How to Keg Your Home Brew Beer — A Guide to Home Draught Systems
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Should you keg or bottle your home brew?
Kegging saves significant time over bottling — instead of washing, filling, and capping dozens of bottles, you do a single transfer and have fresh draught beer from the tap. If you brew regularly (more than once a month), a pressure barrel pays for itself quickly in time saved and improved beer quality. If you brew occasionally, bottling with Carbonation Drops is perfectly fine.
What is a pressure barrel and how does it work?
A pressure barrel is a sealed plastic vessel that stores and serves beer under light CO2 pressure — the simplest kegging option for UK home brewers. Siphon your finished beer into the sterilised barrel, add around 80g of brewing sugar to generate natural carbonation, seal, and leave 7–14 days to condition. Connect a CO2 charger to restore pressure when serving. See our full kegging and draught equipment range.
How do you keg home brew successfully?
Always sterilise your keg or barrel thoroughly with Young's Steriliser before filling. Transfer beer gently to minimise splashing and oxygen exposure. Confirm fermentation is complete with a hydrometer before transferring — kegging too early causes over-pressurisation. Allow adequate conditioning time before serving. See our conditioning guide for timing by style.
Is kegging home brew cheaper than bottling?
The upfront cost is higher — a pressure barrel costs more than a basic bottle setup. But long-term, kegging saves money on consumables (no crown caps, no carbonation drops) and time. It's also easier to serve consistently good beer from a keg than from bottles with variable carbonation. For a full cost analysis, see our cost per pint guide. Browse our full kegging equipment range at BrewCo UK.