Beer Dispensers had come a long way from when they appeared for the first time. When medieval monks in Europe started producing beer in large quantities, beer storage became an issue. Putting beer into barrels then came into widespread practice. Initially, Monks did this to supply the monastery with beer for a given period. Later, the Industrial Revolution changed everything, and we witnessed the evolution of beer dispensers.

Early Times

Joseph Bramah was a British inventor who invented the beer engine. He initially developed this engine for pumping English-style ale. As Americans’ taste switched from ale to lager, the engine started to become ineffective because it caused too much foaming. There arose a need for a new system that allows the beer to be served cold, maintains the carbonation in the beer, and allows the beer to be poured without too much foam.

Problems Rose

Some brewers adopted newly developed refrigeration systems while others still counted on good old ice. Over time, the beer was served at the saloon taps using compressed gas. This gas was typically air, oxidizing beer and making it taste stale. During this period, beer pasteurization became common to maintain quality through shipping and delivery. Poor dispensing combined with poor serving methods, draft beer fell out of favor, and bottled beer became popular.

Through Today


keg-diagram
A Modern Draft Beer System from 20th Century

The technology for serving draft beer was recently simplified by using pre-packaged, compressed carbon dioxide, and draft beer started to make a comeback. In current draft beer systems, the keg has two lines—one connected to the CO2 tank and one carrying the beer to the tap. The CO2 creates pressure and pushes beer to the tap into the glass. There is also a cooling line right next to the beer line, which keeps beer cold through the beer pouring system.

 

The evolution of Beer dispensers is at the center of the industry today. Nowadays, we see a strong trend toward draft beer. 21st-century consumers are looking for a good quality draft beer together with new experiences. At Pubinno, with the Smart Tap we invented, dispensers are innovated for the IoT age. By monitoring many beer parameters like pressure, flow rate, and temperature, we are able to create a system to do beer analytics and serve the same perfect beer every time. Our smart flow algorithm and patent-pending robotics minimize foam and make bartenders happy. We come a long way from what Joseph Bramah did and respectfully learn from the past to create the future of Draft Beer.

 

References:

Draft Beer History

Joseph Bramah

The History of Kegerator

Trappist Monks