Beer comes delivered in so many vessels but none may be interesting than the keg. A traditional beer keg is made out of cylindrical stainless steel and comes in a variety of sizes with names which can be almost as confusing as Starbucks’ coffee. The largest most common size of a keg is the half barrel which holds approximately 15.5 gallons of beer. The reason for the confusing name is because a barrel used for beer in the US holds 31 gallons, and mathematically ½ a barrel equals a full keg. And unlike tall, grande, and venti which have no relation to each other a half barrel, quarter barrel, and sixth barrel are in proper proportion to one another. A quarter barrel holds 7.75 gallons of beer and may also be referred to as a pony keg while a sixth barrel, or torpedo keg, contains 5.23 gallons. With 10.6 delicious servings of beer per gallon a full keg can deliver a lot of beer which is metric for almost 165 servings.

Fundamentally a keg is a pressurized container that uses a gas to create enough pressure so that the liquid is forced out. The keg’s primary two duties are to keep the beer fresh and to dispense it. The first obstacle to owning a keg is keeping it chilled and the beer inside. A common short term resolution is an ice bath, but in a more permanent installation refrigeration is a more proper solution. To get beer out of the keg in recreational situations a manual tap can be used to force air into the keg. Air is a natural enemy of beer like Sith and Jedi. When beer is introduced to air it will start become stale and lose carbonation which for most people is undesirable (for some unexplained reason to me some people actually prefer the taste of stale beer). This is why it is very important when using a manual pump to finish the beer inside in a timely manner at longest two days. The alternative to a manual pump is the more professional gas pump which uses a gas mixture that can preserve the beer for up to an impressive four months.

The last bit of concern is transportation of the keg. In some respects it can act like a giant can of soda where shaking or violent movements can cause extra pressure on the inside of the keg and large amounts of head when first tapping the lines. With a weight of up to 170 lbs. lifting a keg should be done with extreme caution. A handcart is preferable but if need be two people should be able to lift it. Remember to tilt the keg over so that each person can get a firm grip on the keg and lift with your knees. There is nothing more ironic then getting an injury and taking a trip to the emergency room in a keg related incident that had nothing to do with drinking.