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Learn some best practices and guidelines for knowing how long your keg of beer can stay fresh.
You thought that keg of Baltic Porter was going to be a big hit, but now it’s a month later, and you still have a half-full keg sitting in your kegerator, and you can’t stomach another pint. Is that beer still good? How long before you need to wave the white flag and just surrender that beer? While we aren’t here to advocate wasting beer (gasp!), it is probably a good time to talk about how long a keg stays fresh.
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 imported and domestic beers are pasteurized. If you’re unsure whether or not your beer has been pasteurized, 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 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.
How long does a tapped keg last?
The method you choose for dispensing your beer also plays a major role in how long your keg stays fresh. Using a kegerator or draft system that dispenses draft beer using CO2 should not impact your beer’s freshness as long as the keg is stored at the proper temperature and pressure. You can follow the guidelines explained above to determine how long your tapped keg will last.
Using a picnic pump, party pump or keg tap is a completely different situation. These introduce oxygen into your keg, which greatly speeds up the process of beer going bad. Since a picnic pump uses oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, a tapped keg will only last about 12-24 hours, depending on the type of beer and how much oxygen was pumped into it. The oxygen will cause the beer to go flat and spoil quickly if you don’t finish the keg within that time frame.
What temperature should I store my keg?
The recommended temperature for storing draft beer is 38 degrees, according to the Draught Beer Quality Manual. This is the optimal temp for freshness and pouring. In addition to affecting the freshness of your beer, warm beer also has the tendency to pour foamy. Always make sure your keg is properly chilled when pouring.
You cannot store a keg of beer at room temperature. Bacteria can form in beer if its temperature rises above 50 degrees. Since it is a liquid, keeping beer at too cold of a temperature is also a no-no. Beer will freeze at around 28 degrees, depending on its alcohol content.
We hope this information will help you when deciding to purchase your next keg of beer. One other thing to consider is choosing the right size keg. Check out our Guide to Beer Keg Sizes to learn how much beer comes in the various types of kegs that are available. Knowing how much beer you need for an event or how much you consume at home will help you select the right keg and reduce the chance of beer going to waste from spoilage.
Dave Buchanan
Dave Buchanan has been the Content Writer for Kegworks since June 2019. He has a fondness for craft beer that developed while working for a local beer distributor. Dave also worked for an area sports talk radio station for several years, and continues his broadcasting work as a motorsports announcer and indoor lacrosse reporter.Comments
Robert Mwingi
December 12, 2020, 12:19 pm
Happy to learn how I can store and enjoy my keg kudos
Eamonn Burns
February 13, 2021, 9:32 pm
I think you answered my question but our club has been closed now for 10 months. There is one untapped keg of IPA in the walk in. There is also one tapped keg of domestic in the refer too. Are they both bad
David Buchanan
February 15, 2021, 2:05 pm
Hi, Eamonn. The tapped keg is probably flat by now, and I wouldn't trust the IPA keg either. Double check the expiration date just to be sure.
James Gibbons
March 7, 2021, 9:16 am
I have a keg of hoegarden from beer halk witch my son gave me he had it in his machine tryed a pint and did not like it but I just getting round to putting into my machine witch is 3 weeks on what I'm asking will it be all right to drink..kind regards James
David Buchanan
March 8, 2021, 2:18 pm
Hi, James. I would start by trying to find an expiration and/or born on date on the keg. If it's not past the expiration date & been refrigerated the whole time then it should be ok. Cheers!
Craig Schell
March 17, 2021, 8:37 pm
My club will be closed 1 year now I have 10 untapped kegs in my walk-in. Are they still good
David Buchanan
March 17, 2021, 8:47 pm
Hi, Craig. Unfortunately, I think those kegs have more than likely gone bad even if they've been refrigerated this entire time. Double check to see if the kegs have expiration dates to be sure. Contact your beer distributor that you purchased the kegs from to see if they can do anything for you, but they may be limited by the laws of your state. Best of luck!
Mike Lansden
June 3, 2021, 6:22 am
Why does george killians red ale taste so much better on tap than in bottles....I do not notice a difference in taste with other beers...for example alaska amber....or domestics?
Barry Brennan
August 31, 2021, 3:58 pm
Hi, great information.
I always thought once you taped a keg it only last 4-5 weeks, but from what I understand from your website, it is irrelevant of when the keg was taped its all to do with the sell by date! (Assuming keg is stored / cooled correctly).
Thats great to know!
Thanks
George Dougal
December 28, 2021, 10:35 am
My draught beer, drunk in Scottish pubs, always goes flat before I even drink half of it. Fellow beer drinkers (all dark beer drinkers) manage to keep their head! My personal chemistry?
Arthur Hodgins
February 2, 2023, 2:09 am
A pub we go to seem to have beer that is cold and flat , no carbonation in most or all their draft beers . The lines are cleaned regularly, beer gas is used just no carbonation. Thanks
David Buchanan
February 2, 2023, 8:21 pm
They could possibly have a leak with their CO2.
Tom Nguyen
July 5, 2023, 11:23 pm
Hey Dave, I bought an untapped keg for a party in 3 days. Is it okay to store at room temperature in a basement for that long and chilling the keg in an ice bath the day of the party? Thanks in advance?
David Buchanan
July 6, 2023, 12:34 pm
You should really keep a keg chilled at all times. It will take a few hours on ice just to get it back to the proper temperature so it isn't all foamy when you try to pour.
George de Piro
November 19, 2023, 2:24 am
Pasteurization has very little to do with how long beer tastes fresh. Pasteurization is done to make beer microbiologically stable but it is actually rare to find beer that is microbiologically compromised. Far more common is beer that is oxidized. This happens because of oxygen uptake during various points in the brewing process but mostly at packaging. Small breweries tend to have cheap canning equipment that allows oxygen into the product and no QC to monitor oxygen uptake and their beers will taste old to a trained in palate in a matter of 1-4 weeks (shorter times if the beer is stored warm). I'm a pro brewer, btw.
georges homsi
January 16, 2024, 12:57 am
i am looking for someone to install a draft beer system for us in our new restaurant
David Buchanan
January 16, 2024, 1:50 pm
Hi, Georges. We only sell equipment for draft beer systems. You'd have to search for draft beer system installers in your area.
Michael Kozlowski
July 28, 2024, 10:12 pm
Hello I have a Krups that takes the hopsy cartridges and I am wondering if the ones you sell would fit my despenser, also wondering how long these mini kegs can last I have a few that are left over that are from 2019 haha
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