Keg Calculator: How Many Beers in a Keg
Pick a keg and a pour size to see how many beers you get, allow for foam and waste, and add the keg price to get the cost per pour, your pour cost and the price that hits your target. Works with US barrels and liter kegs, ounces and milliliters.
Your keg
Loss to foam, line cleaning and spills. Leave at 0 for a full keg count.
Results
- Cost per pour
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- Pour cost
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- Price at 20% pour cost
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- Sales per keg
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- Gross profit per keg
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The number of beers in a keg is the keg volume divided by the pour size. A full-size US keg (a half barrel) holds 15.5 gallons, or 1,984 US fluid ounces: 165 twelve-ounce beers or 124 sixteen-ounce pints before any foam or waste.
How many beers in a keg: chart
Full pours per keg before foam and waste, rounded down to whole beers:
| Keg | Volume | 12 oz | 16 oz pint | 568 ml pint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 barrel, full size (15.5 gal) | 58.7 L | 165 | 124 | 103 |
| 1/4 barrel, pony (7.75 gal) | 29.3 L | 82 | 62 | 51 |
| 1/6 barrel, sixtel (5.16 gal) | 19.5 L | 55 | 41 | 34 |
| Cornelius keg (5 gal) | 18.9 L | 53 | 40 | 33 |
| 58.6 L keg | 58.6 L | 165 | 123 | 103 |
| 50 L keg | 50.0 L | 140 | 105 | 87 |
| 30 L keg | 30.0 L | 84 | 63 | 52 |
| 20 L keg | 20.0 L | 56 | 42 | 35 |
US keg sizes are sold by gallons (1 barrel = 31 gallons); the sixtel is usually listed as 5.16 gallons. Liter kegs are common in Canada and Europe.
Keg formulas
- Pours per keg: keg volume × (1 − waste %) ÷ pour size, with both volumes in the same unit.
- Cost per pour: keg cost ÷ pours per keg.
- Pour cost %: cost per pour ÷ menu price × 100.
- Price at a target: cost per pour ÷ target pour cost.
- Conversions: 1 US gallon = 128 fl oz = 3.785 L; 1 US fl oz = 29.57 ml; an imperial pint is 568 ml.
How to work out the beers in a keg
- Find the keg volume. From the invoice or the keg collar: barrel fraction, gallons or liters.
- Pick your real pour. Use the glass you actually fill, not the menu size, if they differ.
- Allow for loss. Compare pints sold with kegs used for a few weeks; the gap is your real foam and waste.
- Add the keg price. Divide by pours for the cost per pour, then price to your target pour cost.
Worked examples
Half barrel, 16 oz pints: 1,984 oz ÷ 16 oz = 124 pints from a full keg. Allowing 5% for foam and waste leaves 117.8 pints. At $180 a keg that is $1.53 a pint: a 21.8% pour cost at $7, while a 20% target would mean a price of about $7.64.
50 L keg, half-liter pours: 50,000 ml ÷ 500 ml = 100 pours. At $160 a keg each pour costs $1.60, a 21.3% pour cost at $7.50.
Keg FAQ
How many beers are in a keg?
A full-size US keg (1/2 barrel, 15.5 gallons) holds 165 twelve-ounce beers or 124 sixteen-ounce pints. A quarter barrel holds 82 twelve-ounce beers or 62 pints, and a sixtel (5.16 gallons) about 55 twelve-ounce beers or 41 pints. These are full pours before foam and waste.
How many pints are in a 50 liter keg?
About 105 US pints (16 oz), 87 imperial pints (568 ml) or 100 half-liter pours, before foam and waste.
How many beers are in a quarter keg (pony keg)?
A quarter barrel holds 7.75 gallons: 82 twelve-ounce beers or 62 sixteen-ounce pints.
How many beers are in a sixtel?
A sixth barrel (5.16 gallons) holds about 55 twelve-ounce beers or 41 sixteen-ounce pints.
How much foam and waste should I allow for?
It depends on your lines, pour technique and how often you clean them. Rather than relying on a rule of thumb, compare pints sold with kegs used over a few weeks; the gap is your real loss. Enter it as the waste allowance to see what it costs per pour.
How do you price a draft beer?
Divide the cost per pour by your target pour cost. A pint that costs $1.53 at a 20% target sells for about $7.64. Many bars aim for roughly 20–25% on draft beer; treat that as a rule of thumb.
Is this keg calculator free?
Yes. It needs no sign-up, and the numbers you enter stay in your browser.
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