How long does a pressurized keg last

Furthermore, how long does it take Draught beer served using compressed air or a party pump to go bad? A typical keg pump uses air or oxygen, which is hand pumped into the keg to draw beer to the faucet.

Hand pumps are only recommended for single day events because oxygen doesn't preserve the beer like CO2 and will cause the beer to go flat and spoil within hours.

When you buy a keg it should only have CO2 in it. As such the keg does not go flat. If you tap it with a true system using CO2 as the gas then you should be able to tap and re- tap the keg as you wish, since you are not introducing a foreign gas. This is because the keg remains pressurized, but avoids oxidation. In this instance, your beer can remain fresh for months, but the overall time really depends on the beer itself.

If your beer is pasteurized, then it will likely last for at least three months, maybe even six if you store it at the correct temperatures. If you dispense your beer with a party pump , which uses air instead of CO2 to drive the beer, you can only expect your beer to remain fresh for hours. If you keep your kegs warm, and drive them with CO2 through a jockey box or other faucet, they will most likely last a couple of months. Should I untap a keg to keep it fresh? In the sense that you are asking, no it won't do anything to spoil the beer.

Just do exactly as you say and unhook the keg, leaving the keg pressurized. How many kegs can you get out of a 5 lb co2 tank? 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 days. For pasteurized draft beer about days. Like other products, the fermentation of your beer speeds up when exposed to higher temperatures. Since the average room is around 65 to 70 degrees, your beer will definitely be affected by the temperature.

This is fine if you only have a small keg, or if you plan on downing your beer in a few days, but not if you want it to last long term. On average, a keg of beer will retain its flavor for only a couple weeks before its taste begins to wane. The best way to retain your flavor is to store it at a cooler temperature.

And we do mean cool , not cold. Another thing that can help determine the length of time you have with your keg is whether the beer is pasteurized or non-pasteurized. For the most part, pasteurized products are bound to last longer. This is because of the processes companies use to keep the product fresh.

Beer naturally has a lot of yeast in it due to its formulation process. With pasteurization, a lot of that yeast is killed off, enabling the beer to last much longer in comparison to non-pasteurized beer. A keg of non-pasteurized beer, even when placed in good conditions, will last just a few months maximum.

A kegerator is a unit designed to contain a keg and keep the beer chilled for consumption. Without a kegerator, the keg of beer would only last for a few days before being completely tasteless.

Most companies that specialize in making kegerators will have a higher quality, and when it comes to storage, they are much more likely to protect your beer and keep it fresh for longer. However, other companies may create lower quality kegerators that may affect the state of your beer.

This is especially true when it comes to the number of times your beer has been tapped. Unlike the manual pump above, a kegerator using CO2 to dispense your beer will keep it fresher for much longer. This is because the keg remains pressurized, but avoids oxidation. In this instance, your beer can remain fresh for months, but the overall time really depends on the beer itself. If your beer is pasteurized, then it will likely last for at least three months, maybe even six if you store it at the correct temperatures.

Try not to go too much above or below that temperature. If the temperature rises above this, your beer may become foamier as the warmer temperature liberates carbon dioxide too quickly. Not only does this cause excessive foam, but also leads to stale beer. If you keep the temperature too cold, the beer will retain its carbonation.

Obviously, you want to avoid storing it at this temperature. It is recommended to store your keg of beer in your kegerator, or perhaps a converted refrigerator , so that it maintains this desired temperature at all times. The trick to keeping your keg of beer at its best is to keep oxygen out of the keg and keep it stored at the right temperature. If you can do these two things, you will have fresh draft beer for months.

Plagued by a chronic case of curiosity, Jeff Flowers is just a dude that annoys everyone around him with his loquacious goofiness. From beer to home living, Jeff is just trying to hack his way through life and write a few notes about it along the way. You can follow his ramblings here, or listen to him complain about Austin traffic on Twitter at Bukowsky. I was just wondering about this the other day.