How much do direct-draw and long-draw draft beer systems cost? Are you aware that kegerators are the rage in 2024? Learn how the various draft systems compare – such as the kegerator, beer walls, air-cooled and glycol systems.
WHAT ARE THE CHOICES FOR DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS?
Nowadays there are many choices for a prospective draft beer system owner. Draft beer systems are categorized “Direct-Draw” or “Long-Draw” systems and are differentiated by distance. Direct-draw systems are in the immediate vicinity of the bar whereas long-draw systems are remotely located from the bar. In terms of cost, the real issue isn’t about distance but more about the delivery method. As I’ll illustrate, there are options with either system.
DIRECT-DRAW DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS
In the U.S., for many years the traditional method of delivery for draft beer was cold air. Hence, the name “Air-Cooled” system. The air-cooled draft beer system is still in use and utilizes a mechanical blower to chill the draft beer lines over a very short distance. This is accomplished as follows:
- Kegerators – which includes traditional kegerators and the modern-day custom kegerators
- Direct-draw systems
TRADITIONAL KEGERATORS
The best example of direct-draw draft beer systems is the traditional kegerator (refer photos below). Kegerators emerged in U.S. bars in the 1940’s.
Traditional kegerators are designed to house standard U.S. 1/2-barrels of beer. The subject kegerator is designed to dispense four brands of U.S. domestic beer and has enough room for one backup barrel.
HOW MUCH DO TRADITIONAL KEGERATORS COST?
The 4-faucet kegerator is still being marketed in 2024. Here’s some examples of the cost of pre-packaged kegerators:
- Beverage-Air model DD78HC-1-B (shown in the photo below, left) costs $4,790, excluding tax and freight.
- The Advantco UDD-4-HC (shown in the photo below, right) costs $2,200 (excluding tax and freight), but is 90″ long (they don’t offer a 78″ unit).
With the emergence of extremely popular and profitable craft beer, to me, the 4-faucet tower is no longer applicable. In fact, I only specified one of these in 2024. Craft beer is delivered primarily in 1/6-barrel kegs (“Sixtels”), which means that you can feature as many as 10-12 brands. Don’t limit yourself!
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BAR DESIGN TIP:
If a bar owner wants to feature craft beer, this cooler could accommodate 12 sixtels. The other problem with the traditional kegerator is that most are 29″ deep. Deep coolers such as this are not in compliance with the 24″ standard we use for built-in bar equipment. Traditional kegerators impact the bartender aisle by reducing it 5″.
Surely, there must be an updated idea for 24″ deep kegerators! I invented my own, and it’s something anyone can do… stay tuned!
The best draft beer system accessory
Our friends at Bar Track created the best accessory for draft beer systems. “Bar Track” monitors every dollar spent and every ounce of draft beer poured in real-time. It also monitors the pressure and temperature and sends notifications with its cloud-based app. Bar Track can also be integrated into Sculpture Hospitality’s inventory service. The hardware is very inexpensive and can be installed in a matter of minutes. In my opinion, every draft beer system owner needs Bar Track.
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CUSTOM KEGERATORS FOR HIGHER CAPACITY
We have two issues to address with high-capacity kegerators in 2024:
- Very few kegerators are available in a 24″ depth.
- While the traditional kegerators are capable of dispensing craft beer, very few manufacturers offer kegerators with high-capacity towers.
Several years ago, I developed my own approach for high-capacity, shallow-footprint kegerators. I simply specify my favorite 24″ back bar cooler, along with my favorite draft beer tower. Nowadays, I specify high-capacity kegerators all the time.
THE DRAFT BEER TOWER CAN BE SEPARATED FROM THE KEGERATOR
The worst problem I have with pre-packaged kegerators is their inability to be properly presented in the back bar. Therefore, every bar I design with a kegerator shows a remote tower. This enables us to have a true back bar with a back bar top. My favorite custom kegerator features a remote tower with eight or more faucets (remote towers are those that sit atop the back bar top), as shown in the architectural elevation below.
WHY KEGERATORS WITH REMOTE DRAFT BEER TOWERS ARE SO IMPORTANT
This is a very professional presentation and appears as a glycol draft beer system to the casual observer. To complement this tower, I always specify the Krowne BB84-SNS (84″ x 24″) back bar cooler, which can accommodate 12 sixtels and a 10 pound CO2 tank. Very importantly, the kegerator shown below has enough capacity to store four back-up kegs. This prevents excessive trips to the walk-in cooler. For those serious about making money, minimize the quantity of U.S. domestic beer.
HOW MUCH DO CUSTOM KEGERATOR DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS COST?
Because they’re 24″ deep, custom kegerators can fit anywhere along the front bar or back bar, as shown in the architectural elevation below. However, the back bar is our recommended location. In fact, the towers are commonly installed on top of the back bar. Many towers, such as the Micro Matic Metro-T-8, work with the configuration below. The cost of an 84″, 8-faucet custom kegerator draft beer system (back bar cooler, draft beer hardware and installation) starts about $11,000 (excluding tax and freight).
Hands down, the custom kegerator is the most popular draft beer system we specified in 2024. Glycol draft beer systems were hardly ever requested. Whoever thought they'd see this?
KEGERATOR DESIGN TIP:
The only limitation of the custom kegerator is the size and variety of air-cooled towers, which is generally limited to about eight faucets. This is because of the limited space for the tower and the storage capacity of the kegerator itself. The Glastender model (shown below) enables the bar owner to have six backup kegs inside the cooler. This is a reasonable investment for someone who’s looking to add draft beer to their menu.
QUESTION:
Have you heard about Jon Taffer’s invention? READ HERE about Jon’s world-class Zero-Step “Taffer Command Station” by Krowne.
AIR-COOLED DIRECT-DRAW WALL SYSTEMS
The other type of direct-draw system is the beer wall. The beer wall is a great approach if your walk-in cooler is located directly behind the back bar. Most people visiting a bar such as the one in the photo below, would think that’s a glycol system. After all, that draft beer tower is reminiscent of a glycol system.
- This system works off the same model as the kegerator. The only difference is that the cooler is a walk-in cooler and the mechanical blower is larger.
- For bar owners with a kitchen behind their bar, there is generally a greater chance of implementing a strategically-placed walk-in cooler.
HOW MUCH DO AIR-COOLED DIRECT-DRAW DRAFT BEER WALL SYSTEMS COST?
The advantage with the beer wall is the efficiency of the delivery. For instance, the system shown in the photo below is installed through the wall of the walk-in cooler. This system features 20 beer products, and the beer is chilled by the air inside the cooler. Shown here are two Micro Matic Metropolis WM-10 wall-mounted towers in stainless steel, installed end-to-end. The cost to implement this draft beer system (20-faucet system) ranges from $19,000 – $21,000, which includes $4,000 for the draft beer tower, $1,000 for the drip tray and $800 for a CO2 leak detector. The same arrangement using glycol is about $9,000 greater.
BAR DESIGN TIP:
For an air-cooled beer wall to deliver maximum profitability it’s imperative to have a dedicated walk-in cooler. This means that food and bottled beer should not be stored with the draft beer.
LONG-DRAW DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS
As mentioned earlier, the long-draw draft beer system is one where the walk-in cooler is located away from the bar area. There are two types of long-draw draft beer systems:
- Air-cooled
- Glycol-chilled
AIR-COOLED LONG-DRAW SYSTEMS
The air-cooled long-draw system is the other traditional method of dispensing draft beer. Bar owners still use this method. However, the guidelines for locating the walk-in cooler are strict:
- The walk-in cooler cannot be more than 25′ from the draft beer tower
- Deduct 5′ from the above distance for each 90 degree turn
Draft beer is delivered from the walk-in cooler to the tower via a mechanical duct (“Shaft”). The shaft houses a number of PVC product lines, each of which contains a different brand of beer. the greatest separation from the tower to the walk-in cooler cannot exceed 20′. This is because every installation requires at least one 90 degree turn (for the shaft). Therefore, the optimal location for the walk-in cooler is directly above or below the bar.
HOW MUCH DO AIR-COOLED LONG-DRAW DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS COST?
In terms of cost, this system ranges from $1,500 – $2,500 for the tower, $800 for the drip tray and installation begins at $10,000. However, unlike the wall system, the air-cooled long-draw system has the same limitation in tower designs as kegerators. Examples of air-cooled towers are shown in the gallery below.
BAR DESIGN TIP:
Because the draft beer products are stored in walk-in coolers, higher-capacity towers are available.
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PHOTO OF MICRO MATIC MINI MUSHROOM AIR-COOLED TOWER -
PHOTO OF MICRO MATIC DOUBLE PEDESTAL AIR-COOLED TOWER
GLYCOL-CHILLED DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS
The glycol-chilled system is the king of all draft beer systems.
- The glycol system offers the greatest installation flexibility along with the largest tower selection.
- This system works off the principles of refrigeration. This provides the ultimate flexibility of putting a walk-in cooler practically anywhere you want.
- It can also service multiple beer towers and/or multiple bars simultaneously from a single power pack, up to 750 feet.
- The glycol system offers a tremendous amount of beer tower designs. The products are virtually limitless, such as the one shown in the photo below.
HOW MUCH DO GLYCOL-CHILLED DRAFT BEER SYSTEMS COST?
The average cost of a glycol-chilled draft beer system averages $1,200 – $1,500 per product line (installed). In 2024, the majority of systems have 8-10 faucets. The installed cost of an average 10-faucet system with a standard tower is between $12,000 – $15,000. Custom towers are extra.
BAR DESIGN TIP:
For optimal performance, glycol-chilled draft beer systems should have a dedicated walk-in cooler. This adds about $10,000 to the cost of the investment
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WHAT BAR OWNERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DRAFT BEER AND LIQUOR INVENTORY CONTROL
Friends, I’ve written considerably about the topic of inventory control. As pointed out by my good friend and Sculpture franchisee, Chuck Diebel, CPA, bar owners are losing over 20% of their profits and aren’t even aware! Why? One reason is that they’re making so much money they don’t have any point of refence. This is especially true if they don’t incorporate scientific liquor inventory control, such as the service provided by Sculpture Hospitality. Formerly known as “Bevinco,” Sculpture Hospitality offers inexpensive, expert service to bar owners around the globe – they have franchisees in most countries. If you want to know more about this service, please read the following blog post. This will get you started:
BAR DESIGN TIP
- Craft beer needs to be served at 38F and frozen glassware distorts the beer’s characteristics.
- According to the CDC, ice is classified as food; therefore, glass frosters require tedious, regular cleaning; most bar owners don’t have the qualified staff to perform this complex procedure.
- Glass frosters start at $1,500 and consume at least 24″ of underbar space.
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