How Many Beers in a Keg Calculator
Find out how many beers are in a keg. Pick a keg size and glass size, allow for foam and waste, and get the number of full servings instantly.
- 25 cl (250 ml)
- 33 cl (330 ml)
- 40 cl (400 ml)
- 50 cl (500 ml)
- 12 US fl oz (355 ml)
- 16 US fl oz, US pint (473 ml)
- UK pint (568 ml)
This calculator is free, fast and ad-free. No sign-up, and what you type in isn't sent to us.
How it works
The calculator converts the keg and the glass to millilitres, takes off the share you expect to lose to foam and waste, and divides what is left by the glass size. Only full glasses count, so the result is rounded down:
servings = floor( keg volume × (1 − foam and waste % ÷ 100) ÷ glass size )
The conversions are exact definitions:
- 1 US gallon = 3,785.411784 ml
- 1 US fluid ounce = 29.5735295625 ml
- 1 UK pint (20 imperial fluid ounces) = 568.26125 ml
- 1 cl = 10 ml
US keg sizes are fractions of the 31-gallon US beer barrel, as listed in Wikipedia's Keg article: a half barrel is 15.5 US gal, a quarter barrel (pony keg) 7.75 US gal and a sixth barrel about 5.17 US gal. The Cornelius keg in the list is the 5 US gal size. Metric kegs are named by their volume in litres.
Pick Custom in either list to enter your own keg in litres or US gallons, or your own glass in millilitres or US fluid ounces. The list under the result runs the same keg, with the same foam and waste setting, through every standard glass size, so you can compare cups before you buy them.
Beers per keg size
Full servings with no allowance for foam or waste. Raise the foam and waste setting in the calculator to see how the numbers fall.
| Keg | Volume | 12 US fl oz | 16 US fl oz | UK pint | 33 cl | 50 cl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini keg | 5.00 L (1.32 US gal) | 14 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 10 |
| Cornelius keg | 18.93 L (5.00 US gal) | 53 | 40 | 33 | 57 | 37 |
| Sixth barrel | 19.56 L (5.17 US gal) | 55 | 41 | 34 | 59 | 39 |
| 20 L keg | 20.00 L (5.28 US gal) | 56 | 42 | 35 | 60 | 40 |
| 25 L keg | 25.00 L (6.60 US gal) | 70 | 52 | 43 | 75 | 50 |
| Quarter barrel / pony keg | 29.34 L (7.75 US gal) | 82 | 62 | 51 | 88 | 58 |
| 30 L keg | 30.00 L (7.93 US gal) | 84 | 63 | 52 | 90 | 60 |
| 50 L keg | 50.00 L (13.21 US gal) | 140 | 105 | 87 | 151 | 100 |
| Half barrel | 58.67 L (15.50 US gal) | 165 | 124 | 103 | 177 | 117 |
Practical examples
A party with a half barrel and 16 oz cups. A US gallon is 128 US fluid ounces, so 15.5 US gal is 1,984 oz, and 1,984 ÷ 16 = 124 full cups. If you set aside 10% for foam and spills, 1,785.6 oz is left, which fills 111 cups.
A 30 L keg into 40 cl glasses. With a 10% allowance, 30,000 × 0.9 = 27,000 ml. 27,000 ÷ 400 = 67.5, so you get 67 full glasses. The half glass at the end is not counted.
A homebrew batch. You kegged 19.5 L and serve in 33 cl glasses. Choose Custom, enter 19.5 L, and the calculator gives 19,500 ÷ 330 = 59.09, so 59 full glasses.
Common mistakes
Mixing up the US pint and the UK pint. A US pint is 16 US fluid ounces, about 473 ml. A UK pint is 20 imperial fluid ounces, about 568 ml, roughly a fifth more. A half barrel fills 124 US pints but only 103 UK pints. If a recipe, a bar menu or a cup supplier says "pint", check which one it means.
Counting the keg as all beer in the glass. The keg volume is liquid, but not all of it ends up as beer you drink. Foam poured off while the line settles, glasses topped with a large head and the occasional spill all reduce the number of full servings. The calculator cannot know how much your setup loses, so it starts at 0%. Set the foam and waste field to the share you expect from your own tap and glasses.
Treating the glass size as the pour. A 16 oz cup filled to a finger below the rim with a head on top holds less than 16 oz of beer. If you pour short, enter the amount of beer actually poured as a custom glass size rather than the cup's full capacity.
Rounding up the last glass. 67.5 servings is 67 full glasses and a half one. The calculator rounds down, because a half glass does not serve a guest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beers are in a half barrel keg?
A half barrel holds 15.5 US gallons, or 58.67 litres. That is 165 full 12 oz beers, 124 US pints of 16 oz, or 103 UK pints, before any allowance for foam and waste.
How many beers are in a quarter barrel or pony keg?
A quarter barrel holds 7.75 US gallons, or 29.34 litres. That gives 82 full 12 oz beers or exactly 62 US pints of 16 oz.
How many beers are in a sixth barrel?
A sixth barrel holds 31/6 US gallons, about 5.17 gallons or 19.56 litres. That is 55 full 12 oz beers or 41 US pints of 16 oz.
How many pints are in a 50 litre keg?
A 50 L keg fills 87 UK pints, 105 US pints of 16 oz, or 100 glasses of 50 cl, before foam and waste.
Why is the answer lower than the keg volume divided by the glass size?
Two reasons. The calculator counts only full servings and rounds the rest down. And if you set a foam and waste percentage, that share of the keg is taken off before the division.