European “S” system Grundy “G” system
When it comes to kegs, the colder they are, the better. Start chilling it as soon as you bring it home, no matter when your party is. Some beer experts swear by chilling your tap, too. This is optional, but if you want to make extra sure that your beer is cold, put the tap on ice for about 1 hour as well.
Do a quick check near the base of the tap to make sure it’s seated properly. If you see foamy bubbles escaping, take the tap off and try again.
Contrary to popular belief, you actually don’t need to pump the tap before you pour your first beer. In fact, pumping too much too early can lead to extra foam, which just means more wasted beer.
Pumping the keg too much can lead to—you guessed it—too much foam. Stick to 5 or 6 pumps at a time to avoid wasting any of your beer.
If you have a new keg, simply repeat the process on the full one to get the beer flowing again.
