As Nashville’s TailGate Brewery launched a new Lager series, not just the production and packaging aspects were altered, but the taproom service was changed as well.
The addition of a LUKR side pour faucet was added this year to the brewery and Andrew Gonzales, the brewery’s Maintenance Manager, led that charge in ordering and installing the new tap.
“The LUKR faucet does have a similar install, it’s just very large in comparison,” he told Brewer. “The tap sticks out five inches farther than the regular faucet, and it’s five inches wider on the handle, left or right.”
These faucets are produced in Ceska Republika and are made with European thread connections.
Gonzales said the LUKR website is very straightforward in ordering all LUKR faucets.
“We ordered the LUKR NOSTALGIE faucet in stainless steel,” he said. “They are all standard, but do vary in colors and types of metal.”
Gonzales learned that you have to order a US standard thread connection conversion on the LUKR website for each faucet as well as the gasket on the back of the US shank does not seat correctly.
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“We swapped with a thicker gasket to make it seal correctly,” he said. “We also learned there are a lot of parts inside the faucet compared to a regular faucet, so be very careful taking apart the LUKR faucet.”
The install is fairly easy after you change to the US connection, he added.
“We used the standard faucet wrench we use on all of our current faucets,” Gonzales said. “We ordered spare gasket kits for repair as each faucet has 10 gaskets.
“The only part that requires replacing occasionally is the tap nozzle screen when it gets damaged. Also, we learned the drip tray needs to be at least 10 inches, enough to catch the beer after a pour the LUKR faucet is seven inches deep from wall to end of the tip.”
Service Changes
On the front of the house side, beer servers are always taught to not dip a nozzle into the beer. That idea is scrapped here, said Marketing Manager Liz Tarry.
“It’s not a slow pour,” she noted as some Pils have that technique as well. “That’s been a point of education for us as well. Essentially you’re pouring the foam cap first and then you’re submerging the faucet into the beer.
“[It’s] obviously a huge no-no in any other draft system. You’re filling the liquid up from the bottom as opposed to the other way around in the regular American draft systems.”
Tarry said there’s a small screen inside the faucet that aerates the foam, which makes it kind of milky and a lot creamier.
“It’s just a really different drinking experience,” she said. “And the foam is a lot more enjoyable. It’s part of [the beer] as opposed to just part of the carbonation.”
So now, when it comes to cleaning, there is a different regimen?
“We’re spraying and wiping it down really regularly … ideally, after every pour,” Tarry said, adding that a faucet stopper can’t be used at close as well. Gonzales said instead, bartenders are instructed to cover that tap with saran wrap instead.
“It’s little adjustments like that,” Tarry said. “It’s really been a fun thing for our team to learn, and it’s something that they’re really proud of to be able to pour.”
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