How to Tap a Keg

College parties, block parties and barbecues are but a few of the reasons you might need a keg. A lot of thirsty people means a lot of drink is needed, and kegs are far more cost-effective than other means. But don't act the fool when it comes time to party. Learn how to tap the keg. You laugh, but tappin' ain't easy (OK, it is; just not as easy as it looks.)

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A keg
• A tap

1. After picking up the keg, place it in position and let it sit for awhile. Transporting the keg caused a lot of foam to build up in there, and you'll want it to die down a little bit. So, put the keg where you plan on serving beer, and just let it stand. Not all the foam will go away but some will.
2. Remove the cap or seal. Some "pros" claim to keep it place, but it serves no purpose once the keg is tapped and only gets in the way. In short, it's harder to tap the keg with the seal on it.
3. Get your tap and line its notches up with the hole at the top of the keg. You'll notice a few open slits at the top of the keg and a ball bearing in the middle. The slits guide the tap's notches and hold the tap in place. The ball bearing serves as a stopper, forced up from the pressure inside the keg.
4. Push down. Before you do anything, you need to push the ball bearing down, making way for beer flow. This doesn't require any ridiculous degree of strength, but it does take a little push.
5. Slide the tap into place in a clockwise motion, while maintaining the downward pressure. If you let up, the pressure buildup within the keg will push the tap out of the way. You'll need to keep pushing down as you spin the tap into place. Once it's turned into place, it should lock there, being held tight by the same pressure that was pushing that ball bearing up in the hole.
6. Pour about six cups of beer right away. This is to discard any lingering foam without wasting beer. When the foam recedes in those cups, each will be holding about half a beer or so.

Tips & Warnings

• If the tap hasn't locked into place yet, the pressure can push it back out. Sometimes, this results in a spray. Sometimes, it's just frustrating.