Having a keg at your party is a great way to provide guests with cold beer all night long. A keg of beer costs less per serving than buying bottles or cans. Many people find that beer on tap tastes better than canned or bottled beer too. When the time comes to tap the keg you want to make sure you do it right to avoid being sprayed with beer, potentially damaging the tap, or embarrassing yourself.
Before beginning, make sure that the tap matches the keg. Some kegs have slightly different seals and need certain taps. You can avoid confusion by “renting” a tap with your keg at the beer distributor. Usually a deposit is given back when the tap is returned.
Plan ahead and buy your keg of beer a few hours before you plan on tapping it. During handling and transport it can become shaken up. Letting it sit can help minimize the foaminess of the beer.
Tapping the keg:
Place the keg on the floor. To keep the keg cold, place the keg into a sturdy plastic tub and fill in with ice around and on top of the keg. Make sure the keg is in an accessible location and also in a place where spilling beer won’t be an issue.
Remove the plastic lid covering the opening of the keg. Hold the tap with the pump at the top. Make sure the tap lever is in the up position. The lever is located on the bottom area of the tap. The lever must be in the up position at this point or you’ll spray beer everywhere.
Place the bottom of the tap into the opening of the keg. Push down until the tap can not go down any further and turn the whole tap clockwise. The metal rim on the tap should slide under the metal lock-ins around the tap opening. Turn until you can not turn anymore. This will lock the tap into place.
While holding the tap use your other hand to push down the tap lever. Some taps require you to pull the tap lever out slightly to unlock it while pushing it down. Pull the lever out and push it down. When it can not go down anymore the lever will lock into place when you let go of it.
Empty out some of the foam by using the attached nozzle to pour it into a large pitcher. You will get a few cups of foam before beer starts flowing so don’t worry.
Tilt the glass or pitcher when filling it with beer and place the nozzle on the side of the glass to get a good pour with minimal head foam.
Only pump the tap when the beer flow slows to a drizzle or drip. Pump too much and you’ll get a lot of foam; too little and you’ll get a slow flow that may end up foaming up. A few pumps will keep the beer flowing nicely.
Removing the tap:
Do not stand directly over the keg when removing the tap. Pressure can build up and cause the tap to shoot up during removal.
Firmly grasp the tap and pull the tap lever out while pulling it upwards. You may hear a loud popping sound as the seal is broken. The tap may also move or jump so keep a firm grip on it. Turn the tap counterclockwise until you can lift the tap up and out of the keg opening.
