How Long Does Draft Beer Remain Fresh? – There is no one hard and fast rule for how long a keg of draft beer will stay fresh. This is especially true for craft beers because different styles of beer last longer than others. 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.
Many import and domestic beers are pasteurized. If you’re unsure whether or not your beer has been pasteurized, then treat it like it is unpasteurized. An important thing to remember is that countdown starts the day your keg is filled at the brewery, not when you tap it or buy it. One of the first things you should do when you pick up a keg is to check is the label to see if it has a “born on” date or expiration date.
If the beer in your keg is passed its expiration date, then we wouldn’t recommend drinking it. 
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How long does a keg of beer stay fresh?
Kegerator – The kegerator is the king of beer dispensing, which is the reason why many restaurants rely on kegerators to dispense their kegs. Not only is the taste and experience of drinking beer from a kegerator better than other dispense systems, a kegerator is designed to preserve the quality of a keg.
With a refrigerator storage cabinet, the keg is stored at the ideal temperature for the specific beer that is stored inside. This temperature maintenance also prevents beer from being dispensed warm and foamy. The CO2 dispense system of a kegerator prevents oxygen from accessing the beer and maintaining the fresh brewery taste.
For a properly stored keg in a kegerator, how long the beer will remain fresh will depend on the style of beer. Pasteurized beers can stay fresh from three to six months. For non-pasteurized beers, you can expect the keg to stay fresh approximately two months.
How long does keg beer last once opened?
All beers are at their best on the day the keg is filled at the brewery. As days go past, the freshness reduces. In general, the fresher your keg draft beer is, the better it tastes. Keg beer will remain fresh if dispensing with CO2 while maintaining the proper temperature and pressure: For non-pasteurized draft beer, about 45-60 days.
- For pasteurized draft beer, about 90-120 days.
- NOTE: When dispensing keg beer with a party pump (air), any draft beer will remain fresh for no more than 8-12 hours.
- For quality assurance, most breweries now print a freshness date on each keg’s cap or side.
- Depending on the brewery, this may either be a “born on” (filled) date or an “expiration” date.
Read the label carefully. While each brewer’s shelf life may differ, days in inventory before it reaches you are factored into the keg’s shelf life. For example, non-pasteurized beer has a shelf-life of 45-60 days. Here is an example of a keg’s life:
Days 0-10 (Transit/Satellite Warehousing) Days 10-20 (Distributor Warehouse/Retail Delivery) Days 20-60 (At Retail/Home)
So the average keg has 25-40 days of shelf life at retail or in a home. Breweries recommend not drinking draft beer past the freshness date. Don’t forget that air contains oxygen, and oxygen is an enemy of beer!
How long does a keg last unrefrigerated?
How Long Does A Keg Last Unrefrigerated? – The exact shelf life of an unrefrigerated keg depends on the type and brand of beer. Generally, a well-sealed keg will remain good for up to three months when left at room temperature. After that, it may start to taste flat or stale.
Do kegs need to be refrigerated?
Do untapped kegs need to be refrigerated? – Yes, most beers brewed in the US need to be refrigerated. 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.
There are a few exceptions to refrigerating keg beer; beers brewed outside of the United state are pasteurized to keep beer fresh longer when they ship the kegs around the world. In the United States we consume most of the beer brewed locally and quickly. There is little need for pasteurization and very few breweries practice it.
Click here to see more about the pasteurization of beer.
Can you drink a keg the next day?
1. Using a Manual Pump: – 
Commonly found attached to the top of kegs at house parties and backyard cookouts, the manual pump — sometimes called a bronco pump or party pump — works by pumping air into the keg, pressurizing it so that it can dispense your beer. If you’ve ever poured a beer out of a keg, then you’re probably familiar with this kind of pump, as well as the multitude of problems that come along with their use, such as over-pumping and excessively foamy beer.
- Unfortunately, this isn’t the only problem with the manual pump.
- It also drastically reduces the shelf-life of the beer inside your keg.
- This is because it uses oxygen to pressurize the keg.
- Introducing oxygen to your beer is a very bad idea, as it will quickly cause the beer to become stale and the overall flavor to rapidly change.
If you are using this kind of pump to dispense beer from a keg, then you will notice the taste of it start to change pretty quickly. This is especially true as more and more oxygen is pumped into the keg. Generally, you’ll have at least eight hours to finish the keg before the beer starts to taste stale. 
How many beers are in a keg?
Keg Sizing Information 1/2 barrel = 15.5 gallons = 124 pints = 165 12oz bottles – (Full Size Keg)
Can a keg pour beer if it isn’t refrigerated?
Why Storage Temperature Matters – Here is where it gets a bit more complicated. Keg storage is critical to the life of a keg (and therefore the life of the party) No matter how you dispense beer or the type of manual pump that you have, your keg will lose its quality if it isn’t stored right.38°F is ideal for keg storage.
- According to the Draught Beer Quality Manual, 38°F is the recommended temperature for storing draft beer.
- This temperature is ideal for pouring and freshness.
- However, warm beer can affect the freshness and foaminess of your beer.
- Therefore, when pouring, make sure the keg has been properly chilled.
- A keg draft beer can’t be stored at room temperature.
Beer can become contaminated with bacteria if it is heated above 55°F degrees. Temperatures higher than that can cause a foamy beer to release carbon dioxide too rapidly. This not only causes excessive foam but also results in stale beer. The beer will quickly go bad if the temperature rises to 55°F.
Because beer is a liquid (and a damn fine one at that), it’s not a good idea to keep it at too low a temperature. Depending on the alcohol content, beer will freeze at around 28°F. Keep the beer at a low temperature to preserve its carbonation. You won’t get each beer’s authentic taste and aroma if this happens.
Your beer may freeze if temperatures drop below 28°F. It is advisable to keep your beer kegs in your refrigerator so that they can be kept at the right temperature. This information should help you decide on purchasing your next beer keg. Another thing to think about is the size of your barrel.
Will a keg stay cold overnight?
2) Place It in the Refrigerator Overnight – You can ensure the right interior temperature by keeping your keg in the refrigerator (making enough space for it and adding wooden blocks to support it) overnight before a big day outside. This allows you to get it nice and cold before transporting it.
What happens if beer keg is too cold?
What Happens If a Keg Is Too Cold? – Beery that is too cold has the opposite effect. Temperatures that are too low cause more carbonation to remain in the beer. Bar owners may find that bartenders are overfilling the glasses due to the increased carbonation and pressure, leading to beer being poured down the drain and profits wasted.
How long does a 5 Litre beer keg last?
HOW MANY BEERS ARE IN A MINI KEG? – A mini beer keg has a capacity of five litres, which allows you to serve around nine pints of fresh draught beer, If you intend to drink it within a day or two, buying a mini keg is typically more cost-effective than buying multiple bottles or cans of beer,
How long does a 5l keg last?
HOW MANY BEERS ARE IN A MINI KEG? – A mini beer keg has a capacity of five litres, which allows you to serve around nine pints of fresh draught beer, If you intend to drink it within a day or two, buying a mini keg is typically more cost-effective than buying multiple bottles or cans of beer,