How long does a keg of lager last when opened?

Because of the variety of beer styles and storage options for your keg, there's no definitive answer to this question. Depending on who you ask or the site you read, the answer will range from 20 to 120 days. The CO2 dispensing system in a kegerator prevents oxygen from accessing the beer and maintains the fresh taste of the brewery. To properly store a keg in a kegerator, how long the beer stays fresh depends on the beer style.

Pasteurized beers can stay fresh for three to six months. For unpasteurized beers, you can expect the keg to stay fresh for approximately two months. Every beer is different and storing beer at the ideal temperature is essential for its conservation. The trick to keeping the beer keg in its best condition is to keep the oxygen out of the keg and keep it stored at the right temperature.

If you use this type of pump to dispense beer from a keg, you'll notice that its flavor starts to change quite quickly. Most of the time it comes down to the amount of oxygen the beer is exposed to and the temperature at which the keg is kept. Lagers (if not pasteurized), malt beers, and high-alcohol beers can last much longer and will even improve with prolonged aging. Whether you want to host a big party or an intimate gathering, a keg can be a great way to serve beer at your event.

There are many variables that can influence how quickly draft beer begins to change in flavor, but a general rule to keep in mind is that as soon as the keg is filled at the brewery, the “freshness clock” starts. Keeping a keg at a higher temperature will not only cause the beer to form excessive foam, but it will also cause the beer to become rancid. We just talked about how exposure to oxygen can affect the flavors of a beer and, due to direct exposure of oxygen to beer through a hand pump, barrels probably won't stay fresh for long. Beer in kegs is a popular method for storing and dispensing beverages, as it offers many benefits compared to traditional bottling methods.

Kegerators are designed to keep beer or soda cold, but they typically only last two to four months. Its volume in gallons is usually measured by barrels per barrel, so it is important to check the size and type of barrel before calculating how many beers are in a barrel.