A kegerator is often the centrepiece of a man’s cave, bringing the best feature of your favourite pub right to the comfort of your home. This modern marvel not only adds a touch of fun style to your space but keeps your beer crisp and refreshing for you and your mates. But how long can beer last in a kegerator? Can you keep it in there indefinitely or should you and your friends finish it as soon as possible?
To answer this question and learn more about the greatness of kegerators, read the short but comprehensive guide below.
What is a kegerator?
Before jumping straight into the specifics of how long beer can last in a kegerator, you might be wondering, “What on earth is a kegerator?”. If you’ve sadly never been to a pub or have only just started putting a man cave together, you should know that a kegerator is just a refrigerator with a faucet attached to the top. Their main purpose is to store and dispense fresh craft beer or other beloved tipples at the perfect temperature.
A kegerator, by design, maintains the carbonation and quality of a drink — going the extra mile to replicate that pub-like feel. It also allows you to store and serve cold draft beer, instead of buying and storing individual beer cans and bottles, saving around 40-60% in costs.
How long can beer last in a kegerator?
While there is no hard and fast answer to this question, a kegerator is the perfect solution if you’re looking to keep your beer tasting fresh for longer. This is because they keep the beer pressurised and prevent oxidation. As a rule of thumb, the viability for a keg of pasteurised beer is about 90 to 120 days or 3-4 months and unpasteurized draft beer will last about 45 to 60 days or 6-8 weeks. This applies when the beer is stored at the proper temperature.
So if you’re looking to keep beer tasting fresh and delicious for many boys’ nights, a kegerator is the answer!
Factors that affect beer’s longevity
Keeping your beers fresh for a long time takes a bit of understanding of how beer spoils in the first place. The main culprits of beer spoilage are bacterial contamination, inadequate maintenance and allowing beer to go stale due to poor storage conditions. To understand how a kegerator helps you get the most out of your beer, consider the following factors:
- Temperature Control — One of the primary reasons a kegerator prolongs the life of your beer is its ability to maintain a consistent and optimal temperature. The recommended temperature to store your keg is 3 to 4°C. If the temperature rises above 12°C, it’s likely that bacteria will start to grow, which will spoil the beer pretty quickly. Beer is sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and a kegerator's cooling system ensures that the beer remains at its best for an extended period.
- Carbonation preservation — Carbonation is what gives beer its effervescence and lively character. Kegerators are equipped with CO2 tanks that help maintain the appropriate level of carbonation, preventing the beer from going flat and losing its signature taste.
- Light exposure — Direct exposure to light, especially ultraviolet (UV) light, can cause the beer to develop a "skunky" taste due to the interaction between light and the hops in the beer. Kegerators are typically designed with solid doors that block out light, protecting the beer from such undesirable flavours.
- Airtight seals — Kegerators are designed with airtight seals to prevent oxygen from entering the system. Oxygen is known to degrade beer quality and accelerate the oxidation process, leading to a stale taste. The airtight environment of a kegerator helps maintain the beer's freshness.
Upgrade your man cave with a kegerator from A Man and His Cave today!
Now that you know what a kegerator is and how long beer can last in a kegerator, it’s time to make a move! At A Man and His Cave, we offer a high-quality range of single- and double-tap kegerators, allowing you to outfit your cave with top-notch serving capabilities. Apart from kegerators, we also have a selection of pool tables, arcade machines, other bar fridges and even saunas — giving everything you need to upgrade your man cave, shed or backyard bar and become the envy of all your friends.
Enjoy Australia-wide shipping and a wide range of secure payment methods. You can also utilise our price-match guarantee while shopping through our online store for the latest, must-have addition to your man cave.
