The Basics - Filling From A Beer Tap
- Contact the venue first to check if there is any time restrictions etc as to when they can fill your keg. As it ties up a staff member and a beer tap some venues prefer not to do it in peak times.
- Arrive with your keg clean and sanitised.
- You can just bring the screw cap but ideally bring your spear and regulator with a gas bulb.
- Ask the venue to chill your keg before filling to prevent foaming (foaming causes them wastage and you potentially a not completely filled keg so it's bad for both of you!)
- If you have an insulated keg or growler ask them to chill it with the lid off (or do it yourself at home then put the lid on to come to the venue so it stays cold).
- If you plan on finishing the keg within the next 48 hours
- Let the venue fill your keg and put on the screw cap. Take it home and either pour from your keg or growler as needed or swap the cap for your spear and pour from the tap.
- If you plan on taking longer than 48 hours to drink your beer
- Ask if the venue flushes the keg with CO2 prior to filling it.
- If they do flush with CO2, great! Let them do their thing.
- If they don't ask for the keg back and use your regulator to flush the keg out yourself.
- You can either turn the regulator on and put the outlet in the open mouth of the keg for a few seconds or put the spear in and connect the regulator, turn it on and pull the pressure release valve a few time.
- CO2 is heavier than air so if you hold the keg upright and don't move it too abruptly the CO2 stays inside forming a cushion of gas the beer fills inside so it doesn't touch oxygen.
- Either way once the keg is filled put the spear on it (rather than the screw cap) and again flush it with CO2. Then set the pressure to about 14psi.
- You can now turn off and disconnect the regulator for transport home.