[Village Taphouse]

How long does a typical keg of beer last you on tap? Just curious.

It really just depends on who is here drinking it.  My kids are 25, 23, 21 and if they're here it goes quick.  If it's summer and a lot of people are over, it goes quick.  So I have had kegs drained in one day and some that have lasted 2 months.  I would say 4-6 weeks per keg is average-ish.  Honestly never gave it much thought. 

[beersk]

How long does a typical keg of beer last you on tap? Just curious.

It really just depends on who is here drinking it.  My kids are 25, 23, 21 and if they're here it goes quick.  If it's summer and a lot of people are over, it goes quick.  So I have had kegs drained in one day and some that have lasted 2 months.  I would say 4-6 weeks per keg is average-ish.  Honestly never gave it much thought. 

Not giving it much thought must be nice. I hate always having to worry about my pipeline. Maybe worry is the wrong word...over think, might be more appropriate.
What I need is another freezer for lagering/carbonating. Might be something I invest in soon. Mainly, my issue is wanting to brew as much as I want, but not having anywhere to put the kegs. Kegerator only has 3 spots for 5 gallon kegs and a 2.5 gallon keg on the compressor hump (collar isn't high enough for a 5 gallon keg). Of course, I could do 2.5 gallon batches exclusively, but I feel like if I'm going to put the time in, I might as well brew 5 gallons (it's almost literally the same amount of work and time for my system). Plus, I like to have more to share. Need more kegs and freezer space!!!

[Village Taphouse]

Not giving it much thought must be nice. I hate always having to worry about my pipeline. Maybe worry is the wrong word...over think, might be more appropriate.
What I need is another freezer for lagering/carbonating. Might be something I invest in soon. Mainly, my issue is wanting to brew as much as I want, but not having anywhere to put the kegs. Kegerator only has 3 spots for 5 gallon kegs and a 2.5 gallon keg on the compressor hump (collar isn't high enough for a 5 gallon keg). Of course, I could do 2.5 gallon batches exclusively, but I feel like if I'm going to put the time in, I might as well brew 5 gallons (it's almost literally the same amount of work and time for my system). Plus, I like to have more to share. Need more kegs and freezer space!!!

I used to worry about it because I never wanted to run out of beer.  And I still don't.    I have 4 taps in my basement bar and they are served by two 4.5cf fridges on the other side of the wall.  I have another small fridge that I use for fermentation... 50° for lagers, around 62° for ales.  Then I have another old-school fridge that I cleared out as an "on-deck" fridge and it can hold five kegs.  I have 10 kegs total and the ability to keep 9 cold.  That extra keg might be put into service on a brewday when I know another keg is about to go down.  I can also keep one of those kegs in the cool garage over the winter.  As soon as I have an empty keg, I brew.  If I find myself with 2, 3, 4 empty kegs... I start getting a little twitchy because I realize how quickly they can go especially when you have guests over.  I also brew a lot of lagers and I like them to sit for at least a month if not longer so that adds to the timeline.  Remember too that I have been self-employed for 30+ years and now have a "real job" but still work at home and all of my kids are adults so I am in a good spot right now to use my time as I like. 

[beersk]

Not giving it much thought must be nice. I hate always having to worry about my pipeline. Maybe worry is the wrong word...over think, might be more appropriate.
What I need is another freezer for lagering/carbonating. Might be something I invest in soon. Mainly, my issue is wanting to brew as much as I want, but not having anywhere to put the kegs. Kegerator only has 3 spots for 5 gallon kegs and a 2.5 gallon keg on the compressor hump (collar isn't high enough for a 5 gallon keg). Of course, I could do 2.5 gallon batches exclusively, but I feel like if I'm going to put the time in, I might as well brew 5 gallons (it's almost literally the same amount of work and time for my system). Plus, I like to have more to share. Need more kegs and freezer space!!!

I used to worry about it because I never wanted to run out of beer.  And I still don't.    I have 4 taps in my basement bar and they are served by two 4.5cf fridges on the other side of the wall.  I have another small fridge that I use for fermentation... 50° for lagers, around 62° for ales.  Then I have another old-school fridge that I cleared out as an "on-deck" fridge and it can hold five kegs.  I have 10 kegs total and the ability to keep 9 cold.  That extra keg might be put into service on a brewday when I know another keg is about to go down.  I can also keep one of those kegs in the cool garage over the winter.  As soon as I have an empty keg, I brew.  If I find myself with 2, 3, 4 empty kegs... I start getting a little twitchy because I realize how quickly they can go especially when you have guests over.  I also brew a lot of lagers and I like them to sit for at least a month if not longer so that adds to the timeline.  Remember too that I have been self-employed for 30+ years and now have a "real job" but still work at home and all of my kids are adults so I am in a good spot right now to use my time as I like. 

Yeah, isn't that silly to worry about running out of beer when you have so much on hand? I guess for you it might be legitimate given that you have many guests that drink a lot of your beer. I don't have many people over, occasionally a few friends for a happy hour. Otherwise, I brew for parties occasionally.
I, likewise, work from home now with covid and the changing world surrounding that. I can use my time almost as I like also barring meetings, etc. It's kind of nice, but I'm finding myself obsessing over brewing more. 

[Village Taphouse]

It's always good to brew more as long as you can keep the beer kegged, carbed and cold.  I mentioned the lagers because they might age for a good 8-10 weeks and then my kids will visit and wipe them out so fast.  Once over the summer we had family over which included my three kids, 4 of my nieces and nephews and a niece's husband.  They were playing beer pong and other drinking games with pitchers on my beer.  Every time I saw someone coming out of the house they had a pitcher of beer in each hand and I wondered how long that would last.  Beers sitting in kegs cold and carbed will last a long time before showing any issues so better to have more than not enough. 

[beersk]

It's always good to brew more as long as you can keep the beer kegged, carbed and cold.  I mentioned the lagers because they might age for a good 8-10 weeks and then my kids will visit and wipe them out so fast.  Once over the summer we had family over which included my three kids, 4 of my nieces and nephews and a niece's husband.  They were playing beer pong and other drinking games with pitchers on my beer.  Every time I saw someone coming out of the house they had a pitcher of beer in each hand and I wondered how long that would last.  Beers sitting in kegs cold and carbed will last a long time before showing any issues so better to have more than not enough. 

Oh man, that'd make me wince seeing people play beer pong with my beer! Haha. I guess it is better to have more than not enough. Especially for you! Good point there.
We kind of took over this thread a bit. I'm on a beer break until next Friday. Perhaps I'll post a picture of something that I'll tap on that day.

[tommymorris]

It's always good to brew more as long as you can keep the beer kegged, carbed and cold.  I mentioned the lagers because they might age for a good 8-10 weeks and then my kids will visit and wipe them out so fast.  Once over the summer we had family over which included my three kids, 4 of my nieces and nephews and a niece's husband.  They were playing beer pong and other drinking games with pitchers on my beer.  Every time I saw someone coming out of the house they had a pitcher of beer in each hand and I wondered how long that would last.  Beers sitting in kegs cold and carbed will last a long time before showing any issues so better to have more than not enough.

I need a family like that. Both my sons are under 21 so not quite there yet.

My friends mostly like light beers. Lagers fit the bill, but that’s only about 1/3 of my production. Hoppy beers, English beers don’t sell well with the people who “don’t like dark beer”.

[beersk]

It's always good to brew more as long as you can keep the beer kegged, carbed and cold.  I mentioned the lagers because they might age for a good 8-10 weeks and then my kids will visit and wipe them out so fast.  Once over the summer we had family over which included my three kids, 4 of my nieces and nephews and a niece's husband.  They were playing beer pong and other drinking games with pitchers on my beer.  Every time I saw someone coming out of the house they had a pitcher of beer in each hand and I wondered how long that would last.  Beers sitting in kegs cold and carbed will last a long time before showing any issues so better to have more than not enough.

I need a family like that. Both my sons are under 21 so not quite there yet.

My friends mostly like light beers. Lagers fit the bill, but that’s only about 1/3 of my production. Hoppy beers, English beers don’t sell well with the people who “don’t like dark beer”.

You do a lot of 3 gallon batches right? I mix and match my batch sizes and I'm always on the fence about how much of what beer I want, so I waffle back and forth all the time. I admire the folks who just have ONE batch size and that's what they do. I guess it's nice to have options, it's always deciding whether it's worth the time to only have 2.5 gallons of something vs. 5. I'm sure this is the same for folks who waffle between 5 and 10 gallon batches if they have the ability to brew both batch sizes.
Sometimes you don't want 5 gallons of a certain style. But if I'm going to put the time in, might as well make 5. It's not always easy to give away beer, as dumb as that sounds. Sure, a couple growlers per batch. Think I'll throw more parties! haha Ken has the right idea.

[BrewBama]

I had a neighbor stop in the other night. He’s a Miller Lite man. I offered him a beer; I have a Porter and a hoppy Amber Ale on tap. I asked if he likes dark beers or would he like a hoppy beer. He chose the Amber. After he was done I asked him what he thought. He said, “Well, I can taste the hops.” 

My son and daughter’s boyfriend are my beer drinkers.

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[EnkAMania]

Pumpkin Beer



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[tommymorris]

It's always good to brew more as long as you can keep the beer kegged, carbed and cold.  I mentioned the lagers because they might age for a good 8-10 weeks and then my kids will visit and wipe them out so fast.  Once over the summer we had family over which included my three kids, 4 of my nieces and nephews and a niece's husband.  They were playing beer pong and other drinking games with pitchers on my beer.  Every time I saw someone coming out of the house they had a pitcher of beer in each hand and I wondered how long that would last.  Beers sitting in kegs cold and carbed will last a long time before showing any issues so better to have more than not enough.

I need a family like that. Both my sons are under 21 so not quite there yet.

My friends mostly like light beers. Lagers fit the bill, but that’s only about 1/3 of my production. Hoppy beers, English beers don’t sell well with the people who “don’t like dark beer”.

You do a lot of 3 gallon batches right? I mix and match my batch sizes and I'm always on the fence about how much of what beer I want, so I waffle back and forth all the time. I admire the folks who just have ONE batch size and that's what they do. I guess it's nice to have options, it's always deciding whether it's worth the time to only have 2.5 gallons of something vs. 5. I'm sure this is the same for folks who waffle between 5 and 10 gallon batches if they have the ability to brew both batch sizes.
Sometimes you don't want 5 gallons of a certain style. But if I'm going to put the time in, might as well make 5. It's not always easy to give away beer, as dumb as that sounds. Sure, a couple growlers per batch. Think I'll throw more parties! haha Ken has the right idea.

Yes. I am almost 100% 3 gallon. I have three 2.5 gallon kegs and one 5 gallon keg. Occasionally, I brew a 5 gallon batch but usually I just fill the 5 gallon keg half way. My pipeline is definetly not perfect. I never run out of beer, but too often I drink beer before it is fully conditioned. I like 3 gallon batches because I get to brew more. I don't mind the time versus yield issue. I like to brew and I prefer to brew more variety. I probably write 5 recipes for everyone I actually brew. I want to try every yeast, hop, and grain. I can't drink enough to keep up. 

One problem with the small batches is sometimes I get stingy. This mostly happens with lagers because they need extra conditioning time and I like them too.  This creates a catch-22 since as I mentioned lagers are what my friends and family seem to prefer.

[tommymorris]

Pumpkin Beer



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Mmmm. I bet it's delicious! Happy Thanksgiving!

[beersk]

It's always good to brew more as long as you can keep the beer kegged, carbed and cold.  I mentioned the lagers because they might age for a good 8-10 weeks and then my kids will visit and wipe them out so fast.  Once over the summer we had family over which included my three kids, 4 of my nieces and nephews and a niece's husband.  They were playing beer pong and other drinking games with pitchers on my beer.  Every time I saw someone coming out of the house they had a pitcher of beer in each hand and I wondered how long that would last.  Beers sitting in kegs cold and carbed will last a long time before showing any issues so better to have more than not enough.

I need a family like that. Both my sons are under 21 so not quite there yet.

My friends mostly like light beers. Lagers fit the bill, but that’s only about 1/3 of my production. Hoppy beers, English beers don’t sell well with the people who “don’t like dark beer”.

You do a lot of 3 gallon batches right? I mix and match my batch sizes and I'm always on the fence about how much of what beer I want, so I waffle back and forth all the time. I admire the folks who just have ONE batch size and that's what they do. I guess it's nice to have options, it's always deciding whether it's worth the time to only have 2.5 gallons of something vs. 5. I'm sure this is the same for folks who waffle between 5 and 10 gallon batches if they have the ability to brew both batch sizes.
Sometimes you don't want 5 gallons of a certain style. But if I'm going to put the time in, might as well make 5. It's not always easy to give away beer, as dumb as that sounds. Sure, a couple growlers per batch. Think I'll throw more parties! haha Ken has the right idea.

Yes. I am almost 100% 3 gallon. I have three 2.5 gallon kegs and one 5 gallon keg. Occasionally, I brew a 5 gallon batch but usually I just fill the 5 gallon keg half way. My pipeline is definetly not perfect. I never run out of beer, but too often I drink beer before it is fully conditioned. I like 3 gallon batches because I get to brew more. I don't mind the time versus yield issue. I like to brew and I prefer to brew more variety. I probably write 5 recipes for everyone I actually brew. I want to try every yeast, hop, and grain. I can't drink enough to keep up. 

One problem with the small batches is sometimes I get stingy. This mostly happens with lagers because they need extra conditioning time and I like them too.  This creates a catch-22 since as I mentioned lagers are what my friends and family seem to prefer.

I can relate to this a lot. That one problem tends to be a bigger one for me because I enjoy sharing my beer. It really is a bit of a catch-22. With winter coming I'm not sure how much sharing will happen as everyone starts to become a shut-in.

@EnkAMania That pumpkin beer looks nice. I hope to drink some around Thanksgiving.

[HopDen]

So not technically a beer pic… yet.
I hope this mostly barrel aged imperial stout has aged well the last two years. First time laying down a keg of beer for an extended period of time. Will decant 3 gallons into a 3 gallon corny and put that back in the keezer for another year.


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[goose]

I can't remember if I posted this before so if I did, forgive me.

Just to add my .02 to this thread, how long does beer keep?  It depends on the style.  Some like IPA's you need to drink fresh.  Others like Barleywines can keep for years.  At a recent local club meeting I brought out barleywines that were brewed on 2014, 2015, and 2016.  The 2014 was y far the best of the bunch despite the fact it was seven years old!  That one also won two consecutive BOS at competitions when it was two years old.  This style, as do some stouts, get better with age.

I had a glass of a tripel that I made back in April, and it definitely shows signs of oxidation.  Fortunately the keg is almost empty so I don't feel bad about dumping the rest of it.  It is now on my brew schedule in the next week.