A clipboard hanging on a nail
In the cellar there is a clipboard with a temperature sheet and a line cleaning sheet. On a good week the manager writes the cellar temperature every morning and ticks the line clean on a Tuesday. On a bad week, the sheet has gaps. The relief manager did not know about it. The line clean was done but not signed. The paper is damp and curling at the corners.
When the brewery's quality person visits, or the pub company asks about cellar standards, you find the sheets from the last few months, some missing and some illegible. When a customer complains about a hazy pint, you cannot say when that line was last cleaned.
Why cellar records have gaps
Cellar checks are routine, and routine things get skipped when the routine person is away. The clipboard does not remind anyone and does not know what is overdue. It only records what someone remembered to write.
Line cleaning also varies by line. Some lines may be cleaned on a different cycle, some beers need more frequent cleans, and cleans happen around deliveries and busy days. On paper, it is hard to see at a glance which line is due and which was missed.
What checks you do, and how often, is set by your own procedures, your brewery or pub company and the guidance you follow. We are not advising on those. We make it easier to do and record what you have decided.
What gappy records cost
| Gap | Effect |
|---|---|
| Missed temperature readings | No evidence of cellar conditions when questioned |
| Line cleans not recorded | No way to link a quality problem to a missed clean |
| Relief staff unaware of checks | Checks skipped whenever the manager is off |
| Paper sheets lost or damaged | History you cannot show when asked |
| No overdue warning | Problems found by customers, not by you |
Beer quality depends on the cellar. A warm cellar or an overdue line clean shows up in the glass, and customers who get a bad pint often do not complain. They just order something else, or go elsewhere.
Cellar checks on a phone
- We set up the checks you already do: cellar temperature, cooler checks, line cleaning per line, and any others your procedures include, with how often each is due.
- Each check is recorded on a phone in a couple of taps, working offline in the cellar and syncing later. The name and time are recorded automatically.
- Reminders go to whoever is on duty when a check is due, and the manager is alerted when one is overdue.
- Optional wireless temperature sensors in the cellar and coolers record readings on their own and alert you if they go outside the range you set.
- Line cleaning is recorded per line, so you can see when each line was last cleaned and which is due next.
- The history can be viewed or exported at any time, for your own review or to show your brewery, pub company or an inspector.
The ranges, frequencies and procedures are yours. We record them as you set them and do not decide what they should be.
A week with the phone log
On Tuesday morning the phone reminds the relief manager that the line clean is due. They do it and record each line. The cellar sensor sends an alert on a hot afternoon when the temperature starts climbing, and the cooling is checked before the evening. When the brewery's quality person visits, you show them the last three months on your phone.
- Checks done and recorded even when the manager is away
- Overdue checks flagged before they become problems
- A clean, complete history for each line and the cellar
- Temperature alerts instead of warm beer
Are your cellar records like this?
- Temperature and line cleaning are recorded on paper in the cellar.
- The sheets have gaps when the usual person is away.
- You cannot easily say when a particular line was last cleaned.
- Records have been lost, damaged or are hard to read.
- You only find out the cellar was warm when a customer complains.