What is the best tap for a draft beer dispenser?

We know there are plenty of other things you need to worry about to open a successful bar or restaurant. So why is it so important to spend a little time researching taps? Because they are what ensure the perfect pour of draft beer and can save you a lot of money too.

Why it matters to choose the best tap for your draft beer dispenser

Serving beer is not simple. It may look simple to the customer watching from outside, but anyone behind the scenes knows that each part of the system plays a different role that, if not carried out correctly, can compromise the quality of the beer.

With that in mind, the tap is the component in direct contact with both the beer and the outside world, which is why choosing well matters so much. So how do you guarantee the flavor and quality of the draft beer while also increasing your profitability? By choosing a quality beer tap.

What makes a draft beer dispenser tap high quality?

The material, ease of assembly, cleaning and convenience when pouring make a tap high quality. But we've been talking a lot about taps without defining what a draft beer tap is. It's a subject with so many details that we get carried away, but hold on, let's take it step by step.

What is a draft beer tap? Simply put, it's where the beer comes out and goes into your glass. But that's not all: it is an essential component for the beer to come out at the right pressure, and without it you couldn't serve a quality draft beer. Since it's the last component that touches the beer, it's vital to consider what it does to the beer.

The tap helps control the flow of beer coming out of the dispenser, without it you'd have a waterfall gushing out of the dispenser and serving a good draft beer would be unlikely. But not all beer flows coming out of a tap are the same, which is why there are several types, designs and materials of taps.

Material

Although the most common materials are brass and stainless steel, taps can also be made of many other materials, from plastic to more sophisticated metals.

The stainless steel offers the greatest durability and is usually more expensive. But you can save a lot of money with it in the long run, because it is immune to corrosion. Chrome and brass are vulnerable to exposure to cleaning products and even to the relatively low acidity of some beers. When corrosion occurs, the parts start to affect the quality of the beer, even changing its taste and smell.

Tap maintenance

A tap that is easy to clean will make your life much easier. For the beer to always have the same quality, the beer lines and the taps must be cleaned regularly. Without regular cleaning, beer residue can build up and create the perfect setting for mold to grow. That's not what you want to serve, right?

This buildup can also affect how the dispenser works, making the mechanism sticky. All of this is very bad, because it will waste your draft beer and if a customer is served beer that came out of a malfunctioning tap, it is very unlikely that they will come back or recommend your bar to their friends.

To avoid all this headache, clean your tap regularly. And of course, to make that cleaning easier, you'll want a tap that doesn't make the process any harder. So which type of tap should you choose for a draft beer dispenser?

Types of taps for draft beer dispensers

Here we'll cover the three taps most used by brewers, the American, the Italian and the Belgian.

American tap

The American tap is the simplest of all and doesn't offer many features for the person pouring. With the American tap you pull it forward and that's it: the beer comes out and you can't control the foam or the flow. It is also the one with the lowest purchase price.

Italian tap

This is one of the most widely used taps in bars, and how it works is no secret. Pull it forward and the beer comes out; pull it back and the foam comes out. It isn't fixed, meaning that once pulled, when you let go it returns to its place. What gives the Italian tap a big advantage over the others is flow control: you can control the foam and it won't send out a strong jet.

Belgian tap

The Belgian tap has an internal controller and can be adjusted with an Allen key, depending on the beer style you want to work with. This tap is a bit more complicated to handle and requires more technical knowledge.

• See also: Automated draft beer dispenser: how does it work?

What is the best tap for a draft beer dispenser?

What is the best draft beer there is? Is it better to have draft beer or bottled beer? Italian, Belgian or American tap? These are common questions in the beer market and they can all have the same answer: it depends! It depends on what you plan to prioritize in your bar, pub or restaurant.

If you have several servers and are always changing the styles served on your dispensers, the Belgian may be a good option.

But if you want quality and speed when serving draft beer and also want to rotate beer styles, the Italian tap may be ideal for you. If you want to work with self-pour draft beer, it is also perfect, because there are no secrets when pouring and the beer comes out perfectly, even if it's a customer pouring for the first time. Oh, and of course, it prevents waste, making the customer happy to pay exactly for what they poured and making you happy to earn more.

There are other factors you'll need to consider, such as price and distributor, so get to know well the model you decide to buy and remember, investing in a good tap will spare you a lot of headaches down the road and help you save money.

Now, if you want to increase your sales and profits even more, you should seriously consider self-pour draft beer. Download the e-book ‘How self-pour can help your business’, it's free!

Want to know more about myTapp and how we can bring technology to your establishment? Request a contact!

I want it!