How Many Beers Are In A Full Keg?

The debate over whether beer tastes better from a can or a bottle will likely never be settled (although beer does last longer in a can). Some folks think this argument is moot because it leaves out one of the best ways to drink beer — from a tap. Filling a chilled glass with your favorite brew — whether that's lager or ale (which are both quite different) – from a keg is the preferred method many aficionados choose, and if you are willing to make the investment, you can have a keg delivered right to your door. Yet, when it arrives, there generally isn't a label indicating how much beer you actually purchased, which begs the question: How many beers did you buy?

A keg might blow once or twice a night in a busy bar, but for personal consumption at home, you won't have to worry about refilling it anytime soon. Your typical keg has the capacity to hold just over 15 gallons of suds. This equals out to roughly 165 standard 12-ounce bottles or cans. If you prefer to drink your beer in pint form, you will get about 124 servings from a keg.

However, these numbers represent the amount of beer in a full-sized keg. Kegs come in various sizes and each size holds different amounts of liquid with the smaller versions obviously carrying less beer than a full-sized keg.

The standard keg you are most likely to see at your local watering hole is referred to as a half barrel. If you want something more manageable, a quarter-barrel keg is half the size and holds the equivalent of 82 standard 12-ounce bottles of beer. Still too big? They also come in a sixth-barrel size, which contains just over 5 gallons — the equivalent of roughly 56 bottles of beer.

Purchasing a keg in any size is a smart way to save a little bit of money if you are throwing a party or just want to have some brews on hand. However, making sure you have the room for it is crucial. Many people like to leave their keg unattended outside, but beer will freeze when the temperature drops. It takes a bit longer in a keg because of the volume of liquid it contains, but eventually you will end up with a large chunk of frozen beer forming inside the container. Indoors, a keg will take up a significant amount of space, and keeping it cold without a dedicated kegerator can be a chore. Having all those beers at the ready might sound appealing, but it is worth figuring out if it is practical for you to store a keg before you shell out for one.