Beer Server and Off Flavor Training

Welcome back to the area.

I suspect the fundamental problem with breweries being receptive to training of servers is related to two things. The first is they don't understand that the server can make a difference in the customer experience. The second is a potentially high turnover rate in the folks employed as servers.

Seems to me like you'll need some sort of persuasive presentation to the brewers that training can make a difference before those who don't already agree are convinced it may be impacting their bottom line to a greater extent than the costs of training and improved working conditions for servers.

 

Giovanni, how frequently have you seen growlers filled properly?

I personally only purchase growler fills at local brewpubs that have Gruner Growler Filling stations which perform a dual CO2 evacuation followed by a counter-pressure fill.

What would be you personal definition/description of a proper growler fill?

Cheers!

 

At the risk of sounding cynical, I'd say that a good many brewers would benefit from the training as well. Even before it gets to the server level.

The Brewers Association has programs available, but they will do no good if the breweries don't avail themselves of them.

 

If a bar or brewery was to fill a growler from a regular old tap would you teach them:

• To use a piece of plastic tubing to perform a bottoms up fill vs. a splashing down the jug fill?
• If you advocate using a plastic tube how should that tube be maintained between growler fills?
• Where should the server's hands be when applying/using the plastic tube?
• What type of cap should be used once the growler fill is complete? A simple metal cap or a plastic cap with a rubber crown sealer?

There is likely several other questions I should be posing to you but I am forgetting at the moment.

Cheers!

 

As I always like to say, "the Gruner gets the gold!"

 

Michael, have you read the Brewers Association:

“Best Practices Guide to Quality Craft Beer

Delivering Optimal Flavor to the Consumer”

https://www.brewersassociation.org/attachments/0001/3980/EDP_Quality.pdf

If so, have you taken note of:

“Storage temperature can also affect beer staling. Lagers aged at 25° C tended to develop caramel characteristics. The same beers aged at 30-37° C developed cardboard-like notes. So once packaged, beer can really suffer from heat, especially if long shelf times are expected. Time and temperature play together (with any residual oxygen or other oxidizing agents that might be naturally present in beer) to cause flavor deterioration. Lower temperatures for shipping and warehouse storage will preserve beer quality; beers tested at 4° C (39° F ) were shown to have a shelf life of 112 days. This was reduced to only 28 days when tested at just 20° C (68° F). Warmer conditions increase the rate of many chemical reactions including oxidation reactions which might involve oxygen directly or other oxidants such as mineral ions.”

And:

Warehousing (Cellars or Coolers) – Ideally, packaged beer should reach the customer as fast as possible. However, due to the impossibility of matching packaging runs and shipping times to the consumers’ demands, it is often necessary to provide a buffer store of product ready for sale when the demand is there. With this in mind, the following factors can contribute to maintaining product integrity when beer reaches consumers.

• Stock rotation

– “First in, first out” should be a rule! Retailers of perishable products usually rotate older stock to be sold before newer stock. However, if possible and economically viable, brewer and retailer should agree on a (“positive release”) system that ensures that only beer that remains “true to brand specifications” should be released for consumption.

• Storage conditions should reflect the style of product being stored.

• Temperature

– The optimal temperature range for filtered beer storage is below 40 ̊ F (4 ̊ C). Temperatures exceeding 50 ̊ F begin to rapidly encourage the development of off-flavors, and of course, staling (see Figure 1.5)”

The bold above is my emphasis.

Cheers!

 

I'd say that it's good you are working to help others understand what you are learning. A friend of mine used to say, "Knowledge is the only thing you can give away for free and wind up having more than you started with."

 

Giovanni,

Below is something I posted in a past thread:

“I attended a Sensory & Flavor Training presentation at the 2015 National Homebrewers Conference and in that presentation they gave you a base beer plus four others of that beer doctored with off-flavors: DMS, Diacetyl, Metallic and Chlorophenols. I could only take small sips of the beers with Diacetyl, Metallic and Chlorophenols because they were awful for my palate. I actually finished the DMS beer since it was not objectionable to me. I suppose all of the Rolling Rock beer I drank ‘back in the day’ got me accustomed to this alleged off-flavor.”

Cheers!

 

I'd hope both these off flavors are already caught by the brewer or the QA person before service. Typically, diacetyl is more commonly associated with dirty draft lines. Keep up the good fight!

 

I've been meaning to ask you for a while, what were your reactions to the GABF when you had that chance to attend? Did you use the strategy of going first to the furthest away from the door and working your way back? Did it work out?

 

Why would a brewery want to give their servers off flavor training? I can think of some benefits, but I would think that this would be a really low priority. Brewers should know DMS and servers should know hospitality.

 

Servers should explain the beer - and hopefully things like DMS are not part of that conversation. If a customer suspects an issue and complains, it's not like the server will take a swig. Since you are teaching, I would think you'd know the benefits though.