Draft Beer Keg Size

Draft beer is commonly stored, transferred and served straight from kegs. These cylindrical containers come in various sizes, which are commonly made from materials such as wood, aluminum or steel. It is bigger than an oil barrel and a wide barrel, the capacities of which are 42 gallons and 32 gallons respectively. Draft beer kegs are classified into various types, the most common of which are the half keg, the quarter barrel and the mini keg. In addition to these interesting details, there are more to learn about these containers including the different sizes of draft beer kegs.

The Sizes of Draft Beer Kegs

Based on many history books, the standard size of a beer barrel is 50 gallons. Through the years, other container sizes have been designed by different breweries from all parts of the world. In the United States, the common sizes of kegs are the ½-barrel, the ¼-barrel and the 1/6-barrel. Among these three, the ½-barrel keg is the most widely used. It has a height of 23.3 inches, with a diameter ranging from 16.1 inches to 17.2 inches. Each keg can hold liquids of up to 58.7 liters or 15.5 U.S. gallons.

When full, a ½-barrel keg can weigh up to 160.5 pounds or 72.8 kilograms. When empty, expect it to weigh close to 29.7 pounds or 13.5 kilograms only. Using these measurements, the approximate weight of a draft beer that can be stored inside this kind of keg is 130.8 pounds or 59.3 kilograms. It can hold as much as 124 servings of 16-fluid ounce beer or about 165 servings of 12-ounce beer.

In Europe, the standard keg size is 50 liters. This type of keg measures 532 millimeters or 20.94 inches high and 408 millimeters or 16.06 inches in diameter. The 30-liter keg has the same diameter as the 50-liter version. However, it has a height of 365 millimeters or 14.37 inches. For the 25-liter keg, the average height is 327 millimeters or 12.87 inches while the usual diameter is 395 millimeters or 15.55 inches. The smallest size in the area is the 20-liter keg, which measures 216 millimeters or 8.50 inches high, with the same diameter as the 25-liter keg.

In Germany, there are three main types of kegs, namely the 20-liter, the 30-liter and the 50-liter versions. The size of the 20-liter keg is 310 millimeters or 12.20 inches high with a diameter of 363 millimeters or 14.29 inches. The 30-liter keg measures 400 millimeters or 15.75 inches high, with a diameter measuring 381 millimeters or 15 inches. The 50-liter keg has the same diameter as the 30-liter keg. However, it has a taller height of 600 millimeters or 23.62 inches.

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