A foam on beer detector, or FOB detector, can be the difference between lost and gained profits for your business. With a FOB detector, your bar or restaurant can reduce its beer waste and expect a higher profit from your draft beer sales. By detecting empty kegs and shutting off the beer flow, these devices keep your beer lines full of beer instead of foam, helping you get the most out of your kegs.
As draft beer system experts, we highly recommend using foam on beer detectors. Excess foaming is all too common, and it can affect your profit over time when you’re pouring out several pints each night. With a FOB, you can dramatically reduce beer waste and improve your bottom line.
The function of a foam on beer (FOB) detector is fairly simple and extremely practical. FOBs rely on a float ball inside the device to monitor the keg’s capacity. As beer flows from the keg and the FOB, the float ball shifts up and allows the beer to flow through to the faucet.
As the keg empties, the float ball drops back down and creates a seal between the FOB and the keg. This cuts off flow from the keg immediately, preventing excess foam from entering the beer lines. The remaining beer is safely stored inside the beer lines and kept cold by glycol refrigeration or the cooler until it’s poured. By eliminating foam in the beer lines once the keg empties, the FOB prevents beer loss due to extra-foamy pours.
FOBs also allow you to pour a pint immediately after tapping a new keg. Your customers won’t have to wait as long for service, and there won’t be a mess of foam to clean up either.
Foam-filled pint glasses are a hassle when your keg is emptying, but most bar owners have become used to this annoyance. It may not seem like that much beer is going down the drain right before each keg change, but the data tells a different story.
On long draw beer systems without a FOB, it is normal to waste up to 64 ounces of beer at each keg change. Depending on how many kegs you go through in a month, this amount of wasted foam (beer) could severely impact your profits over time. The length of your system also affects beer loss, and the longer your lines are the more beer waste you can expect without a foam on beer detector.
Just like any other element of your draft beer system, foam on beer detectors must receive regular cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning a foam on beer detector will prevent your beer from contamination or spoiling, something you never want your customers to experience.
FOBs can become sticky inside over time, making them challenging to reset. If a FOB is not reset, it will not be able to detect an empty keg, potentially causing a blown keg or even a keg bleed. It’s important to thoroughly clean FOBs each quarter to prevent these issues, and the cleaning process is as follows:
>Stuever Can Install Foam on Beer Detectors For Your Business
A foam on beer detector is a worthwhile investment if you’re in the beverage industry. They aren’t particularly costly, and the beer sales you gain from a FOB will quickly pay the cost. If you think your business could benefit from a foam on beer detector or line cleaning, our team at Stuever & Sons would be happy to help. We are advocates of FOBs and can help ensure yours are operating optimally and helping you increase profits.
How Does a Foam on Beer Detector Reduce Waste?
The function of a foam on beer (FOB) detector is fairly simple and extremely practical. FOBs rely on a float ball inside the device to monitor the keg’s capacity. As beer flows from the keg and the FOB, the float ball shifts up and allows the beer to flow through to the faucet.
As the keg empties, the float ball drops back down and creates a seal between the FOB and the keg. This cuts off flow from the keg immediately, preventing excess foam from entering the beer lines. The remaining beer is safely stored inside the beer lines and kept cold by glycol refrigeration or the cooler until it’s poured. By eliminating foam in the beer lines once the keg empties, the FOB prevents beer loss due to extra-foamy pours.
FOBs also allow you to pour a pint immediately after tapping a new keg. Your customers won’t have to wait as long for service, and there won’t be a mess of foam to clean up either.
How Much Beer Do FOB Detectors Save?
Foam-filled pint glasses are a hassle when your keg is emptying, but most bar owners have become used to this annoyance. It may not seem like that much beer is going down the drain right before each keg change, but the data tells a different story.
On long draw beer systems without a FOB, it is normal to waste up to 64 ounces of beer at each keg change. Depending on how many kegs you go through in a month, this amount of wasted foam (beer) could severely impact your profits over time. The length of your system also affects beer loss, and the longer your lines are the more beer waste you can expect without a foam on beer detector.
Cleaning a Foam on Beer Detector
Just like any other element of your draft beer system, foam on beer detectors must receive regular cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning a foam on beer detector will prevent your beer from contamination or spoiling, something you never want your customers to experience.
FOBs can become sticky inside over time, making them challenging to reset. If a FOB is not reset, it will not be able to detect an empty keg, potentially causing a blown keg or even a keg bleed. It’s important to thoroughly clean FOBs each quarter to prevent these issues, and the cleaning process is as follows:
- Disconnect the keg line from the FOB.
- Attach the line to the cleaning canister/re-circulating pump.
- Ensure the line is completely emptied (including purging the FOB drain line).
- Disassemble and clean each part of the FOB.
- Securely reassemble the FOB.
- Run a beer line cleaning solution or water through the line.
- Purge the FOB and the drain line while there’s solution/water inside.
- Reconnect the keg line and tap the keg to flush out any remaining water in the line.