Kegs

What kegs does it use?

The Cooler Keg does not use store-bought kegs. It comes equipped with two refillable kegs (228oz) that you can put any beverage into - beer, mixed drinks, cocktails, mocktails, seltzers, soda, hot drinks, whatever. The options are endless.

Where do you buy the kegs?

The Cooler Keg comes equipped with two 228oz refillable wide-mouth kegs. If you are looking for extras to keep some filled and ready in the fridge, Cooler Keg sells additional kegs on their website. 

What drinks work in the Cooler Keg?

We have a favorite phrase: the kegs don’t care. Fill the kegs with any type of beverage — beer, mixed drinks, craft cocktails, soda, sparkling water, hard seltzers, mocktails, whatever! Anything you put in the kegs will come out on draft. If the drink is carbonated, the CO2 will maintain the bubbles. If the drink is still, don’t pressurize the kegs till the last minute and serve a batched cocktail without carbonation. The final option is to fill the keg with a still drink, max the pressure, wait 3-4 days, then you will have a sparkling beverage that started out without any carbonation. 

How many drinks does it hold?

Each keg holds 228oz. This equals 19 beers, but in our experience, 18 is where it’s at. In total, they hold up to 36 12oz beers, 90 5oz mixed drinks, or 144 fancy 3oz cocktails. 

CO2, Argon, Nitro

How long does the CO₂ last?

One CO₂ cartridge contains enough pressure to empty both kegs with enough leftover to clean the system. The situations when this is not true is if someone keeps pulling the tap of an empty keg wasting CO2 or if you force-carbonate a still beverage over a few days, which uses CO2 in the carbonation process. 

Doesn't oxygen get in and make the beer stale?

Yes and no. Depending on how you fill the kegs, the beer will stay fresh for 2 - 4 weeks. If you have the kegs filled at a local brewery where they CO2 purge before filling, your lifespan will be maxed to a month. If you open cans / bottles to fill the kegs, the amount of oxygen exposure will be greater, so your freshness window will be closer to two weeks. When you fill the kegs, always remember to immediately pressurize and purge the head space. This minimizes oxygen exposure. 

But let’s be honest, the majority of the time we are filling the kegs and enjoying them within a few days. So relax and enjoy a draft. :) 

Does it work with Nitro?

Short answer is yes. We can sell you nitrogen cartridges, a high-pressure regulator, and a nitro tap, but you will use multiple expensive cartridges to serve one keg of Guinness or nitro cold brew coffee. Financially, this is an expensive solution. A second option is to modify the cooler, add couplings to the back, and attach a much larger tank of nitrogen externally. A bit more bulky, but makes the cost of serving nitro drinks reasonable. 

Ice Packs

How does it stay cold?

The Cooler Keg includes 4 custom ice packs that fit snugly around the kegs inside the cooler. Once frozen, they will keep cold kegs from the fridge below fridge temperatures for 24 hours at 75 degrees in the shade or up to 12 hours in direct 95 degree sunlight. Need to stay colder longer or forget to freeze the ice packs? No problem. Just fill the cooler with ice, everything is plastic and stainless steel, ice is no problem and the cooler has a standard drain on the side. 

Can I fill the cooler with ice?

Of course! It comes with custom ice packs, but you can also just use good ol’ fashioned ice. Ice won’t hurt anything and the cooler has a standard drain on the side. 

Draft Tower

Doesn't the beer get warm in the draft tower?

The beer (or whatever else you have in the kegs) is chilled by the ice packs. When it’s poured out of the taps, the cold beer chills the lines and taps on the way out. Typically you will even see condensation on the taps themselves because the beer is so cold. Even if the draft tower is slightly warmer, the volume of liquid in the entire draft line is less than 0.5 oz, so when pouring a beverage, that will not affect much. 

How does the tower stay cold?

The tower is insulated and open to the cold of the inside of the cooler. The tower is 12” tall, if it is slightly warmer, there is less than 0.5 oz of beverage ever sitting in the tower line. 

Does the draft tower fit inside the cooler?

Yes! The draft tower twists off and fits inside the cooler for easy transport. 

The Cooler

How big is the Cooler Keg?

The Cooler Keg is 24” wide, 16.5” tall, and 16” deep. Add 12” to the height when the draft tower is attached. It weighs 45 pounds empty and 75 pounds full. Same as a cooler full of ice and cans. 

Can it be used as just a cooler?

Yes! When you don’t need draft, just pull everything out of the cooler, put the plug in the lid, and use it like any other standard picnic cooler.

What do you clean it with?

Rinse with water, clean with PBW, then sanitize with Star San. Finally, flush with CO2 or air. 

How long does it take to set up?

The Cooler Keg arrives with everything assembled except the taps are not attached. They have a threaded collar and there is an included tool for tightening them. After that, fill the kegs, attach a CO2 cartridge, and get ready for some fun.

Does it require tools?

There is an included wrench for tightening the taps, but otherwise, nope! We’ve designed the Cooler Keg to have tool-free use. The tower attaches to the cooler with a simple twist and the draft and CO2 lines connect with four quick clicks to the kegs.