If you’re an avid beer drinker, you’ll find that there are more than a few reasons to brew your own beer at home. Brewing your own beer is a cost effective way to drink it. Once you purchase the equipment needed to get started, the cost per batch is relatively cheap compared to picking up a bottle from the bodega down the street. You get to enjoy high-quality and fresh craft beer anytime you want. You could experiment with ingredients to produce several different beer varieties. You can expand your social group to include beer enthusiasts and experts and maybe even turn this tasty hobby into a fulltime business.
Kegs are small barrels you used to store that freshly brewed beer in. They are an eco-friendly solution to buying crates filled with beer bottles or cans that you’ll just throw away afterwards. They make after party cleanup much faster because you’re not dealing with as much trash as you normally would. Most importantly, keeping beer in kegs increases its shelf life. Since beer kegs are air-tight, you can ensure that the quality of the beverage will be the same from the first to the last glass.
With that, here are our top five picks for the best kegs for home brewing beer.
Best Keg For Home Brew Comparison & Rating
Image | Keg For Home Brew | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 95% | |
| 94% | |
| 94% | |
| 92% | |
| 90% |
Want to Learn More?
Start your research for the best kegs here. Each of the five products on our list has detailed information to help you make a more informed choice. Read the specifications for each model and compare the features and benefits. Lastly, be sure to click the yellow buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon!
GrowlerWerks uKeg Carbonated Growler
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Material | Stainless Steel |
Capacity | 128 ounces |
Dimensions | 9.3 x 6.8 x 11.9 inches |
Weight | 6.75 pounds |
The uKeg keeps your draft beer cold on the go. This GrowlerWerks product is built with double wall vacuum insulated stainless steel to keep your beverage chilled just the way you like it. It’s compact enough to take with you on picnics or outings at the beach. At the same time, this 128-oz uKeg is completely compatible with CO2 cartridges. This makes sure that you can achieve optimal carbonation even while on the go. Finally, this homebrew beer keg model has a pressure gauge and a sight glass, so you can easily monitor both pressure and content, respectively.
G Francis Store Stainless Steel Beer Growler with Swing-Top
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Material | Stainless Steel |
Capacity | 64 ounces |
Dimensions | 4.75 x 4.75 x 11.25 inches |
Weight | 0.9 pounds |
The G Francis Store Stainless Steel Beer Growler with Swing-Top is a great choice when home brewing beer. They work great for carbonating in. These growlers look good and are compact for easy transport. You get a good pour from these containers too. And because they’re airtight, you can be sure of having fresh tasting beer wherever you are.
Nutrichef Pressurized Beer Mini Keg System
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Material | Stainless Steel |
Capacity | 64 ounces |
Dimensions | 6.89 x 7.49 x 13.39 inches |
Weight | 4.08 pounds |
This product is the perfect mini beer keg for your favorite homebrew. Transport and even storage is no big deal as this one fits right inside your home fridge. This homebrew beer keg also works well with CO2 cartridges so you can handle no-fuss carbonation via disposable CO2. Cleaning is easy and safe as it has a built-in pressure release valve to easily depressurize the keg.
With its rust-proof, food grade and solid stainless-steel make, you can be sure that your draft beer stays cooler and fresher for a longer time.
5 Gallon Home Brew Keg from the Old Ale Homebrew & Beverage Supply Co.
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Material | Stainless Steel |
Capacity | 5 Gallons |
Dimensions | 10 x 25 x 9 inches |
Weight | 14.08 pounds |
This the keg you want if you need something that works right out of the box (after sanitizing off course). It’s a nice upgrade to old kegs you’ve been using. The ball lock connectors are properly sized. Dip tubes are correct and the liquid line hits the bottom just right. Lid seals nicely.
Kegco 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg
Specifications | |
|---|---|
Material | Stainless Steel |
Capacity | 5 Gallons |
Dimensions | 8.5 x 8.5 x 25 inches |
Weight | 10 pounds |
This Kegco 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg is a classic example of your typical ball lock Cornelius homebrew beer keg. It measures 25” tall and 8.5” in diameter with a 5-gallon volume capacity. It has an integrated pressure release valve, making it easy for you to depressurize the keg prior to cleaning. And with its permanently molded rubber bottom skirt and top handle, you won’t have any problem stacking and carrying this beer keg. Made from high-quality food grade stainless steel, it’s the type of product that will last for years to come.
Keg Buyer's Guide
What do you need the keg for? Do you plan on going all out and start brewing your own beer? Or is it just something you want for keeping your pilsner at perfect temperature at parties?
For entertaining you can choose from the five-liter “mini”, equivalent to 10 pints of beer. Or you can opt for the “sixtle”, which can hold the equivalent of 42 pints.
Kegs have been made out of many materials over time, including wood, plastic, and aluminum. These days the vast majority of kegs are made from stainless steel.
Look into features that will allow you to maximize the use of your keg or enhance your beer drinking experience. Some kegs come equipped with pressurized CO2 pumps and rubber handles. These make it easy to serve beer and transport the keg from the kitchen to backyard.
FAQs
A keg has a single opening on one end, called a "bung". A tube called a "spear" extends from the opening to the other end. There is a self-closing valve that is opened by the coupling fitting which is attached when the keg is tapped.
Most U.S. brewers sell beer in 1⁄2 barrels of 15.5 gallons, 1⁄4 barrels of 7.75 gallons, and 1⁄6 barrels of 5.17 gallons.
In the early days, kegs were made of wood. Later on, they would be manufactured from plastic and aluminum. These days, most kegs are made from stainless steel. With stainless steel kegs, you’re getting durable, sterile containers. They’re easy to handle, and they provide automated cleaning and filling through the valve in a closed system.
Start by mixing together water and your favorite brewing cleaner. Set the solution aside. Remove the posts on the keg. Just remember what post goes on what side of your keg because the opening sizes are not the same. The ‘in’ or gas posts will always have notches on the side.
Next, fill the keg all the way to the top with the cleaning solution you made earlier. Soak the posts in a cleaner solution preferably overnight to remove the residue can become trapped in them. Pour out the cleaning solution inside the keg and pour in fresh water.
Hint: Do not use chlorine (bleach) to clean your kegs as it pit the inside of the keg.