On The Subject Of Pubs And Slops

Hammiepeters

Many years ago when I worked in a pub, the landlord and manager used to recycle the slops from the overflow tray back through the taps. Where the black stuff was concerned there were double taps to pour multiples of pints which would be placed on top for settling and then topped up with a lone tap which poured the slop in and finished the pint for serving. Often if he saw nobody looking he would pour leftovers in the tray. In other words the half finished pint that the filthy old bugger in the bar had been drinking, ended up in the pints of the nice young couple who came in next day. I have to ask the question. Is this still common practice? I have heard that it is. Nowadays the drinks of choice in many bars are lagers. And I must admit that some pints(of lager) served up especially late at night in late pubs are so bad that it seems likely that this filthy practice does exist.

Mr Magnolia

Hammiepeters wrote: »

Many years ago when I worked in a pub, the landlord and manager used to recycle the slops from the overflow tray back through the taps.

Totally impossible.

Where the black stuff was concerned there were double taps to pour multiples of pints which would be placed on top for settling and then topped up with a lone tap which poured the slop in and finished the pint for serving.

This makes no sense what-so-ever so I'm not sure what you mean?

Often if he saw nobody looking he would pour leftovers in the tray. In other words the half finished pint that the filthy old bugger in the bar had been drinking, ended up in the pints of the nice young couple who came in next day. I have to ask the question.

Again, this makes no sense to me.

Is this still common practice? I have heard that it is. Nowadays the drinks of choice in many bars are lagers. And I must admit that some pints(of lager) served up especially late at night in late pubs are so bad that it seems likely that this filthy practice does exist.

Have you heard about publicans pouring slops back into kegs and sending them back to the suppliers? This is different to the main body of your post above, please clarify what you mean.

Hammiepeters

So which pub do you own?

Adyx

This does not happen anywhere. Its a myth. The reason lagers taste crap in pubs is because they are crap. Even if they were of decent quality, the piss-poor attempt at line cleaning and maintenance by Diageo et al means they would still taste like crap.

mikemac

Total myth
Along with that watering down a pint one. It's more hassle then it's worth

I'm not saying watering down spirits doesn't happen but in the several places I've worked, I've never ever seen it.

Mr Magnolia

Hammiepeters wrote: »

So which pub do you own?

Who said I owned a pub?

the beer revolu

As mentioned by Magnolia, there used to be a practice of pouring slops back into a keg and returning it to the brewery as a 'bad keg' which was credited to the publican. This was a common enough practice and as the breweries knew what was going on, it was essentially a discount system.

I've not heard of this being done for a long time.

Also these days there is very little by way of slops, what with cold rooms and fob protectors.

_blank_

I used to work in a pub, and we did this at the end of the night, it was called "doing scoobies".

We'd fill a bucket with the drip trays, we had 4 buckets

Guinness
Smithwicks
Budweiser
All Other Lager

we'd use old empty kegs, the best part was de-gassing the kegs, with a funnel, and send the kegs back to the brewery.

God knows that they did with it.

It would never be recycled on premises.

It was a Guinness owned pub.

Mimikyu

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Quint

I know a guy that worked in popular pub in dublin (won't mention it) and he said they poured drip trays or ends of pints into a basin and just scooped out a pint out of it when someone drunk ordered a pint late at night. Not sure if they had a different one for each drink.
Anyway, it's another reason why no one is sheading a tear for the poor publicans at the moment

eyebrows63

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

as far as i know the brewery does a random spot check an the r/b to see if its what its supposed to be

rubadub

I love hearing all these bullsh-it myths, real "bloke in the pub told me", chinese whispers turn up some beauts, drunken chinese whispers :eek: some bizarre tales come out.

The big magical syringe that injects stuff back into pressurised kegs is the best one I have heard.

Mr Magnolia

rubadub wrote: »

I love hearing all these bullsh-it myths, real "bloke in the pub told me", chinese whispers turn up some beauts, drunken chinese whispers :eek: some bizarre tales come out.

The big magical syringe that injects stuff back into pressurised kegs is the best one I have heard.

You can pour slops back into kegs alright, you just can't do it via the taps. The pressure in the kegs can be dissipated easily once they're empty.

_blank_

Des wrote: »

the best part was de-gassing the kegs

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

The pressure in the kegs can be dissipated easily once they're empty.

Yep, it's like a reverse tapping head, just stick it in as normal, and all the gas and residual liquid comes flying out, like a geyser.



No magic syringes there.

rubadub

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

You can pour slops back into kegs alright, you just can't do it via the taps. The pressure in the kegs can be dissipated easily once they're empty.

Yep, I have degassed empty kegs myself. I have heard lads talking of some magic syringe that allowed you inject the slops back into half full pressurised kegs though, and from the way they were talking it was very easily done and common practise.

residual liquid comes flying out, like a geyser.

I remember my mate found a bulmers keg thrown in his front garden and tried to get the dregs out, he jammed a hedge clipper blade in it, soaked himself completely and the entire garage stank of bulmers, his mother went mental!

The pouring of slops back into kegs is where the chinese whispers begin.

_blank_

rubadub wrote: »

I remember my mate found a bulmers keg thrown in his front garden and tried to get the dregs out, he jammed a hedge clipper blade in it, soaked himself completely and the entire garage stank of bulmers, his mother went mental!

The reverse tapping head I was on about previously does this, in a little bit of a more controlled manner

rubadub wrote: »

The pouring of slops back into kegs is where the chinese whispers begin.

Nope, attach a funnel to that same reverse tapping head, and hey presto, you can pour a bucket of whatever you want into the key.

It really is that easy.

rubadub

Des wrote: »

Nope, attach a funnel to that same reverse tapping head, and hey presto, you can pour a bucket of whatever you want into the key.

It really is that easy.

But can the depressurised keg filled with flat slops turnout a beer which would be sellable?

_blank_

rubadub wrote: »

But can the depressurised keg filled with flat slops turnout a beer which would be sellable?

The pub I worked in was owned by Guinness, and never did that. So, I don't know.

I would imagine it could though.

Welease

I used to work in a hotel/nighclub in the mid 80's.

Lager slops were reused as much as possible, a line of glasses under the bar with about an inch of slops in them would be filled up with lager from the tap. The slops were at most about 30 mins old.

All Guinness slops were held back, and would be put into degassed kegs at the end of each night and returned to Guinness (for credit I believe)... I am not sure if/how this practice has changed in the last 20 years though..

rubadub

Des wrote: »

I would imagine it could though.

If they can do that then they could easily water down beer the same way. I had always heard watering down beer is a myth. Does anybody know any pub here that was ever done for watered down beer via keg? i.e. the water was added to the keg, there might be a way to have water coming in at the same time to water it down.

Lager slops were reused as much as possible, a line of glasses under the bar with about an inch of slops in them would be filled up with lager from the tap. The slops were at most about 30 mins old.

This is why I prefer going to the bar in suspect pubs so I can see what they are at.

chakotha

I worked in a pub in London years ago and we used filter the slops back into the real ale casks.

All except Guinness and cider as they make the beer go cloudy apparently.

And we used tip the drip trays into glasses and have them ready under the tap for topping up.

oblivious

chakotha wrote: »

I worked in a pub in London years ago and we used filter the slops back into the real ale casks.

All except Guinness and cider as they make the beer go cloudy apparently.

And we used tip the drip trays into glasses and have them ready under the tap for topping up.

The cask-marque would probably welcome an mail for you about the pub

http://www.cask-marque.co.uk/

BeerNut

Apparently, running slops into the mild casks was common practice in English pubs up until about 1950. It does seem like an awful lot of effort to go to, though. I suspect it's only done these days in the sort of obviously dodgy pubs where you wouldn't trust the beer even before drinking any.

Brainz

i worked as a lounge boy in a pub about 10 years ago and this was very common at the time -

at the end of the night we would have 2 buckets - One for stout and one for beer. the slops from the trays and from any left over drinks where then poured into the buckets-

I dont know where they went but when i asked one night i was told not to ask again !!!

rubadub

Brainz wrote: »

I dont know where they went but when i asked one night i was told not to ask again !!!

I would guess & hope it was going back as returned kegs. Surely guinness etc would know how to check this. There would be all sorts of bacteria from spit etc, not to mention ash from cigarettes, especially before the smoking ban.

Do people return them as a "bad keg", or do the breweries really give refund on known slops.

I expect a far more common practise is passing off beers for another, e.g. getting in cheap bavaria and hooking up to a higher priced tap. Same goes for spirits.

_blank_

rubadub wrote: »

I expect a far more common practise is passing off beers for another, e.g. getting in cheap bavaria and hooking up to a higher priced tap. Same goes for spirits.

yep,I was in one pub recently and was told not order heineken from a particular tap, as it was Coors Light

oblivious

rubadub wrote: »

I expect a far more common practise is passing off beers for another, e.g. getting in cheap bavaria and hooking up to a higher priced tap.

An I wounder how may noticed?

noby

oblivious wrote: »

An I wounder how may noticed?

Hardly the point though, is it?

oblivious

noby wrote: »

Hardly the point though, is it?

No, not at all

the bolt

chakotha wrote: »

I worked in a pub in London years ago and we used filter the slops back into the real ale casks.

All except Guinness and cider as they make the beer go cloudy apparently.

And we used tip the drip trays into glasses and have them ready under the tap for topping up.

i also worked in a london pub and the landlord used to put all dregs(spirits,ale and stout) back in casks . iused to laugh when i heard the local camra guy raving about how good the real ale was.this same landlord also wanted me to short mesure two old blind guys that used to come in every day for a few light an bitters,real piece of sh*t this guy was.

oblivious

the bolt wrote: »

i also worked in a london pub and the landlord used to put all dregs(spirits,ale and stout) back in casks ..

Beards and sandals don't necessary mean you can to good ale:p