Technical Beer Dispense Revenge
For those of you who don't know, there is a device on a beer dispense line, between the barrel and the bar, called a Fob Detector or Cellar Buoy. The purpose of this is to ensure the constant flow of beer to the bar, uninterrupted by barrel changes. It's a small cylinder on the beer line, about 15cm vertically, filled with beer, with a kind of ping-pong ball in it. When the barrel runs out, the beer runs out of the cylinder, the ball drops and stops the flow. When you connect a new barrel, bleed beer into the cylinder, and release the ball, flow is restored seamlessly, and everything is wonderful.
To release the ball, you push up on a plunger at the bottom off the cylinder. It is very important that you pull this plunger back, or the whole thing stops working at the ball cannot make a seal and stop the flow. Basically, the line fills with gas and when it arrives at the bar, it spurts and fizzes out of the pump, wasting some beer, and causing about 5 minutes stress having to rebleed the line to restore normal operation (incidentally, it's much, much worse with Guinness).

So, onto the story.

Many moons ago, I had a job in a bar where I had risen through the ranks quite nicely. Unfortunately, the management had changed, and what was once an amazing pub, with a 'big family' feel about working there became a bit sterile and business-like. To make things worse, the company had "re-vamped" the place and made it a shit, shadow of it's former self.
So, I decided to leave and go travelling, as one does at that age.
I was in a position of responsibility and need the references for the future, also, I hadn't really been wronged personally, so I served my notice in the appropriate manner.

However, on my last day, I finished at 5pm, just before the Friday rush started and I went to the cellar.
I pushed up the little plunger on every one of the 16 fob detectors and walked out the door.
There is about 4 pints in the line between the cellar and the bar in the average pub, so I was long gone before it all started to kick in.

So there you go, petty, unspectacular and not even funny.
But I stuck it to the man, man. Yeah.


Length? Like I said, about four pints.
(UXB you said it man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus, Thu 22 May 2008, 21:08, 2 replies)

Did you know....
I have changed a million barrels, resetting the cellar bouy each time - as you stated, and asked a million people exactly what it is they really do... and I have never been told.

So thankyou for your informative insight into what was what I thought just a plastic thingamejig on the wall!!!
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Sat 24 May 2008, 14:55, closed)

It's good to know...
that I have touched someone's life in such a profound way.

Go forth with your new knowledge and spread the wisdom to others.
(UXB you said it man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus, Mon 26 May 2008, 11:46, closed)