by Bridget N. Watts

Created on: July 30, 2008   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

Now that summer is here and the pool and barbecue parties are a plenty, you might have thought about getting a keg for the next time you have a few friends over, or maybe your friends have already been nice enough to buy you a keg. If it is your first time using a keg, you might not be sure how to go about it. Sure, you understand the basic principles of tapping a keg, but you might need a little reminder, which steps to take in order not to end up with foamy Luke warm beer. Do not worry, tapping a keg of beer is relative easy. Follow these simple instructions and you cannot go wrong.

Sitting and chilling

Once you have bought your keg and brought it to the place of the party, you should let it sit for 1 to 2 hours before you tap it. Transporting or shaking a keg causes a lot of foam to build up, which will die down again if you let it rest for a while. If you do not wait long enough, you will end up with very foamy beer. It is also a good idea to chill your keg, especially if you are planning to use it outside. You can do this by placing your keg in a tub with bags of ice. You should have chilled beer within an hour or so.

Tappers
Make sure you have the right tapper, because not all kinds of beer use the same type of tapper. Most liquor stores can advice you which one you need, and they usually can sell or rent them to you as well. It is a good idea to chill your tapper with the rest of the keg, and to run some cold water through it before you start using it. This will make your beer less foamy.

Placing the tapper

Place your tapper over the seal on top of the keg and push down. This will break the seal of the keg. Alternatively you can also remove the seal beforehand, as it will make tapping the keg a little easier. You now need to push down the ball bearing, which serves as a stopper, in order for your beer to flow. Anyone can do this, but you should push rather hard. Rotate the tapper clockwise as far as you can while still pushing it down until it locks into place. Your keg is now ready to be tapped!

Tapping

The first few beers from any keg are usually pretty foamy. Just tap those right away, to get rid of any excess of foam still in the keg. In order to prevent any more foamy beers, make sure you pour the beer at a 45-degree angle and pour down the side of the glass. After a few practice glasses you should be able to pour the perfect beer easily. In case you find the line going slack after a while, you can mend this by giving the keg a few pumps from the handle on the top of the keg. Cheers!

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