A Word on Beer Kegging and the Best Options of Kegs
If beer is your favourite type of liquid to quench your thirst, you probably know there’s a difference between a beer that’s been bottled and beer that’s been kegged. Kegging is a method that allows you to have more control over the level of carbonation which is something you don’t get with the bottles.
Are Kegs Worth Buying?
Yes, because they enhance the beer-tasting experience as they provide you with a smoother beer that’s also mellower and significantly less carbonated so you can expect to get less intestinal gas and burping as a result. If quality is maintained throughout the brewing, paying attention to the cleanliness as much as the choice of the ingredients, there’s no doubt the beer is going to taste amazing.
Fresh beer from the tap is the best option when you go to a pub considering freshness and lack of oxidation affect the flavour altogether. No matter whether you want to enjoy your own great lager liquid at home, or plan to open up some catering business, one thing is certain, you’d benefit highly from kegging instead of bottling, so next time you set out to do some beer equipment shopping, let it be a keg. You’ve got some classic options like the mini 10l kegs besides the big 50l kegs and traditional half barrel kegs, and many in-between models.
Want additional reasons besides the tasty and fresh beer? It’s a solution with a reduction in the cost of storage that’s also beneficial for the environment since you don’t get to purchase and clean bottle after bottle. And let’s face it, there’s always the danger you might spill or break the glass containers.
What’s the Best Keg to Buy?
Tall quarter, i.e. the slim, pony keg or the stubby quarter, sixtel or torpedo log, are all common options of kegs that homebrewers and people in catering alike choose from. But just because they are the common ones doesn’t mean you should let that influence your decision. In fact, the smaller options, like the compact 10l kegs and 15 and 20l kegs can be more beneficial than meets the eye.
Don’t let their small size fool you – they can still hold up 30 to 50 beers of 330l. With dimensions ranging in width and height, from 211 mm and 395 mm to kegs of 175 mm and 488 mm, you still have plenty of choices with the mini designs as you have with the bigger models. Why opt for compact instead of spacious, you wonder? Simple: it’s to do with the ease of use and beer quality.
Yes, quality has a huge say in this decision since the longer beer is kept tapped in the keg, the bigger the chance for quality alteration, which isn’t the case with the smaller containers. Also, in terms of quality, the compactness is responsible for lesser carbonation changes which is great news considering the more changes present in the process of the CO2, the more the drink’s flavour and taste are affected.
Another important factor in the choice of 10l kegs is the quick and efficient cooling, thanks to the smaller diameter. This is a property that gives you an advantage when it comes to flexibility and storage since in a timeframe of 24-25 hours you can cool and stockpile the minis. There’s yet another advantage to the small size – that of portability. Since they’re easier to handle and carry around, they go through much less pressure, wear and tear as opposed to their bigger and heavier counterparts, like 30 and 50l kegs.
Whenever you feel like changing their whereabouts or refilling them up, you can do it in a jiffy without any sweat, and without any damages to the containers in the process. There’s equally less of a chance for the employees in a pub, for example, to sustain some injuries during the transport. Then we get to the importance of cleanliness.
Microbial growth is still a serious issue and risk, even if you take care of hygiene before storage. The bigger the container, the bigger the risk since the longer tapping period of beer is enough for the germs to spread all over. Besides ruining the whole batch and causing you to lose of your stock, affecting you financially, it could also affect you health-wise. Why risk contamination when you can simply store the golden liquid in a corny keg instead?
If you’re a fan of more variety, especially with craft beers, you’d love the small containers for the opportunity to get several taps too. This is especially helpful when you open up your own pub or catering business, as you can supply customers with more options. The more the variety and satisfied customers, the more the profits respectively. These are just some of the pros of kegs with slim diameters you can experience for yourself, and probably even more in store for you along the way.
