PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2017

BOTTLE MAKING 20 PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 04/17 www.petpla.net Disposable PET kegs - an overview Sell and forget keg by Alexander Büchler A steel keg is expensive, heavy and difficult to clean. No surprise that brewers are looking for alternatives. With dis- posable PET kegs, they can save weight, do not have to clean them and, especially, since the kegs do not have to be returned, they can expand their distribution area. Global shipping of draft beer is now no longer a problem, which was impossible with steel kegs. In addition to all economic and ecological aspects, the idea of “Sell and forget keg” is the most important. Our last overview of PET kegs is now three years old already (PET- planet Insider 05/14), so it is time to check what is new. Two main strains have developed. The majority of suppliers of disposable PET kegs decided to incorporate as much as possible from the existing waste and dispensing systems of the steel kegs. These are usually characterised by featuring classic connectors for keg couplers. One exception in this regard is Keykeg, who have developed their own coupler with safety valve. The systems are very popular. Especially the driving idea ‘sell and forget keg’ is at its most obvious here. The user does not have to invest in new dis- pensing technology. These systems include:  Petainer  Keykeg  Unikeg  Polykeg  Dolium  Ecokeg In addition, two independent systems, which require special keg compression technology in the bar, are trying to establish a foothold. One was developed by Carlsberg. It compresses the keg from the outside using compressed air; the other – Bevkeg - was developed by Krones, which uses a mechanical stamp to squeeze the keg. But there are more stories on the subject of PET kegs; for example, Heineken/Amstler has been offering a small PET keg for the end consumer for years, and of course the hobby brewer community has been dealing with this topic on a smaller scale. We can point to the system of Hendrik Lombard as an example (see p21). Users Carlsberg rethinks draught beer dispense for bars Carlsberg UK has launched Novem- ber 2016 a convenient beer dispensing solution for bars and food-led outlets, called DraughtMaster. It requires only water, a power supply, drainage and space for installation, usually within the bar or drinks service area. The advanced technology, designed and refined by Carlsberg over ten years, uses 20l PET kegs, replacing CO 2 with an in-built air com- pressor. The system features an easy self-cleaning system and a simple modular structure to stock or rotate up to six draught beers, delivering a con- sistent, quality and cost-effective serve every time. The system is a proven Carlsberg initiative and is currently operating in 16 countries around Europe including Italy – a market where 90% of Carlsberg products poured in the on-trade now uses the technology. Added benefits of DraughtMaster include significantly increased beer shelf-life of 31 days compared to 5-7 days for a traditional steel keg; a spe- cialist air compression system mean- ing every pour delivers on the quality and consistency intended by the brew master, with no contact with oxygen throughout the process; reduced waste, a semi-automatic cleaning system and reduced need for space. www.draughtmaster.com Carlsberg fills speciality products for the taproom into PET kegs Heineken has been using 4l PET beer kegs for 5 years Heineken and Amstel fill beer into a 4l PET keg with an integral tap supplied by Appe, now part of the Plastipak group. The “Tapje” keg is a small draft-beer system, which con- sumers can use at home. It has been launched in the Netherlands prior to introduction into other markets. The Tapje features Appe’s propri- etary monoBlox barrier technology with oxygen scavengers, resulting in a robust container with superior barrier performance that protects the integ- rity of the beer by keeping out oxygen whilst keeping in the carbonation. Once open the beer remains fresh for 30 days and so is ideal for occasional drinking or for parties The Tapje is ready for use after being cooled for ten hours in a refrig- erator. A separate beer cooler is avail- able which reduces this time to an hour. A coloured indicator on the front of the keg shows when the beer has reached the correct temperature for consumption. www.plastipakeurope.com