Keg beer is popular at parties and social gatherings, in restaurants and in the homes of beer enthusiasts. Keg beer takes up less storage space than bottled or canned beer and can be dispensed more quickly.
Kegs store beer under a pressurized system, allowing the beer to keep for extended periods of time. Nonpasteurized draft beer will remain fresh with proper care about 45 to 60 days, and pasteurized draft beer will keep fresh for about 90 to 120 days.
Care for keg beer is critical to keeping it fresh and specifically relates to the temperature and pressure of the keg beer.
Instructions
1. Determine how long you want to keep your beer fresh. Keg beer can remain fresh for between 12 hours and 120 days. There are different care instructions depending on long you want the beer to keep from spoiling. To keep beer fresh for 12 hours or fewer, follow steps 2 and 3. To keep beer fresh for longer than 12 hours, follow steps 3 to 8.
2. To keep keg beer fresh for 8 to 12 hours (such as you would for a party), rent a "party pump" to dispense the beer. A party pump is a hand pump that brings in outside air to dispense the beer. Liquor stores that rent beer kegs will rent a party pump with a beer keg.
3. Place the beer keg in a large tub filled with ice to keep beer fresh and cold for 8 to 12 hours. Refill ice in tub as ice melts. You will likely need about 40 to 60 pounds of ice to keep beer cold for a 4-hour party.
4. To keep keg beer fresh for longer than 12 hours, purchase a keg coupler. Keg couplers use pressurized CO2 gas to dispense the beer. A keg coupler can be purchased from beer specialty shops or from online distributors such as Micromatic.com.
5. Store the keg at the proper temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit using a kegerator (a refrigerator for a keg). Kegerators can be purchased at beer specialty stores or from online distributors such as Micromatic.com or kegerator.com.
6. Test the temperature of the beer with a liquid thermometer. The temperature should be tested within 12 hours of putting the keg in the kegerator and weekly after that. If keg beer reaches 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria begins to rapidly grow and the beer will go bad. If the temperature is higher than 38 degrees, lower the temperature in the kegerator.
7. Maintain the CO2 level as stated by the brewer when dispensing keg beer. Most brewers recommend 12 to 14 lbs. of CO2 pressure for keg beer. Maintaining pressure as given by the brewer will prevent excessive foaming when dispensing the beer. If the beer is excessively foaming, turn down the CO2 pressure by 1 to 2 lbs.
8. If storing beer between uses (not all within a 1- to 2-day period), clean the beer hose and faucet. Clean with specially manufactured beer equipment cleaning chemicals, which can be found at specialty beer stores and on websites such as Micromatic.com.
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