This is what I know about keg beer -- now go tap your own
Down the Hatch
Published: April 20, 2006
Last Modified: October 19, 2006 at 05:52 AM
Even beer gets tiresome, not to drink, but to think about. So I get weary of trying to say something useful about my favorite beverage, something with more depth and nuance than, "This is what I know about beer, now go get your own."
So the other day I asked my editor for ideas.
"I have an idea," she said sheepishly, "but it's not really what you do."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, it's not what you usually write about."
"What's it about then?"
"It's about beer," she said. "It's just about beer."
Today, I'm just writing about beer. Specifically, bulk beer in kegs. After all, a party with beer is one thing, but a keg party is quite another. Think of it as the difference between breakfast and Sunday brunch or a riddle and haiku. More to the point, wouldn't it be nice to walk into the garage, backyard or shed to pour a pint of beer without looking for the bottle opener?
When throwing a party or buying beer for the long haul, nothing beats a 5-gallon Cornelius keg, which holds about 40 pints of beer, about one-third of a regular keg. Soft drink companies use these for soda syrup, but most serious home brewers use them to dispense their own beer, often within tricked-out refrigeration systems.
Thankfully, Corn kegs are relatively easy to come by through local want ads or Arctic Brewing Supply, which sells reconditioned kegs for $50 and complete dispensary systems with regulators, reusable and refillable carbon dioxide cylinders, tap lines and fittings for $239.99. A system like this will serve your home needs for many, many years.
But if that sounds like a lot of money, think about another, more disposable option: buy a keg and a $20 carbon dioxide charger, which works a lot like a tire inflator except that you can replace the cylinders for about $2 each. It takes about two cylinders to go through a keg.
With this gear in hand, you can fill kegs with your own beer or go to local breweries for a fill. Midnight Sun Brewing Co. sells many of their beers for $60 a keg or $12 per gallon, a bit more for seasonal and Belgium brews. The brewery also lends out Corn kegs and tap handles for a deposit. The brewery's retail hours are 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, noon to 7 p.m. Friday and 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Glacier Brewhouse and the Sleeping Lady Brewery sell bulk beer a bit cheaper -- $50 a keg or $10 a gallon -- and also lend out kegs and tap handles. Restaurant managers can take keg orders, so customers can stop by anytime the restaurants are open.
Not surprisingly, the Moose's Tooth handles keg sales differently. Instead of filling customer kegs, the pizzeria keeps Corn kegs loaded with beer on hand for $60 a keg, plus a keg deposit of $90 and tap deposit of $32.
In other words, you can buy bulk beer without buying a keg. Yes, some breweries want their stuff back in a week and others longer, but once you figure out what works for you, just leave a signed credit card slip with the brewery and enjoy draft beer in your own backyard without ever getting charged for the equipment -- unless you instigate a keg-throwing contest, or forget the keg in the shed when you head to fish camp, or run off with the gear when you run off with the neighbor's spouse.
This is what I know about beer. Now go get your own.
• Daily News reporter Dawnell Smith can be reached at dsmith@adn.com.
