The two things that trip up offices running their own kegs are not knowing how much beer is left and not knowing how to fix a bad pour. Track the level by weighing the keg or labeling the tap date, and fix most pour problems by getting the temperature to 36 to 38°F and the CO2 pressure to 12 to 14 psi. Master those two and an in-house tap basically runs itself.
How to track how much beer is left in a keg
The simplest tracker is a label with the tap date plus your weekly rate; the most accurate is a scale. A full 1/2 barrel weighs about 160 lbs and an empty one about 30, so the weight over 30 lbs is your remaining beer — a half-full keg reads about 95 lbs. Check it on a Friday and you will never be surprised by a keg that kicks mid-party. Pair that with a reorder point, as in our guide to preventing office keg shortages.
Fixing foamy beer
Foam almost always means the beer is too warm or the pressure is too high. Draft beer should be served at 36 to 38°F; above 40°F the CO2 breaks out of solution and you get foam. Set the regulator to about 12 to 14 psi for most ales and lagers. If it still foams after the keg has been cold for a few hours at the right pressure, check for a kinked or too-short line (6 to 8 feet of line helps tame pressure) and make sure the lines are clean.
Fixing flat or cloudy beer
Flat beer is usually the opposite problem: CO2 pressure set too low, so the beer loses carbonation over time. Nudge the pressure back into the 12 to 14 psi range and give it a few hours. Cloudy or off-tasting beer most often points to dirty lines — draft lines should be cleaned regularly, and a line that has gone too long between cleanings will haze and sour the pour. When in doubt, clean the line and re-pour.
Keep the gas and gear sorted
An in-house tap needs CO2 on hand and the right coupler for each keg. Running low on gas mid-week is its own kind of shortage — keep a spare and know where to refill. We stock CO2 and gas refills and the taps, couplers, and parts to keep a system pouring, and our guide to keg coupler types (A, D, S, U) explains which fitting your beer needs.
When to let Mike's handle the hardware
If troubleshooting is not how your team wants to spend a Friday, we can take it off your plate. Mike's has kept San Francisco taps pouring since 1959 — we deliver kegs and CO2, swap empties, and rent or service the equipment so your only job is choosing what is on tap. Set it up through our office beverage program.
How do I know how much beer is left in a keg?
Weigh it. A full 1/2 barrel is about 160 lbs and empty about 30, so weight over 30 lbs is your remaining beer (half-full is roughly 95 lbs). Or label the tap date and track your weekly rate.
Why is my office keg pouring all foam?
Usually the beer is too warm or the pressure is too high. Get it to 36 to 38°F, set CO2 to about 12 to 14 psi, and check for kinked, dirty, or too-short lines.
Why does the beer taste flat or cloudy?
Flat means the CO2 pressure is set too low — raise it into the 12 to 14 psi range. Cloudy or sour usually means the draft lines need cleaning.