How Do I Keep My Pony Keg Cold?

Whether you use a 1/2 barrel keg, a 1/4th barrel or even a 1/6th barrel keg, the best way to keep your keg cool is to place it in a container like a garbage can or keg tub you can fill up with ice. How much ice you need will depend on the size of your barrel and container.

Does a keg need to be kept cold?

The majority of the time, the beer inside your keg has not been pasteurized, so it’s important to keep it cold. From the moment you get it from the distributor until it’s empty, it’s important to maintain the proper temperature or you will sacrifice the quality of the beer.

How long can you keep a keg cold?

A good rule of thumb is that the shelf life for a keg of pasteurized beer is about 90-120 days (or 3-4 months), and unpasteurized draft beer will last about 45-60 days (or 6-8 weeks) when stored at the proper temperature.

What happens if you don’t keep a keg cold?

If the temperature rises above 55°F, then it’s likely that bacteria will start to grow which will spoil the beer pretty quickly. If you keep the temperature too cold, the beer will retain its carbonation. If this happens, you won’t be able to experience the true flavor and aroma of each pour.

Can kegs sit at room temp?

To store a keg of beer at room temperature it needs to be pasteurized so it will not spoil and most beer brewed in the US is not pasteurized. A typical keg needs to be kept between 36 and 38 degrees to maintain freshness and flavor.

Can you keep a keg at room temperature?

Short answer: Normally, yes. The recommended storage conditions are normally 33-75 degrees F, for up to 6 months. You should find comfort in the fact that brewers take pride in their beer, and do not want be known for producing spoiling kegs.

How much ice do you need to keep a keg cold?

Keg Temperature
You will need approximately 50 pounds of ice to maintain proper dispensing temperature. Since beer is drawn from the bottom of the barrel, approximately 20 pounds of ice must be placed on the bottom of the tub. Place the barrel in the tub on top of the ice. Add the remaining ice up the sides of the tub.

How many beers are in a Pony keg?

1/4 barrel = 7.75 gallons = 62 pints = 83 12oz bottles (Pony Keg)

What is the fastest way to cool a keg?

Ice alone will help chill the keg, but for the most effective chilling an ice water bath is preferable. Pour cold water over the ice in the keg tub until the water reaches the level of the ice. Add more ice to the keg tub as it melts.

How long is keg good for after tapping?

How Long Does a Keg Stay Fresh? For most beers on tap, dispensed with CO2, the rule of thumb is that non-pasteurized beer will retain its freshness for 45-60 days, if proper pressure and temperature are maintained. If you are serving up pasteurized draft beer, the shelf life is around 90-120 days.

How long should a keg sit before tapping?

1 to 2 hours
A: You tap a keg by using a keg coupler.
If there has been excessive agitation during transportation, allow the keg to settle for 1 to 2 hours before tapping. Make sure the beer faucet is in the off position prior to tapping.

Can a keg be tapped twice?

The good news is yes, you can tap a keg twice —with some limitations, of course. In the event that you’re using a manual or O2 pump, you’ll unfortunately only get one tap out of your keg.

How do restaurants keep kegs cold?

Most restaurants have walk-in coolers that can keep a whole slew of kegs cold at once.

How do you keep a mini keg cold?

A keg blanket, or keg sleeve, is an insulated jacket that wraps around a beer keg to maintain the original temperature. It’s an excellent choice compared to other cooling methods because it doesn’t require any ice or bulky containers. A popular choice for a keg blanket is the HopsHolster Cool Keg Sleeve.

Can you tap a keg the night before?

Since a picnic pump uses oxygen instead of CO2 a tapped keg only lasts about 12-24 hours depending on the style of beer and how much oxygen was pumped into it. If you don’t plan on drinking the entire keg within 24 hours, consider using a CO2-based dispensing system to keep the beer fresher longer.

How do you store a keg overnight?

Place about 11-12 inches of ice at the bottom of the tub and lower the beer keg gently into the tub. Fill any leftover space with more ice to the top of the bucket. Add some ice water to make it an ice bath to help keep the temperature of the beer intact. Keep replacing the ice when it melts.

How many people will a pony keg serve?

Around 992 ounces, which is equivalent to 62 pints in a pony keg – quite enough for a sizeable party. In fact, one of the most frequent uses for quarter barrel kegs is parties. One keg like this can supply a party of 10-15 people with fresh draft beer.

How many glasses can you get out of a pony keg?

Same as a quarter keg: 62 16-ounce pints or 82 12-ounce cans or bottles is the amount of beer in a pony keg.

How many cups can you get out of a pony keg?

These are also known as “pony kegs” and tall quarter kegs. With these, you get half of what you would get from a half barrel. That means each one has 7.75 gallons of beer inside, which equates to roughly 82 (12 oz) beers, 62 (16 oz) beers, or 15.5 growlers.

How do you cool a beer in 5 minutes?

Put Some Salt In The Ice Water
Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, so once you put some salt in water you can theoretically get your beers down to the mid 30 degree Fahrenheit mark in under 5 minutes.

How many glasses of beer are in a keg?

At 15.5 gallons of beer, a keg translates to roughly 165 12oz (the amount in a can) servings of beer.