The British have always loved a beer. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 28 million pints of beer are consumed every day in the UK. Most beer drinkers agree that there is "nothing worse" than a warm pint, but few are aware that beer that has been stored in a cellar for too long, without being chilled, can actually cause vomiting and illness.

Beers differ from wines insofar as they are not brewed to age, although there are some speciality brews that can age up to 30 years and still be drinkable. Typically, most types of beer can spoil within a few months if not properly chilled.

Pubs and bars have fixed refrigeration units at their premises, of course. But these can sometimes fail, due to simply being too old. This is where the option to hire chiller units (large, powerful and energy-efficient cooling machines) can prove invaluable: preserving beer stocks, keeping customers happy (and healthy), and protecting a drinking establishment’s reputation as being a nice place to go for an enjoyable pint.

Ideal temperatures for beers

There are countless types of lagers, stouts, ales and bitters available to buy in pubs and bars across the country, so it would take an experienced hand to store each type at the correct temperature, even if that were technically possible.

It is a widespread myth that English beer should be served at room temperature. A beer is best served at cellar temperature, which is 12-14 degrees Celsius.

Beer cellars

The type of portable fluid chiller unit (and any ancillary equipment) required is dependent on the size of cellar at the venue, the beer stock size and perhaps the fabric of that area of the building.

Most beer cellars need to be lowly-lit to combat the second major cause of ‘beer going bad’, ultraviolet light exposure.

Low lighting, in addition to access issues can make life difficult for chiller hire companies who are not specialists. However, an expert chiller hire team will rise to the challenge by drawing upon years of experience and vast knowledge to have the beer stock chilled at the correct temperature in a matter of hours.

Chiller hire experts will also avoid freezing the stored beer

Like most food products, beer benefits from low temperatures. But freezing beer forms ice crystals that do not melt back exactly the way they were initially. The result is usually lifeless and unappetising beer.

It is essential, then, that a chiller hire specialist installs and sets up the right chiller model (in terms of size and output capacity) and also one that has an excellent temperature-setting control. As a chiller hire specialist, they will have depots nationwide stocked with a full range of modern chiller units.

Contingency plans provide real peace of mind

The key to avoiding a potential catastrophe is for a landlord to formulate a site-specific contingency plan with a chiller hire expert. Then, should a fixed refrigeration unit fail, threatening what could be thousands of pounds worth of beer stock, there would be no need to panic.