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Features and Benefits |
Features and Benefits
How does the TurboTap provide increased keg yield?
The TurboTap increases keg yield in two ways: (1) reducing spillage and (2) dispensing beer with a proper collar of foam. Both functions are the result of TurboTap’s advanced bottom-filling technology. This technology ensures that each beer is dispensed in a consistent manner.
Why should I care about keg yield?
Keg yield is a measure of the number of beers served per keg. Increasing the number of beers served per keg allows you to increase the revenue you earn per keg. A standard keg contains 1,984 ounces of liquid beer. Assuming 16-ounce portions, a 5% improvement in keg yield equates to 6 extra servings per keg. With better keg yield, even small improvements quickly add up on your bottom line.
How fast is the TurboTap?
Since the TurboTap is a retrofit product, its maximum pour speed depends on the current configuration of your beer system. Typically, the TurboTap will allow your system to pour beer at two to four times its current flow rate. Under ideal circumstances (e.g. beer at 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit and a direct-draw environment), the TurboTap can pour perfect pints in as little as 2 seconds and 60-ounce pitchers in as little as 8 seconds.
What if I’m only interested in TurboTap’s keg yield benefits?
For many TurboTap users, keg yield is more important than speed. Regardless of pour speed, all TurboTap users experience the keg yield benefits afforded by the TurboTap.
I work at a brew-pub. Does TurboTap work for filling growlers?
Well… sort of. We don’t currently have a model that is long enough to reach the bottom of a standard growler. Mainly because in order to reach the bottom of a growler and have enough room to get the growler out when it is full, the faucet would have to be a whopping 22 inches above the bar. We are working on a longer version of the TurboTap that would reach half of the way to the bottom of your growlers (and all the way to the bottom of tall pilsner glass). If not full tilt TurboTap speed, we could at least cut down on the amount of foam that erupts from your growler as you fill it. If all goes well, we’ll have these ready to mid-2006.
Will I sell more beer by using the TurboTap?
This question is very tricky to answer because it depends on many factors that the TurboTap cannot control. Increased keg yield will allow you to sell more beers per keg. Increased pour speed will provide you with the opportunity to pour more beer during a given period of time; what you make of that opportunity is up to you. The opportunity to pour more beer is particularly important during the “last call” cutoff times at football and baseball games. It is also particularly important during festivals and events where beer pour speed has a large influence on the speed at which beer lines move. Data from our major customers indicates that TurboTapped sites sell more beer.
Does using the TurboTap guarantee I’ll pour a perfect beer every time?
No, it does not. (Please notify us immediately if you ever find such a product at an affordable price.) The TurboTap will provide you with improved yield and speed as compared to your current draft system. Since the TurboTap is a retrofit product, it still requires that you maintain a healthy draft system. If your existing system cannot pour an acceptable beer, adding the TurboTap will improve the pour, but it will not make it perfect. See Installation and Training for more information.
Top.
Pricing and Availability
How much does the TurboTap cost?
Home users can purchase TurboTap keg cooler and kegerator kits for $209 and $179, respectively. These kits work only with direct-draw beer systems. See the Home User section of this site for more details. Bars, restaurants and pubs can purchase the TurboTap and have it properly installed using our network of authorized TurboTap installers. The installed cost of the TurboTap will vary depending on the condition of your draft system. Please contact us to find an authorized installer near you. Finally, we bundle a service and technology package for stadiums, arenas and concessionaires that guarantees a target return on investment. We guarantee your TurboTapped beer system will deliver tangible results to your bottom line. Contact us for more information.
Can I order the TurboTap today?
Yes, you can, though we may need to track someone down in your location to perform the installation. Call (312) 329-0200 and talk to a sales representative about your needs. All of our sales representatives have been formally trained in draft beer systems, so you’ll be speaking with someone who will understand your setup.
Do you have samples available for me to try?
We do not provide free samples for you to try. Instead we offer a money-back guarantee. Since January 2005, TurboTaps have been used to pour over 6 million draft beers at arenas, stadiums, pubs and restaurants across the country. Rest assured... the product works.
What happens if a TurboTap breaks?
The TurboTap has no moving parts and is cast from solid stainless steel. In the unlikely event that a TurboTap is damaged during the normal course of use, Laminar will repair or replace the product free of charge.
Installation and Training
How does the TurboTap work?
The TurboTap takes advantage of the fluid flow characteristics of beer in fundamentally changing the way beer strikes the container into which it is dispensed. The TurboTap minimizes the acceleration effects of gravity on beer flow while evenly dispersing beer in a radial manner in order to create an optimal, highly-repeatable pattern of fluid flow. The result is a straightforward process for dispensing beer that can pour a 16-ounce glass of beer in as little as two seconds.Installing the TurboTap provides users the opportunity to dispense beer at two to four times the flow rate of conventional dispensing systems. In order to fully realize this opportunity, as part of its installation process, Laminar must increase the flow rate of beer through a draft beer system. The TurboTap is a passive device; it does not pull beer through existing draft beer systems at a faster rate. Rather, the TurboTap allows its users to increase the flow rate of beer through their existing draft beer systems and dispense their beer in a highly controlled manner.
How do I increase the flow rate through my existing beer system?
Increasing the flow rate of beer through a draft system is a straightforward process. Unless the TurboTap is only desired for special events, the adjustment process happens only once. Three main methods are available for increasing the flow rate of beer through existing systems: rebalancing the beer lines, adjusting system pressure and/or gas blend, and installing beer pumps. Laminar's team of draft experts will work with you on your TurboTap installation to ensure that flow rate is increased while maintaining the intended storage requirements of your draft products. Once installed, ongoing maintenance of the TurboTap only involves regular cleaning of the product. You should also regularly clean your draft beer system.
Can I install the TurboTap myself?
This is one of the toughest questions to answer. TurboTap is designed to be a retrofit device, so in many cases the installation is incredibly easy, done in literally seconds. With direct draw systems, our Home Kits can be installed by anyone with the ability to use basic tools. For long draw or glycol draft systems, installation requirements vary. We at TurboTap are very particular about draft beer and our goal is for every TurboTap installation to be perfect, so we require that a professional draft system installer perform the installation. Please call us and talk to someone in our sales staff to help assess the need of your particular system. If you are a professional draft system installer, or if you know of one in your area, please call us or visit the TurboTap Dealer-Installer section of our web site.
Is the TurboTap difficult to use?
The TurboTap is extremely easy to use. Pouring a beer with the TurboTap is much simpler than pouring a beer with a conventional faucet. Novice servers can learn to pour a perfect beer in less than one minute.
Does the TurboTap work with nitrogenated stouts (Guinness® and Murphy's®)?
Nitrogenated stouts are dispensed differently from carbonated beers. The current version of the TurboTap works with stouts, though with one slight qualification: while a TurboTapped stout will provide the signature ‘cascading’ effect, some stout purists might note that the frothy head contains a few bubbles of uneven size. No difference in taste can be discerned from a TurboTap stout versus a conventional slow pour. This is an active area of development for Laminar Technologies. Please visit our Stout Page for more information.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Are there any sanitary concerns related to the TurboTap?
Just as with your existing draft beer system, it is important that the TurboTap be cleaned on a regular basis. The TurboTap is manufactured from solid Type 304 stainless steel to eliminate as much bacterial build-up as possible. Additionally, the TurboTap has been tested and certified by NSF International as safe for dispensing beer according to the NSF/ANSI 18 Standard for Manual Food and Beverage Dispensing Equipment. Our official NSF listing provides more information. Lastly, the TurboTap can be cleaned in place or removed for cleaning without disconnecting your draft system.
What is the cleaning process?
Laminar recommends cleaning the TurboTap after each day/night of use by rinsing with clean water and drying with a clean cloth. Additionally, your beer lines should be cleaned every two weeks. At the time of beer line cleaning, the TurboTap should be soaked for 10 to 20 minutes in an appropriate strength beer line cleaning solution and brushed. Remember to thoroughly rinse away all line cleaner before reinstalling the TurboTap.
Other than regular cleaning, does the TurboTap require any other maintenance?
Provided you are already properly maintaining your existing draft beer system, ongoing maintenance requirements of the TurboTap are practically non-existent. The TurboTap contains two o-rings that should be inspected for wear when performing draft line cleaning. Should the o-rings show significant wear, the o-rings should be replaced. One extra set of o-rings is provided with each TurboTap. Additional o-rings can be purchased from Laminar at a nominal cost.Competing Technologies
Is the TurboTap an electronic or push-button type system?
No. Unlike competing technologies, the TurboTap is a completely mechanical product. As a result, the TurboTap has far fewer breakable parts and is much less expensive to clean and maintain. We believe the more electronics and moving parts, the more that can go wrong. Our philosophy is to provide our customers with the most straightforward product possible to get the job done.
Does the TurboTap ‘super cool’ the beer?
The TurboTap makes use of your existing cooling system to chill the beer. For U.S. draft products, we recommend beer be served at the brewery recommended temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3.5 degrees Celsius). Some competing products chill beer far below this recommended temperature to coax the beer to pour more consistently. But, serving beer much below the brewery recommend temperature could hurt your beer sales.
How could serving ‘super cool’ beer hurt my beer sales?
Cold beer contains large volumes of dissolved carbon dioxide gas; this is gas that is trapped in the liquid. When beer is poured properly at the brewery recommended temperature, a good portion of the trapped gas is released in the form of bubbles and foam. The colder the beer, the more difficult it becomes to release the trapped gas.With a super chilled beer, very little gas is released during the pouring process – it all remains trapped in the liquid. Upon drinking the super cooled beer, however, it begins to warm up in the stomach of the drinker, and all of the trapped gas begins to bubble out of solution. The drinker will feel gassy and bloated and will be less likely to purchase additional servings.
Additionally, super cooling mutes the taste of draft beer, decreasing the perceived differences between your budget and premium brands.
What’s the biggest difference between the TurboTap and the competition?
The biggest difference between the TurboTap and other draft enhancing products is the TurboTap’s retrofit capability. No other product on the market installs faster or easier on your existing draft system.
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| © 2008 Laminar Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved. TurboTap is a registered trademark of Laminar Technologies, LLC. TurboTap technology is protected by issued and pending patents, both U.S. and international. Laminar Technologies promotes and encourages responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages. |