a clean glass when pulling beer from the cask pump. This is the case when pouring any draught beer; however, even more important with cask ale, due to the potential to transfer germs from one glass to another.
2. After the beer is pumped into the clean glass, wipe the entire faucet with a clean towel wetted with fresh water.  It is important not to use chemicals as those chemicals may end up in the subsequent beer.  It is equally important not to use a rag previously used for wiping bar surfaces or other cleaned areas as those germs may contaminate the next beer as well.  Keeping the cask faucet clean and dry is the best defense from potentially contaminating future glasses of cask ale.
3. The closing bartender should do one final clean of the cask faucet, the drip tray and the surface of the entire cask pump when the bar closes.  This cleaning should be done with restaurant/bar sanitizer approved by your local and state health code.  If the cask faucet uses a sparkler, the sparkler should be removed and soaked overnight in the same sanitizer at a soaking concentration listed by the manufacturer.
4. The opening bartender should wipe the cask faucet with a clean towel wetted with fresh water before the first cask beer is pulled to ensure any residual sanitizer from the previous night is removed.  If the cask pump is fitted with a sparkler, thoroughly rinse the sparkler under fresh water before attaching it to the cask faucet.

• Importance of one-inch collar of foam: Well prepared cask ale will easily allow for one-inch of head or more if a sparkler is fitted on the end of the faucet.  Without the sparkler device, a full one-inch collar of foam may be difficult to achieve.  The bar or restaurant manager should consult the brewer to discuss how their particular beer is intended to be served.
• The purpose of a proper head on any cask ale is the same as a draught beer; the head helps to deliver the total sensory experience, including the following sensory benefits:

o Visual appeal of a good pour

o Aromatic volatiles in a beer are released

o Palate-cleansing effect of carbonation is enhanced

o Textural and sensorial qualities of beer are better presented to consumer 

Download a PDF of Appendix D (60 KB).