Establishing a successful brewery is impossible without appropriate kegs. They help keep your beer fresh and tasty until it is served to your clients. Kegs are by far the most practical container and they simplify draft beer storing, transporting, and dispensing, which saves your time and money.
That is why it is essential to understand how to select the ideal size and type of such containers to meet your needs and budget. With this guide, you’ll know to find the best beer kegs for your needs.
What Are the Different Types of Beer Kegs?
Source: closebreweryrentals.co.uk
The keg capacity determines how many beverages you can produce, store, and dispense to your clients. The optimal volume of the barrel can be defined by analyzing the sales and demand of your brewery.
Let us show you how to choose the right one:
- Half Barrel or 1/2 bbl keg
The majority of large breweries use this sort of beer keg. It is also known as a “full-size barrel” or a “half-barrel”. It can store 124 pints or 165 12-ounce bottles of beer, or 15.5 gallons (58.6 liters).
Half-barrel beer kegs are used in breweries because they are easy to transport in large quantities and are a common size for most draft beer systems.
These barrels are among the most affordable solutions because they are also simple to reuse and clean. As a result, a lot of craft breweries opt for semi-barrel kegs as their primary beer delivery container.
- Corny (Cornelius) beer keg
It is the smallest keg often used for home and small-scale commercial brewing. These kegs range in capacity from 1.5 to 5 gallons and are intended for use in kegerators and other types of coolers.
These containers, like the 1/6 barrel keg, are common in small production or when testing new products.
- 1/6 barrel keg
The one-sixth barrel keg, or the sixtel keg, is a popular option for many craft breweries. Its capacity is 5.16 or 640 ounces of draft beer.
The portability and ease of use make this kind of barrel perfect for small breweries, with limited amounts of draft beer, or for experimenting with new recipes that don’t require a lot of product.
- Quarter barrel beer keg
The capacity of this keg is 29.3 liters or 7.75 gallons. It is about 63 pints of beer or 83 12-ounce bottles.
This barrel is a perfect option for small and midsize breweries that do not need to serve significant amounts of beer at the same time.
- 50 Litre keg
These barrels are commonly used in Europe. Their capacity is 105 pints or 140 12-ounce bottles. 50 Litre keg is a perfect substitute for ½ bbl keg.
What Size Kegs Do Breweries Use?
Source: learn.kegerator.com
Size affects how well you can optimize the space in your brewery. Pay close attention to the height and diameter of the barrels because these are the factors that influence the convenience of storage.
The dimensions of the above-mentioned kegs for breweries are the following:
- 1/6 barrel keg – 23⅜x9¼”, it fits perfectly in a standard refrigerator or small kegerator.
- Cornelius keg is the most demanded option in this bunch. Its size is 23×9″, and it holds 5 barrels of beer.
- There are two types of Quarter Barrel Keg: Slim Quarter and Standard (Pony or Stubby Quarter). The standard model is visually more squat and wide than the slim one: 16⅛x 3⅞”. Slim Quarter Keg (also known as Tall quarter) is skinnier and taller: 23⅜” x 11⅛”.
- The parameters of 50 Litre Keg are the following: 20,94×16,06″.
- Half Barrel Keg is just over 23″ high and about 16″ in diameter.
Contact Beverage Craft Draft Beer Equipment online store today, and they’ll help you find the right beer kegs for your needs.
