Keg beer

Shelf Life

Keg beer will remain fresh if dispensing with CO2, while maintaining the proper temperature and pressure:

• Non-pasteurized draft beer about 45-60 days.
• Pasteurized draft beer about 90-120 days.

Dispensing keg beer with a party pump (air):

• Any draft beer will remain fresh for no more than 8-12 hours.

Air contains oxygen, and oxygen is an enemy of beer. Non-pasteurized beer has a shelf life of 45-60 days. Here is an example of a keg’s life:

• Days 0-10 (Transit / Satellite Warehousing)
• Days 10-20 (Distributor Warehouse / Retail Delivery)
• Days 20-60 (At Tavern)

So the average keg has 25-40 days of shelf life at the tavern.