A keg pump is a great option for dispensing beer
if you will be drinking an entire keg in one day.
It introduces oxygen into the keg
which will cause the beer to go flat and stale
in about 24 hours,
so you've got a limited time to finish the keg
once you tap it.
Most people typically use a bucket filled with ice
to keep a keg cold.
The drawbacks to this are that
uneven temperatures throughout the keg
can present problems and melt the ice quickly.
A better option is using an insulated keg bag
which keeps the ice frozen longer
and gives better coverage around the whole keg.
How to tap a keg with a pump
Create a base of ice at the bottom of the bag
before inserting the keg.
Fill the rest of the bag with ice
and pack it in around the sides of the keg.
You can't have too much ice.
Insert the keg pump between the lugs
and the top of the keg
and twist it clockwise about a quarter turn
until it's snug.
Pull out on the handle and push it down to tap the keg.
With a cooling bag, you can close the top
and use the opening to access the keg pump,
providing even more insulation.
Once the keg pump is in place,
close the zipper around the pump to trap in the cold.
The most common error with a keg pump
is over pressurizing the keg.
Tap your keg before pumping and see how it's pouring.
Depending on how long you let the keg settle,
you may need to pour off the first few cups of foam.
The perfect pour should take about six to eight seconds
to fill a sixteen ounce cup.
If the flow is slow,
start with four or five pumps and check the flow rate.
If you haven't pumped enough,
the beer will trickle out very slowly,
but if you over pump,
your beer will blast out pure foam.
The only option to get the foam to die down
is to pour beer until the pressure is reduced.
When pouring, make sure you open the faucet
all the way, so as not to restrict the flow.
Only pump it when you need to.
With a little patience and practice,
you'll be pouring perfect cups of beer in no time.
BeverageFactory.com
