PET BOTTLE FOR '33'
BEER
ANDLING
development. They are accus
tomed to PET bottles, as
almost all table waters are
packed in such bottles.
Part 6
Hans Schutt, Heineken's
beer treatment expert,
tells about his experiences
'in the field' in each
edition of The World of
Heineken.
Hans Schutt, Draught Beer
Competence Centre Cobbler, stick to your last!
That's the first thought that
always crosses my mind when I see yet another do-it-
yourself construction that's been used to fit the parts
of a dispenser system together. Unfortunately, during
my travels for Heineken, I often come across some
strange ways of coupling the C02 cylinder to the keg
and I think: 'How on earth did they put it together like
that?' A danger to life and limb!
By definition, dispenser installations are safe. I'd
stake my life on that. But you must handle them prop
erly and, above all, you must know when to leave
them well alone and call in the help of the experts.
Don't forget: the pressure in the carbon dioxide cylin
der is 60 to 80 bar! The cylinder itself as well as the
beer lines and the keg can safely withstand this enor
mous pressure, provided they have been competently
fitted according to the rules.
Proper handling of the carbon dioxide cylinder
comes at the top of the list of safety precautions that
bar owners themselves must take. That cylinder
needs to be attached vertically to the wall. It should
be secured by a chain so that it cannot fall over, as this
might perhaps cause the reducing valve to break off,
which could have nasty consequences. And always
keep the cylinder well away from sources of heat.
Also make sure that the room containing the car
bon dioxide cylinder is well ventilated. In itself, car
bon dioxide gas is not dangerous; it is an odourless,
non-toxic and naturally occurring gas. But if the
balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide is dis
rupted, a dangerous situation will arise. As carbon
dioxide is heavier than oxygen, it will sink down and
linger around in the cellar. If the carbon dioxide con
centration in the air is between three and four per
cent, you will feel dizzy and have difficulty breathing.
At a level of more than five per cent, you won't even
have time to do anything...
Lastly, if you find that the cap of the carbon diox
ide cylinder is difficult to open, do not use pliers or
other tools to force it loose. Just put that cylinder on
one side and use the next one. Don't take any risks;
leave the problems for the experts to solve.
Brasseries Heineken, the
Heineken operating company
in France, has introduced a
new one-way pack format for
its local mainstream brand
'33': the 50 cl PET bottle.
According to Brasseries
Heineken, the benefits of the
PET bottle are that it is un
breakable and light in weight
and also has a very suitable
surface on which different
shapes and raised patterns can
be applied. PET is the abbre
viation for polyethylene
terephthalate, a synthetic
material that is used in the
soft drinks industry. The mate
rial consists of carbon, hydro
gen and oxygen and can easily
be recycled.
In the past the use of PET bot
tles was not considered for the
packaging of beer, as carbon
dioxide escaped through the
bottle wall and oxygen enter
ed the bottle; two factors that
are harmful for the beer's
quality. To prevent these
unwanted effects, the walls of
the new bottle are made of
five layers of PET, which
means the quality of the beer
can be guaranteed for six
months. After those six
months the carbon dioxide
slowly disappears from the
bottle.
Consumer research by
Brasseries Heineken has
shown that French consumers
look positively on the new
