Here's How Many Beers Are Actually In A Full Keg

If you're throwing a shindig for a large group of people and you need a lot of good beer all at once, getting a full keg of beer probably isn't a bad idea. But as you know, kegs are physically huge, which is why you're probably wondering just how many beers potentially lie within its round metal belly. 

Now, if you're thinking of the standard large keg, which is technically called a half-barrel keg (more on that in a second), you're looking at about 15.5 gallons worth of beer. And in terms of pints, 15.5 gallons ends up being a lot of servings. One pint of beer is 16 ounces, and considering 15.5 gallons of beer in a keg totals 1,984 ounces, if you do the math, you end up with 124 pints in one keg. If your cups are smaller, say, 12 ounces, which is the same amount of beer that's in one can, then you'll end up with just over 165 of them. You might want to work out a bit before hauling a keg around, however, because a full keg weighs 160 pounds. Maybe call a friend just to be safe.

Beer kegs come in multiple sizes, however, and they're all measured in relation to a beer barrel's original volume, which was 31 gallons. That's why the big keg you know now is technically called a half-barrel keg. There's a quarter-barrel keg that stores 7.75 gallons of beer (or about 62 pints), which comes in both a regular stubby version along with a taller slim one. Though there are multiple quarter-barrel keg dimensions, they both hold the same amount of beer.

Then there's a sixth-barrel keg, which holds 5.16 gallons of beer, or just over 41 pints, and a mini keg, which holds 1.32 gallons of beer, or roughly 14 pints. An honorable mention goes to the keg known as a Cornelius keg, which is favored by home brewers for its versatility and ease of cleaning (sterilization is especially important with home brews), which holds five gallons, or 40 pints of beer. 

So if you're hosting a party, big or small, there's probably a keg that'll fit your needs pretty well, even if you don't need a giant half-barrel version. But if you're trying to decide by headcount, a standard-sized keg will net you 124 pints, and the numbers shrink from there. Let's just hope with that much beer on tap that everyone behaves properly. And in case you have any left over, we have a few good recipes you can make with beer.