The Brewers Association (BA) Performance Guidelines for Single Use Kegs provides best practice guidance for the procurement, performance and operation of single use beer kegs. The guidelines furnish manufacturers and commercial users of single use kegs with a roadmap of minimum quality recommendations and will facilitate the safe operation of single use kegs and their components throughout the brewing industry.
“Single use kegs have been around in several formats for many years,” said BA Technical Committee Co-Chair Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, “but recent material and design innovations prompted the BA to research these new technologies. Breweries constantly need to evaluate which packaging options provide both quality for their beers and economy for their consumers. This document provides practical guidance for these important decisions that impact the safety of beer industry employees and the public.”
Because of the variety of materials and different technologies used to manufacture single use kegs, brewers are faced with a large and growing number of supplier and design choices. The decision to produce draught beer sold in single use kegs is complex. Single use keg materials and technologies also create significant operational differences when compared to the more familiar refillable beer kegs. The Performance Guidelines for Single Use Kegs are accompanied by Key Questions for your Supplier–a document that addresses key concerns and operational differences.
The guidelines are designed to be “living documents.” The BA continues to collect relevant information from brewers, manufacturers and other industry stakeholders. We request that you provide BA staff with additional information you may have that will help us in the continued evolution of the guidelines or the advancement of keg and brewery safety and quality