Technology lends a hand in the search for the perfect pint
A start-up company based in San Francisco has created a smart beer pump which, the company claim, can create the perfect pint every time. Bryan Hermannsson, the man with the job title that everyone wants, that of Pubinno’s Chief Beer Officer, spoke to the BBC about the invention. “It’s a tool that the bartender can use. So it helps them pour the perfect beer, standardises on quality and takes out the guess work,” he said.
Pubinno has stressed that the new device, named Taptronics, is aimed at working with bartenders rather than replace them and it uses a dashboard to collect data on the number of pints served. Pubinno co-founder, Can Algul, added: “In our dashboard, bar owners can track their sales in real time in different forms, and also tracks quality control and inventory.”
The Pubinno Web Portal presents data aggregated from Taptronics devices. Users can get a data enriched insight into operations using the web platform that is enhanced with visual graphics and time-based reports. Pubinno Portal is currently a mobile compatible web application which can be accessed through web browsers.
It is estimated that on average, 20% of the beer in a keg is lost due to over pouring, excess foam and fraud. Pubinno’s Taptronics algorithm allows bars to trace sales, pour a precise amount of beer every time, alert bar staff to potential line problems caused by CO2 and temperature, and ensures that air does not enter into a line when a keg is empty.
Different beer types demand their own set of requirements, especially in terms of amount of foam. In some beer types, foam is excessively used whereas with others, only a small bit of foam is desired. Taptronics lets users configure foam level preferences accordingly, and the company’s automation technology can optimise the foam level for each different beer type. Taptronics will also ensure that the beer is served at the optimal temperature regardless of beer type and external parameters.
The Taptronics system is designed to be plug-and-play and Pubinno claim that it can fit any bar set-up and can replace a standard pump in a matter of minutes. In addition, since Taptronics speeds up service time, Pubinno claim that bars can experience up to a five percent increase in sales. The smart taps are currently in 30 bars and breweries in the US and Europe and each tap costs £27 per month.