Would you like to learn how to start kegging your own beer? Kegging your homebrew saves time and money and offers a very convenient way to serve your beer. This article walks you through the basics of purchasing a kegging system, filling your kegs and serving your kegged beer at home.
Purchase a Beer Kegging System
If you don’t already have a beer kegging system, you can purchase one from your local homebrew store or a major online brewing supply store. A kegging system consists of a keg, a CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas tank, a pressure regulator and two hoses. One hose feeds CO2 gas into your keg inlet, and the other hose brings the beer from the keg to your tap. Keg sizes vary, but the most popular size is the 5 gallon Cornelius or “Corney” keg.
If you are just starting out with kegging your own beer, it is best to purchase a complete starter system from a single store. Complete systems typically run less than $200 for an initial setup including all of the supplies mentioned above. Several popular brewing supply stores that sell kegging equipment can be found on our links page. Once you have your kegging system you will need to fill the CO2 tank with CO2 from a local beverage supply or gas supply store.
Cornelius Keg 
CO2 TankFilling a Keg
Give your keg a thorough cleaning before use, as many used Cornelius kegs have soda residue present. Pressurize the keg with gas once and check for leaks by applying a small amount of soapy water around the hose fittings and valves. Sterilize the keg with a stainless steel-safe agent such as iodophor before filling. Fill the keg by siphoning from your homebrew fermenter, being careful not to splash or aerate the beer.
Once the keg is full, put the top on it and pressurize the keg using your CO2 tank. Purge any remaining air in the keg and displace it with CO2. Do this by pressurizing the keg with CO2, then release air using the release valve on the top of the keg. Repeat this 4-6 times to make sure that all of the air is out and replaced by CO2. Once the keg has been pressurized with CO2, you can store it in this configuration for several months as long as the keg has no leaks.
Carbonating the Keg
Kegs must be stored under pressure and refrigeration to carbonate properly. I use an old refrigerator to keep 3 of the 5 gallon kegs on tap at all times, and I’ve drilled a hole in the side of the fridge so I can keep the CO2 tank on the outside. To calculate the carbonation pressure needed, put a thermometer in your refrigerator and leave it for a few hours. This will give you your carbonation temperature.
Next, using a Carbonation calculator such as BeerSmith (Carbonation item on the Tools menu), enter the volumes of CO2 desired to set the carbonation level (2.4 is a good starting number to use), enter the refrigerator temperature and volume of beer. BeerSmith will calculate the CO2 pressure needed to force carbonate the beer. If you don’t have access to a carbonation tool, start your system at 10 psi of pressure and adjust it later. Set your CO2 tank regulator to the desired pressure, hook it to your keg and place the keg in the refrigerator. Again, it is not a bad idea to check your lines and connectors for leaks if you have not used the system before. The keg will begin to carbonate in a day or two and reach full carbonation within a week.
Enjoy Kegged Homebrew
You are now ready to enjoy your kegged homebrew! Always pour your beer down the side of the glass and open the tap fully. If you find that the carbonation level is too high, simply dial your CO2 pressure down a bit. If the beer is too flat, adjust the keg pressure up a bit. Invite some friends over and enjoy fresh homebrew from the tap!
Related Beer Brewing Articles from BeerSmith:
- Testing for Keg System Leaks for Home Brewing Beer
- Carbonation Options for Your Home Brewed Beer
- The Beer Gun and Counter Pressure Fillers: Bottling Beer
- Keg Line Length Balancing – The Science of Draft Beer
- Carbonating Your Beer with Stout Mix Gas
- Kegging Still Mead, Wine and Cider
- Kegging your Home Brewed Beer with Chris Graham- BeerSmith Podcast #79
- SS Brewtech Brewmaster Chronicle 14 gal Conical Fermenter Review – Part 2: Fermenting Beer
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Hi there,
Thanks for the article it has some really useful information in there! A while back I brought a home brewing kit and for a while now I have been brewing my own traditional ales, It has been a big hit with my friends and family who now actually pay for their bottle. I wanted to add that extra touch to my ale so I designed my own beer labels and had them printed by a British labels company who did a excellent job. It has made my beer bottles look really great!
Does anyone know how to tell how much beer is left in a cornelius keg in a home brew system? Is there a way to tell? Thanks
The easiest way to measure the amount of beer is to weigh it. If you know the weight of your empty keg you can calculate the amount of liquid left. BeerSmith has a weight to volume calculator to do this, but you can approximate it using the density of water as a baseline.
I just put my CO2 pressure regulator at 10 PSI and leave it. I force carbonate this way and pour this way. It usually gives me about 2.2 to 2.4 carbonation volumes according to BS! it works great for me! CHEERS
hi im going to start brewing in kegs soon,im looking at getting some keg of ebay,whot should i look for to spot bad kegs?.
Thanks
Generally I go with 5 gallon soda kegs (Corney kegs) as these are the cheapest. Its hard to inspect kegs over the internet, but once you get it home you should check all of the rubber fittings, clean the keg thoroughly and do a pressure test for leaks running it at 25 psi – use some dish soap and water along the seals to look for bubbling leaks.
I currently have a kolsch in my primary fermenter (extract partial boil), and was considering on going straight to a keg for a short lagering as the secondary/condition phase instead of a glass carboy. How much time would you suggest on letting it lager before force carbonating? I was thinking somewhere in the 3 week range, being that it’s not really a lager/pils. Thanks.
Generally you lager from 2-4 weeks at cold temperature. It depends slightly on the yeast and style as some yeasts require longer periods of lagering.
Hi I’m going to use my keg for the first time (i bought used keg) and i’m thinking about sanitizing it with NaOH solution, is it safe for stainless steel and rubber o-rings? What should be the concentration of NaoH solution and time of sanitizing ? Thanks.
Hi – I don’t know as I have not used NaOH before. Personally I prefer Iodophor for sanitizing kegs.
Hello I am a home brewer and new to this blog (I actually find it very good).
First of all let me tell you I am down in Baja Mexico and I have a 15 gallon standard keg, there are no Cournellius kegs down here, and I have the equipment to make 5 gallon batches, I usually use two glass carboys as primary and secoundary fermentors and then transfer to bottles.
The question is, can I make a 5 gallon batch of beer and pour the beer into the 15 gallon keg for carbonation (and serving subsecuentaly)?????
I know I could upgrade my equipment to make a 15 gallon batch, but it costs money, and what bothers me most is time, hahahahaaaa, I want to use my new (used) kew and CO2 System.
Thank you very much for your time.
Salud
Francisco
Yes,
A 15 gal keg of beer can hold 5 gallons as long as you pressurize and store it with CO2.
I just kegged my homebrew for the first time in a brand new setup. It’s sitting in the fridge force carbinating away. My question is, once it’s conditioned, what’s the best way to keep it.
Can I leave the gas on and keg tapped at all times? or should I turn the gas off and untap at the end of my drinking sessions?
thanks
You can actually leave the gas off if you have no leaks in the system (always check for leaks when you set it up). It should hold its pressure reasonably well unless you are storing for a very long time.
I kegged by beer for the first time, it was great for about a week or two. It wasn’t producing a head when poured so I turned up the CO2 to about 11psi. Now it taste bad, I believe it is over carbonated. My question is can I fix this by turning the CO2 off for a while?
You actually need to draw some gas off the keg. If you turn off the CO2 and then let gas out of the pressure valve it will eventually go down. Let some gas out each day until your keg reaches an acceptable carbonation level.
Hi Brad,
I have a question regarding the regularity of refilling the CO2. How often do you need to refill with the 3 5 gallon kegs you mentioned? Or a better way to word it, how long does the CO2 last :o)
Regards
Brad
It depends on how large your CO2 tank is and how often you brew. I have a 10 lb tank (which I recommend) and it lasts a long time – usually a year or more for me.
Hello,
I have been brewing for a couple of years, and bottleing my beer. I am thinking of kegging, (as cleaning the bottles is a pain in the a$$) Can you add the priming sugar at the end of the primary (or secondary) fermentation and then fill the keg and seal it? Will this naturally carboninate the beer like it was one large bottle? I am not sure I want to force carbination. I am set up with a beer mister and could do it, but i am not sure of the advantage or disadvantage of either method (other then the time duration to drink).
My ideal situation would be to have one keg on tap, while the other one carbonates outside of the refrigerator, and not hooked up to the co2.
Thanks
Blair
I have never brewed beer before and I now have a door shank, co2 tank, some hoses, a regulator and a corny keg. what more do I need to brew beer? where should I start?
You might want to have a look at our “how to brew beer” series as a starting point. It starts here.
Brad
I just kegged some hard cider I made. I have a small 2.5 lb CO2 tank and it was 1/4 full when I started. I turned my PSI up to 30 and the next day my tank was empty. I just filled it and can tell from the double regulartor that the amount in the CO2 tank has gone done slightly overnight already. I don’t see a leak anywhere. Is this normal? I know my CO2 tank is small and I might see drops in my tank a lot more than if I had a 10 lb tank. This is the first homebrew I have kegged and don’t know how much CO2 it takes to carbonate. THanks.
No – its not normal – you very likely have a leak somewhere. They are hard to see. Take some water and add a small amount of dish soap to it, then brush it around all of your fittings and seals. It should make bubbles wherever there is a leak. Make sure you check everything! — Brad
Hey, just started a new Home Brew Beer site and I came across yours as well. I really like the layout and the articles are good too 😀
Thanks – best wishes with your new site! — Brad
if you are kegging beer, do you still prime it with sugar for carbonation?
Jack – No, most of us “force carbonate” the keg by simply putting it under pressure with CO2 and refrigeration for a few days. If you set your regulator to 10-12 PSI and put the keg in the fridge, the CO2 pressure will carbonate it within a few days. A handful of people do “naturally carbonate” their keg using sugar or DME for historical reasons, but this is not very common.
Hello, I have a keg (regular size) and a 4Keg keggerator. I want to begin home brewing however I need to clean the keg that I have. It still has leftover beer from several years ago. I believe it should still hold around the seals as they look good but I will test them under pressure. Can I use compressed air to do this or does it have to be CO2? Also how can I clean the insides of the Keg? I’m sure the beer left behind is flat and isgusting by now. Any assistance you could give would be appreciated. Thank you.
You can use compressed air for the pressure test (use some soapy water to find any leaks – they will bubble). However, you do need CO2 to carbonate and store your beer. Air will spoil it due to oxidization.
Brad
How do i naturally carbonate my beer in a keg do i add co2 or will the sugar force the air out and does it have to be in the fridge can i store it at room temp
Gary,
The term “naturally carbonating” involves adding sugar to the keg and fermenting it (usually warmer) for a week or two before tapping the keg. However, most people who have kegs do “forced carbonation” which is simply applying CO2 pressure and putting the keg in the fridge for a week or two without sugar. The CO2 pressure itself will carbonate the beer. Try setting your keg system at 10-12 PSI and put your keg in the fridge (checking for leaks first of course). It should carbonate the beer in a week or so.
Brad
Hi. I haven’t brewed before. But I got a kit for Christmas and I want to start using it. This question my have been answered all ready, but making the beer and carbonating it with my kegorator will ensure that is fermented? This is where I’m confused. I understand that it will have the carbonation, but will it have the full body and alcohol content that it was intended to have if it doesn’t sit, say, 4-6 weeks? Or does this instantly happen during the boil and cooling phase? Thanks for your insight.
Brian
Hello
Is it ok to store a keg on it’s side wile tapped in a refrigerator???
Ty
Mike
The only problem with this is potentially the fact that the dip tube may eventually no longer be submerged depending on which way you turn your keg. To get all the beer out you will eventually need to set it upright again.
Brian,
You really want to make sure the beer is fully fermented BEFORE you keg it. Finishing fermentation in the keg is not a great idea unless you really know what you are doing. Once fermentation has stopped, keg your beer and put it under pressure in the fridge to carbonate it. You may still need to wait 4-6 weeks after you keg it for the flavor to smooth out. After kegging it will still have a “young beer” flavor that will fade over time.
Hello all,
I was just wondering if it’s absolutely neccessary to put the keg in the fridge to force carbonate. Could you do it outside the fridge? If not, why?
Thanks,
-Matt
Matt,
You don’t strictly need to refrigerate to carbonate but the problem is that at room temperature you need much higher pressures to carbonate to a typical 2.5 volumes or so (lets say roughly 30 PSI at room temperature will reach 2.5 volumes of carbonation). This is fine if the keg is just sitting there but if you plan to drink out of it at room temperature you will likely serve up a whole bunch of foam because at 30 PSI your serving pressure at the tap is about 4x what it needs to be. So you need to either carbonate at cold temperature or cool the keg before you serve the beer.
Brad
Just getting into brewing. My question is this. I am looking at kegging my beer in order to bring out to my football tailgates. I think it would be a pretty cool addition and I think all of my fellow tailgaters would enjoy it as well. Would it be acceptable to carbonate without a fridge and then bring the keg out to the tailgate and just ice it down in a barrel or something similar?
Stewart,
You can do it but you need to pressurize it to a pretty high level when carbonating at room temp (the carbonation tool can tell you what pressure to use). Also you need a consistent serving temperature for the beer – the problem is that if the keg is too warm, it will be at a higher pressure when serving which will result in a bunch of foam. So its important you cool it down to refrigerator temp and also significantly reduce the pressure on your CO2 keg when serving to avoid excessive foaming.
Cheers,
Brad
I am going to start putting my home brew in the corney kegs and read about pressurizing it in the fridge can the keg then be taken out of the fridge after the week of forced carbination or will it skunk if it is taken out and gets to room temp? or if I am going to be not drinking it for a while should i carb it with sugar instead?
If you are using a sanke keg and are doing 5 gal batches but always using the same type of brew can you add to it by double batching or triple batching or does it need to be from the same fermentor
Brian,
As long as the keg is under positive CO2 pressure, you can remove it from the fridge with no problem. It only will become skunky if the beer itself is exposed to air.
Brad
Hi Brad
when storing and aging beer in a carboy/Demijohn do you need to have a breather in the bung or is it fine to seal it when you intend to force carbonate when kegged?
awesome site BTW.
Cheers
Scott,
I would certainly recommend an airlock if you are storing in a carboy as the carboy is not designed to handle pressure that might build up during fermentation and could break. Once you have it in the keg (which is a pressure vessel) you can certainly seal it.
Brad
I’m a long-time home brewer about to start kegging. Outstanding info on your website. Responses to questions are to-the-point and practical. Very helpful. Thanks
Yup, I just want to agree with Kirk. Love the site.
I feel with this article alone I learned exactly what I needed to keg my home brew!
Thanks Brad!
Hi there Brad,
Can you tell me if it’s okay to put the co2 bottle / reg etc inside the fridge at the same time? I don’t really want to go buying a new fridge or drilling holes in the current one..
Hi,
I believe you can leave the CO2 bottle inside or outside of the fridge.
Brad
I’m fermenting my first beer and going straight to a Corny keg. We have run regular (store bought) kegs for years, so the keg part is not a mystery. The mystery is the timeline for kegging. The instructions for my Nut Brown Ale (from Northern Brewer) say 2 weeks to ferment, 2 weeks to condition in the bottle. No keg instructions. I have read lots of comments about priming with sugar vs. force carbonation, and in the cases with sugar priming, the beer is left to condition for about 2 weeks and gain carbonation. The question is, if you force carbonate, and it takes only a few days to do that, does it mean the beer is ready to drink that much faster? It seems to good to be true 🙂
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