How to Tap a Keg

Beer holds the prized position of being the world's third best loved drink. No party where a group of men have gathered, is quite complete without beer, especially if there is watching of a sport involved. If you frequently serve beer at your parties/get-togethers, you will realize that using a keg of beer is much more economical than serving it out of cans or bottles. Your kegs are most often aluminum, they are also made of steel and wood.

If you decide to serve beer from a keg, it will do you good to learn to tap a keg properly, before your parched guests arrive. However, there are also a few other preliminaries that you need to take care of, such as chilling the beer. While it would be great if you have a kegerator (refrigerator designed for beer kegs), fret not if you don't. A good temporary solution is to fill a plastic garbage can with ice and sit the keg in it. The ice should be at least halfway up the keg, though more would be better. It will need a few hours of chilling, but if the keg was moved around quite a bit, it will need more time.

While transporting your beer keg (if you are picking it up from the liquor store or distributor), place it in the trunk and use stoppers or ropes to ensure it does not move around. While getting it out of the trunk and placing it at the designated spot, get an extra pair of hands (preferably male ones) to help. However, if the keg was delivered to your home, it may have been moved around, so give it time to settle. A few hours should allow the foam to settle, but it will not dissipate completely.

An important aspect of how to tap a beer keg is getting the right tap for your keg. There are at least two different types of seals (there may be more). One kind is for American beers such as Budweiser, MGD, and the Beast, and the other kind is for imported varieties such as Heineken, etc. As is obvious, one tap won't work for all. Depending on the kind of beer you are using, rent the right tap from the distributors or the liquor store.

How to Tap a Beer Keg

• The correct way of tapping a keg involves a two step motion. Start by removing the cap or seal. At the top of the keg, you will see a few open slits and a ball bearing in the middle.
• Then take the tap and align its notches up with the hole at the top of the keg. Push the tap down and turn it clockwise to lock it into place. Be prepared to get sprayed if the beer was not given time to settle.
• Some people suggest not to break the seal, but to place the tap over the seal, and push it down. Its seal will break, so keep up the pressure and turn.
• Pour a few cups to get rid of the excess foam. Start the party with the beer that is left in the cups once the foam settles.

Learning to tap a beer keg is a part of the training that goes into making you a good host (or bartender). Once you've got it figured out, make sure you pour beer into the glasses at about a 45 degree angle, and to prevent crowding around the bar, fill up pitchers of beer that can be used to serve people. While you're at it, don't forget to serve the ladies first! You should get about 200 cups of beer from a half-keg.