KegWorks Blog

Have you finally decided to build a bar in your house or garage? Or have you decided that maybe you need a special area in the basement or den to watch the big game and entertain your friends? This project will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life, if done properly.

With most projects of this size, planning is everything. Over the past 6 years we have talked with thousands of people that want to build a bar or are in the process of building one when they call. It is very easy to pick out who has done the proper planning and who thought they could figure it out as they go.

What are the things you should consider? We have compiled a list of Tips and Tricks for Building Your Home Bar that will be very helpful. Over the next few weeks we will be examining each stage of the process and giving you some of our tips and share with you some customer experiences.

Serving draft beer at home is much easier then you think. All you need is a home draft beer system; you may call it a keg tap, keg tapper, kegerator, keg pump or picnic pump. We have a full selection kegerator conversion kits, and individual draft beer system parts.

	Faucet Tap Handle Sometimes called a faucet knob or tap handle. This is the lever that you pull on the faucet to make the beer come out. You can screw just about any faucet handle onto our faucets. Our kits come with a small, black generic one. More faucet handle information.
	Faucet This is where the beer comes out. There are lots of parts inside the faucet, so it should be cleaned regularly. More faucet information.
	Shank This is a 5″ long steel tube that runs through the hole you drill in your fridge door. The faucet screws into one end and the beer line screws onto the other end. More shank information
	Beer Line Jumper This is a 5′ long piece of dense food-grade tubing that connects the keg coupler to the faucet/shank assembly. We provide you with the proper connectors to attach the beer line at both ends. More beer line jumper information.
	Keg Coupler This is the piece that attaches to the keg and actually taps it. There are six different types keg couplers used throughout the world. Which ones you need depends upon which brand of beer you want to drink. Click here for a list of which keg couplers go with which brands of beer. More keg coupler information.
	CO2 Tank Our kits come with a steel, 5 pound CO2 Tank. You can dispense about 5-7 half kegs of beer with a 5 pound tank. Tanks can be filled by welding supply companies, fire extinguisher supply companies and gas dealers. Look under “Gas” in the yellow pages in your local phone book for dealers near you. More CO2 air tank information.
	Regulator The regulator connects to the CO2 Tank. It steps the gas pressure down to a level that is right for dispensing beer. Most of our kits come with a double gauge regulator. One gauge tells you the pressure going into the keg, the other gauge tells you how much air you have left in your air tank. More regulator information.
	Air Line Jumper Piece of tubing that runs between the regulator and the keg coupler. More air line jumper information.
	Beer Line Cleaning Kits Keeping your beer lines clean is essential to ensure your beer will taste right. Over time, your beer lines collect deposits from the beer that runs through them, which can affect the taste of your beer and even cause excess foaming. We recommend that you clean your lines after each ½ keg. More beer line cleaning kit information.

The world of draft beer is not as difficult as most people think. In fact, after the 15 - 20 minutes it takes to set up your system, it is very rewarding and produces a significant cost savings.

What size keg will fit into my refrigerator?
What size refrigerator should I buy?
How much beer is in a keg?
At what temperature should draft beer be kept?
How long will my draft beer stay fresh once I’ve tapped the keg?
How long does the 5 lb CO2 cylinder last?
Where can I get my CO2 tank filled?
Why is my beer coming out all foamy?
I’m planning on putting a draft beer tower on my bar while keeping the keg in a fridge nearby, is there anything I should be aware of?

Q: What size keg will fit into my refrigerator?
A: A standard US quarter barrel measures a height of 12-13″, a diameter of 16″ and weighs 80-85 pounds. A standard US half barrel measures a height of 23″, has a diameter of 16″ and weighs 160-180 pounds. European kegs vary in size, but are close to the above. The CO2 tank has a diameter of about 6″ and may be kept in the refrigerator or outside of it. We suggest that before you purchase a fridge, go to your local beer retailer and ask for any empty keg (They will usually charge you a $10.00 deposit). Then put the keg inside the fridge you plan to purchase to make sure that the fridge is big enough. There should be a little bit of room around the sides for air circulation. Also leave about 6″-8″ above the keg for the keg coupler to fit. Back to Top

Q: What size refrigerator should I buy?
A: That’s a tough one for us to answer. It depends upon your space requirements. We can’t recommend any specific size or model because there are so many out there. If you’re trying to find a fridge that will fit under your bar, that can be very difficult because most are not large enough to hold a keg. Also keep in mind that many compact fridges have a vegetable bin in the bottom. Right behind that is usually the compressor. You will probably need to build some sort of shelf over the compressor. This is one of the reasons that many compact fridges will not hold a keg. Also make sure that your beer line will not be passing through a freezer compartment. The beer could freeze or cause excess foam. Back to Top

Q: How much beer is in a keg?
A: Breweries no longer make full or whole kegs any more. They stopped about 35 years ago because they were just too damn heavy. A ½ keg is the largest available, it holds 15.5 gallons of beer which is equivalent to about 7 cases of beer. A ¼ keg holds 7.75 gallons of beer or 3½ cases of beer. A beerball holds 5 gallons of beer which is equal to 2¼ cases of beer. There are some 5 gallon mini-kegs (1/6 barrel) now available. Back to Top

Q: At what temperature should draft beer be kept?
A: Draft beer is not pasteurized, so it must be kept cold — preferably 38-40ºF. Temperatures above 45º may cause the beer to become wild, turn sour & cloudy. Back to Top

Q: How long will my draft beer stay fresh once I have tapped the keg?
A: Once it’s tapped, draft beer should be consumed within 20-30 days otherwise it tends to lose its fresh brewery taste and aroma. (Assuming it is kept at approx. 38º & between 12 & 15 psi.). Craft beers (micro brews) sometimes have a shorter shelf life. Back to Top

Q: How long does the 5 lb. CO2 cylinder last?
A: 5 pounds of CO2 should dispense approx. 5-7 half barrels. Make sure that all air line connections are good and tight. CO2 can leak very easily. It’s best to leave the tank outside of the fridge, if possible. You will get more air out of the tank if it’s kept at a warmer temperature. Back to Top

Q: Where can I get my CO2 tank filled?
A: Look in your local phone book’s yellow pages under the heading “Gas.” There should be several gas distributors in your area. Call a few of them up and ask if they fill small tanks with CO2 (sometimes called Beer Gas.) Also, call some local fire extinguisher suppliers and welding suppliers, they sometimes fill CO2 tanks. To fill a 5 pound CO2 tank usually costs between $7.00 and $11.00, depending on where you’re standing. Back to Top

Q: Why is my beer coming out all foamy?
A: Foamy beer can be caused by many things. Warm spots in the beer line, dirty beer lines, twists or kinks in beer line. Warm beer will cause foamy beer. Also, let the keg settle for 2-3 hours before tapping it. Too much carbonation in the keg will cause foamy beer. Back to Top

Q: I’m planning on putting a draft beer tower on my bar and keep the keg in a refrigerator nearby, is there anything I should be aware of?
A: Yes!! Any exposed beer lines may cause foamy beer. In other words, if the beer line running from the fridge to your tower is not refrigerated, you will probably encounter some foam. There are commercial ways of actually refrigerating the beer lines, but they are VERY expensive. Some things that you can do to minimize the foamy beer problem are: Minimize the distance of exposed beer line - the shorter the better. Wrap all the exposed beer line in some sort of thick foam tubing. Home Depot has it and it’s not expensive at all. Remember to plug the hole in your refrigerator that the beer line comes out of. That spray foam insulation stuff works great. All this will help minimize foamy beer. Back to Top

Keeping your beer lines clean is necessary to ensure your beer tastes fresh and prevent particles from building up in your line, which can cause unnecessary foam. We recommend that you clean your beer lines after each ½ keg. The beer line cleaning kit can be found at KegWorks.com

How to Dispense Draught Guinness
(This tutorial also pertains to Beamish Stout, Murphy’s Stout and Boddingtons, although the keg couplers are different.)

We’ve had lots of inquires about dispensing Guinness, therefore we’ve created this short piece. In the United States we get basically three kinds of Guinness from Ireland. One is the bottled version, which is very bitter and high in alcohol content. Then we have the draught version, dispensed from metal kegs and found in many bars and restaurants around the country. The draught version is low in alcohol and calories. It is characterized by its tight, creamy head of foam. The third version is the draft can. This is a 14.9 oz can sold in stores. The can has a small widget in the bottom that contains a small nitrogen charge. When the can is opened, the nitrogen is released which makes the beer come alive. The can version is close in taste to the actual keg version.

We will focus now on the draught version of Guinness (kegged).
Draught Guinness is a completely different animal from all other draft beers. There are three basic differences:

• Instead of using CO2 to push the beer through the lines, a nitrogen/CO2 blend is used for Guinness. It’s a mixed gas, all in one air tank. 25% CO2, 75% nitrogen. Set the regulator for 35 psi ± 3 psi on the gauge. The nitrogen is what gives Guinness its creamy, tight head that makes it pour and look unique. Just about every city in the country has a mixed gas dealer. Look under “gas” in the yellow pages. The Guinness Import Company goes to great lengths to make sure that gas dealers are properly blending air tanks with mixed gas. Ask your local Guinness distributor who they recommend. Some gas dealers will only fill a nitrogen tank with the mixed gas. Other dealers will fill a CO2 tank with the mixed gas. The only difference between the two kinds of tanks are the threads on it. You can still use your CO2 regulator with a nitrogen tank, all you need is a CO2-Nitrogen Adapter.
• Now we have the keg coupler. This is the piece that fits onto the keg itself. Draught Guinness and Harp Lager use a coupler that is unique to those brands. It looks somewhat like the same coupler that Budweiser uses but there are differences.
• The last thing is the faucet. If you’ve watched a bartender pour a pint of Guinness, look at the faucet. It is different than all the other faucets. Sometimes it is called a European Specialty Faucet. There is a different type of handle on the faucet, it is pulled forward and down for the beer to come out. Also in the faucet is a tiny restrictor disc. The beer is forced through the disc, this is what helps give Guinness its unique head. There is also no waste (foaming over) with dispensing Guinness. These Specialty Faucets can be converted to dispense any other type of beer (i.e.: Bud, Miller, Coors etc.) by removing the restrictor disc/flow straightener.

The bottom line to all this is that it is not impossible to pour Draught Guinness at home. The pieces to do it are just different. It is possible to convert an existing system to dispense Guinness. You’ll need to change your faucet, air tank, coupler and regulator.

You will be the envy of all your friends!!

1) The keg should ALWAYS be kept cold. Keep your keg refrigerated or ice down at least ¾ of the way up the keg. If not, you’ll have warm and foamy beer. Keep the keg and tap out of direct sunlight.

2) The keg must settle for an hour or two after you ice it down. Do not tap the keg until after it has settled. If you tap it right after getting it home you may get excessive foam.

3) After the keg has settled, go ahead and tap it. Line up the two notches on the keg with the two indentations on the bottom of the tap. Rotate the tap one quarter turn clockwise to tap it. Then, depending upon what style of tap you have, pull the lever handle out and push down to locked position. If you have a wing style tap, just turn the wing handle clockwise a quarter of a turn.

4) DO NOT PUMP THE TAP RIGHT AWAY! There is plenty of carbonation in the keg to get it started. Open the faucet to start the flow of beer. Only pump the tap when the beer flow begins to slow down. Don’t over pump - this will cause foam. Open the faucet quickly and all the way. You may find at first the flow to be faster than desired, this is normal due to the CO2 pressure in the keg.

5) Keep in mind that you are pumping oxygen into the keg. Oxygen is bad for beer and will cause it to go flat in a day or so. If you have some beer left over and want to use it the next day, take the tap off the keg and keep the keg iced down. It may lose some of its freshness the next day but still may be ok to drink.

Check out our selection of picnic pumps

Keg Specs:

Most of this kit arrives to you already assembled. You will have to get the CO2 tank filled. Look under “Gas” in your local yellow pages. Many fire extinguisher supply companies and welding supply companies will fill them for you.

Note: The Rod and Faucet CO2 System uses a lower pressure (approx. 4 PSI) than other systems. Most breweries have about 12 to 14 lbs of CO2 in the keg. The steps below will help you get your beer flowing correctly. This system is recommended and works best for special events, parties, etc. For longer term beer dispensing (48 hours or more), a standard CO2 system is recommended.

To Connect Gas Regulator and Tap a Keg

• Place a NEW fiber washer or nylon washer inside the coupling nut of the regulator and screw the nut to the cylinder valve outlet. Tighten with a wrench. Make sure that it is really tight. This is the spot where most air leaks occur. The new washer will compress to about half of its original size and fill any gaps or spaces. If not tight enough, this connection will leak at some point. Do not use old or scored washers. Some regulators may have a built-in “O” ring in the regulator stem. In these cases, a CO2 fiber washer is not necessary, but as the ring wears, a new ring or CO2 washer will be needed.
• Turn the shut-off valve at the base of the regulator to the “OFF” position (to the left or right).
• Open the drum cylinder valve all the way out (that’s the big screw on the face of the regulator). This is important because the cylinder valve seats in two places.
• Turn adjusting screw clockwise until correct pressure is indicated on gauge (approx. 4 lbs PSI).
• Attach keg coupler to keg. On the side of your keg coupler is a safety/bleeder valve. Use valve to release excess CO2 pressure from the keg.
• Open the beer faucet. Once the beer starts to come out slowly, open the shut-off valve at the base of the regulator and apply about 3 to 4 lbs PSI CO2 pressure to the keg. If you were to turn on the CO2 tank immediately as you initially tap the keg, without first bleeding the pressure, you would get nothing but foam.

Other Suggestions

• Store a CO2 tank upright, NEVER on its side. A full CO2 tank at room temperature will read approximately 700-800 lbs PSI. At 40º F it will read approximately 600 lbs PSI.
• Be careful with the regulator, as the gauges on it are somewhat delicate and can easily break. Keep the CO2 tank chained to a wall to prevent it from tipping over.
• Most often this kit will be used in an 8 to 48-hour special event type application. Keep the keg as iced down as possible. For the purposes of this kit, temperatures of about 32 - 36º will be ideal with about 4 lbs applied pressure. Temperatures of about 36 - 40º will need about 3 lbs of applied pressure.
• When drawing beer, always pull the faucet fully open, NEVER half way
• Cleanliness is of utmost importance. Clean the entire system monthly or immediately after each keg is emptied. The faucet should be removed, disassembled and cleaned with hot water and a brush weekly. Inexpensive cleaning compounds, equipment and kits are available and are recommended. Check out our selection of cleaning kits.