How To Tap a Keg
Step-by-step instructions for tapping a keg and serving beer from it, from chilling the keg through the last pour.
What You'll Need
- • A keg coupler (tap) that matches your keg: Sankey D for most U.S. commercial kegs, ball-lock or pin-lock for corny kegs
- • A CO2 tank with a regulator
- • Beer line, plus a faucet or a picnic (cobra) tap
- • A keg wrench or pliers, a clean towel, and food-safe sanitizer
- • Refrigeration to hold the keg at 38-42°F (or ice and a container the keg fits into)
How to Tap a Keg
Chill the keg first, tap it second
Set the keg in a kegerator or refrigerator at 38-42°F for at least 24 hours before tapping. Cold beer holds its carbonation and pours with far less foam. Never tap a warm keg.
Let the keg settle
If you just moved the keg, stand it upright and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two so the beer and sediment stop moving. Handle it gently and never roll or shake it.
Identify your coupler
Match the coupler to the keg fitting: Sankey D for most U.S. commercial kegs (other Sankey types are A, S, G, M, and K), or ball-lock and pin-lock for Cornelius (corny) kegs. The wrong coupler will not seat or seal.
Clean the valve area
Wipe the keg's valve and spear with a clean cloth dampened with sanitizer, and inspect the coupler gaskets. Replace any cracked, flattened, or missing O-rings before you connect.
Attach the coupler to the keg
For a Sankey coupler: line the coupler's lugs up with the valve tabs, push straight down, and turn clockwise about a quarter turn until it locks. Then push the handle down to open the valve. For ball-lock or pin-lock: push the gas disconnect onto the gas-in post and the beer disconnect onto the out post until they click.
Connect the CO2 line
Attach the gas line to the coupler's gas inlet, make sure the regulator is backed off, then open the tank valve slowly. Set the regulator to 10-15 PSI for most beers. Higher-ABV or highly carbonated beers often pour better at 14-18 PSI, and wheat beers frequently want 18-20 PSI.
Leak-check the whole system
Brush soapy water around the coupler, gas inlet, regulator, and tank connection. Bubbles mean a leak. Reseat and retighten, then check again. Even a small leak can empty a CO2 tank overnight.
Let it pressurize
Leave the gas on for 15-30 minutes so the system equalizes before your first pour.
Draw and discard the first pours
The first glass or two will be foam and settled sediment. Pour them off until the beer runs clear, then you are ready to serve.
How to Serve Beer from the Keg
Hold the glass at 45 degrees
Tilt a clean glass at 45 degrees, open the faucet fully in one quick, smooth motion, and let the beer run down the inside of the glass.
Straighten the glass as it fills
Once the glass is about two-thirds full, straighten it upright and pour into the center to build a head of roughly three-quarters to one inch.
Always open the faucet all the way
A partly open faucet knocks CO2 out of the beer and pours foam. Open fully, then close quickly.
Keep the temperature steady
Serve most beers at 38-42°F and hold that temperature. Warm kegs foam, and constantly changing temperature flattens the beer.
Hold the pressure and check the gauge daily
Leave the CO2 on at 10-15 PSI. Check the gauge each day, and as the keg empties you may need to raise the pressure slightly to keep the last pours flowing well.
Use clean, cold glassware
A warm glass or one with detergent film will foam and kill the head. Rinse beer glasses well and keep them cold before pouring.
Clean the lines and faucet regularly
Flush the beer line with clean water or line cleaner after each keg and clean the faucet weekly. Dirty lines spoil the taste of an otherwise perfect keg.
Shut off the gas when the keg kicks
When the keg runs dry, close the CO2 valve, bleed the pressure, disconnect the coupler, and rinse the line right away so nothing dries inside it.
Troubleshooting
All foam, no beer
Pressure is too high, the keg is too warm, or the beer line is too short. Cool the keg to 38-42°F, lower the regulator, and use 5-6 feet of 3/16-inch beer line.
Nothing comes out
Check that the CO2 tank is not empty, the tank valve is open, the regulator is not at zero, and the coupler is fully locked down on the keg.
Beer tastes flat
Pressure is too low for the keg's carbonation level. Raise the regulator 1-2 PSI and give it an hour to equalize.
Hissing or leaking at the coupler
Shut off the gas, reseat the coupler, and replace the gasket or O-ring. Then leak-check again with soapy water.
Beer pours cloudy
The keg was shaken or just moved. Let it stand undisturbed for a few hours and pour off the sediment.
Serving Safely
Always dispense and serve responsibly, and only to guests of legal drinking age. Keep kegs and dispense equipment clean, and never serve beer that smells or tastes off.