Best Kegerators in the UK

The majority of people tend to associate beer with this harmful substance that could lead to alcoholism if you consume it on a frequent basis, make you throw up if you drink too much in one sitting, or "help" you gain weight in those areas where you really wouldn't want to have a few extra pounds of fat. And even a decent percentage of beer connoisseurs and aficionados may tell you that beer isn't the kind of liquid that you can enjoy on a frequent basis, to put it mildly. And while all of these people aren't necessarily wrong, there's actually a slew of surprising health benefits of beer that we bet you didn't know nor ever saw coming. Though we wouldn't be able to cover all of them, we decided it wouldn't hurt to let you in on a few of those that we found to be particularly interesting.

Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

Not dissimilar to wine, your favourite brewski is also capable of lending you a helping hand in the never-ending battle against heart diseases. The alcoholic beverage in question performs such a feat by lowering inflammation in your body, thinning the blood and preventing clots, with the latter being particularly useful since clots are capable of blocking the coronary arteries, and that can lead to the eponymous disease. Furthermore, those beer aficionados that prefer ales and stouts should be especially happy with the news since, according to recent studies, these styles of beer are particularly effective when it comes to preventing numerous heart diseases.

Bones Made of Steel

Osteoporosis, a disease that occurs when your body loses too much bone structure or becomes incapable of producing enough bone marrow, is a point of concern for the absolute majority of aging Americans, but especially women. Once you're stricken by the said disease, your bones become increasingly weak and something as mild as a minor bump or, in the most serious cases, even a sneeze may break one of your bones. "Whats the good news then?", you may ask. The good news is that beer can help you with that. The said alcoholic drink, among other things, includes dietary silicon, which is an element that supports the overall health of your bones and their development. Some of the most recent studies demonstrate enough evidence to suggest that beer drinkers are far less likely to suffer from the aforementioned disease than the non-drinkers due to the former's increased bone density.

A Whole Lot of Nutrients

Even the most devoted beer connoisseurs may look at a nice mug of draft beer and see nothing but a delicious collection of empty calories. Nevertheless, there's more than a good chance that your favourite brewski actually contains a myriad of nutrients beneficial to your overall health. Naturally, the exact list of nutrients depends not just on the style but also on the individual beer, but given that the majority of them are made with whole grains like wheat, maize, or rice, not to mention fruits and spices, you will be ingesting soluble fiber and small amounts of magnesium, potassium, and iron along with the beer.

And that is it for now. Of course, all of these and a whole array of other potential health benefits won't be able to negate the drawbacks of binge drinking, so try to remember that moderation is always the key.

Q: How long does beer last in a kegerator?

A: Unfortunately, this isn't one of those questions that we can answer without knowing what it is exactly you're dealing with. The thing is, the amount of time the keg will stay fresh depends heavily on the style of beer that you prefer, the type of pump that you're currently using, and whether the said beer is pasteurized or not. Having said that, the time begins slowly running out the moment you fill the keg with your favourite brewski.

If you happen to be in possession of a kegerator that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) to pressurize and dispense the keg, the beer in it will generally stay fresh for about 2 months before it starts to lose its freshness. Of course, that's not taking into account the style and type of beer. For instance, pasteurized will be able to last for more than three months, and if you store it at the appropriate temperatures, there's a decent chance it might stay fresh for half a year. On the contrary, the types of beer that aren't pasteurized are unlikely to "survive" for more than a couple of months, depending, again, on the type of pump you use, the temperature that you store it at, and the style of beer.

Q: How to clean a kegerator?

A: Surprisingly enough, cleaning a kegerator is a fairly simple procedure, though it may require some time and effort. First of all, before we actually get into how it is done, we'd like to briefly mention why you should do it, in case you feel like it really isn't that necessary to clean your beer-storing appliance. Well, in short, you should clean your kegerator in order to prevent stuff like yeast, mold, and beer deposit from contaminating and, ultimately, tainting the taste of your beer.

The list of components you have to clean is limited to the faucet(s), the keg coupler(s), and the beer line(s). Cleaning the first couple of these components is fairly easy. All you have to do is get a spanner wrench, disconnect the faucet from the tower and the coupler from the beer hose. Once you've done that, simply rinsing them under the tap ought to do the trick. Now, with the beer line, it is a bit more difficult since you will require either a hand pump cleaning kit or a cleaning can. With the kit, the best way to do it is look up one of those online tutorials that describe each step of the way in great details (preferably in a video format) or to ask a professional to show you the ropes first. And if you actually own the cleaning can, we would strongly advise following the instruction manual that always comes with the apparatus.

Q: At what temperature should I store the beer?

A: Though it all depends on the style of beer you currently have in your keg and your personal tastes and preferences, we wouldn't recommend going higher than a couple of degrees above 40° Fahrenheit or lower than 30 since beer is going to freeze at that temperature.

Q: Can I use a kegerator outside?

A: Unless it is stated somewhere in the manual or you have purchased a specific appliance, we wouldn't recommend taking your average kegerator outside.