24 Aug MashCraft Rolls Out Keg Sales At All Three Locations
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
Keg sales to private individuals are another way for breweries to get their products into people’s hands. A surprising number of individuals have kegerators or other draft equipment that allows them to serve draft beer at home or on other property – like perhaps onboard Ale Force One, the Indiana On Tap bus. MashCraft Brewing now has keg sales and pickup from all three of their taprooms – Greenwood, on Delaware St. downtown, and Fishers – but they have a bit of a different approach. They’re using plastic kegs with replaceable, recyclable, hard plastic bottles inside that hold the beer.
Rehrig Pacific makes the Pubkegs as an alternative to traditional sixtels (5.2 gal, or 40-41 16 oz. pints). They weigh about 1/3 of a traditional steel sixtel, making them much easier for customers to move around. The plastic liner bottle also makes it easy to clean and refill the keg with a new bottle for the next customer, and being plastic makes them cheaper as well, so MashCraft will only be charging a $20 refundable deposit on each keg.
The plastic bottles are rated to 50 psi (beer in kegs is usually 10-12 psi), and have a built in pressure release valve to release excess pressure if needed. The draft connections for the kegs use standard Sankey D couplers or a proper conversion, so almost all US systems will work with these kegs.
image credit: Rehrig Pacific Company
With three locations spread out to serve a large portion of the metropolitan area, it will now be easy to get your MashCraft beer in a keg for your own parties, events, or just for home consumption. Simply go to the MashCraft website and click on the keg orders link. You can select from a variety of beers, and many of them will rotate weekly. Owner and head brewer Andrew Castner says that they will offer 5-7 beers early on, but the choices will be broadened as the program matures.
After choosing the one or more kegs you wish to purchase, select the location where you would like to pick up the keg. Orders placed by Tuesday at midnight will be ready to pick up on Friday; if ordered after Tuesday, they should be ready by the next Tuesday. But if you have a last minute need for a keg, MashCraft has that covered too. Each taproom will have a supply of kegs with various beers on hand for walk up purchase. Just call to see what they have in stock.
Andrew says the beer will last 90-120 days in the kegs without aging appreciably because the liners contain a proprietary O2 scavenger that prevents oxidation of the beer. Nevertheless, he always encourages his customers to enjoy the beers fresh and then go get more. And the patrons have been – the program was rolled out quietly as a response to customers calling to ask about keg sales, but the sales have been brisk even without prior social media notifications or the keg ordering link on the website (until recently).
Consider MashCraft for your next beer party, and go whole hog by obtaining a home draft system and buying MashCraft kegs to go. Your guests will love you for it.
banner image credit: Eclectic Kurves
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