Comparing Keg Sizes and Dimensions

If you’re preparing for a backyard barbecue, wedding, or other celebration, knowing how many beers are in the different kinds of kegs can help with your calculations. Below, explore our keg sizes chart that compares eight common types of kegs and includes how much beer they hold, their overall size, shape, and dimensions, as well as their most common uses and nicknames.

Keg Sizes Comparison Chart

Keg Sizes Detailed

While the comparison chart above gives you a quick way to compare different sizes of kegs against others, below we have gone into more detail about each type of keg.

Mini Keg

Designed for mini kegerators, this keg only holds 5 liters of beer, or 169.07 ounces to be exact.

This is the perfect size of keg for one-time use or portable purposes, like watching the game with a couple of friends, a weekend camping trip, or hosting a small dinner party with family. The downside of mini kegs is that you may have a hard time finding them with a specific beer you want.

• Nicknames: Bubba keg
• Common uses: One-time use, portable applications
• Dimensions: 9 ⅞" x 6 ¾"
• Capacity: 1.32 gallons / 169 ounces / 14 12-oz. pours

Cornelius Keg

Commonly used by home brewers as an alternative to bottling their beer, Cornelius kegs were originally developed by the soft drink industry.

While both Pepsi and Coca-Cola have uses for them, they have grown in popularity with those who brew their own beer or soda at home. They are easy to fill up and clean.

There are two types of connectors that are available for the Cornelius keg, including ball lock and pin lock. Both have different connectors that you would need to become familiar with.

• Nicknames: Corny keg, home brew keg, soda keg
• Common uses: Home brewing, wine, coffee, kombucha
• Dimensions: 23" x 9"
• Capacity: 5.0 gallons / 640 ounces / 53 12-oz. pours

Sixth Barrel Keg

Commonly used in personal dual or triple tap kegerators, the sixth barrel is roughly the same size as the Corny keg, just slightly larger. This smaller sized keg functions just like their larger counterparts, with the only difference being that it holds less beer than other types.

Known for their small footprint, this keg is popular with microbreweries and is also a great choice for restaurants and bars that don’t have much space but want to offer customers a large variety of beer.

• Nicknames: Sixtel keg, torpedo keg, log keg
• Common uses: Dual tap kegerators, home brewing, individual use
• Dimensions: 23 ⅜" x 9 ¼"
• Capacity: 5.16 gallons / 661 ounces / 56 12-oz. pours

Quarter Barrel Keg

Short and stubby in size, the quarter barrel keg is the same width (16 ⅛") as a full barrel but approximately 10 inches shorter in height. They’re often used for small to medium-sized parties due to being about half the weight of a half barrel keg, so they’re more easily maneuverable even though the footprint is the same.

• Nicknames: Pony keg, stubby quarter keg
• Common uses: Small parties
• Dimensions: 16 ⅛" x 13 ⅞"
• Capacity: 7.75 gallons / 992 ounces / 82 12-oz. pours

Slim Quarter Keg

The slim quarter holds the exact same amount of beer as the quarter barrel mentioned above; however, the overall shape and size resembles the sixth barrel keg. With a tall and skinny build, the slim quarter is the same height as the sixth barrel but has a slightly larger width. This additional width allows it to hold another two gallons, which equals an extra 27.5 bottles of beer.

This variation in size makes it a popular choice for anyone with a dual tap kegerator.

• Nicknames: Tall quarter keg, the slim keg, slim pony keg
• Common uses: Dual tap kegerators, small parties
• Dimensions: 11 ⅛" x 23 ⅜"
• Capacity: 7.75 gallons / 992 ounces / 82 12-oz. pours

Half Barrel Keg

When you think of your average beer keg, the half barrel size is probably what comes to mind, as it’s the most widely used and commonly distributed type of keg. You’ve likely seen this size of keg at a party or other big event.

This full size keg is the largest available to you and what is commonly used in bars and restaurants across the world. Most home kegerators will hold this size; however, the smaller versions are typically more popular with craft beer drinkers.

• Nicknames: Full size keg, barrel of beer, full keg
• Common uses: Home bar, large events, business, frat parties
• Dimensions: 16 ⅛" x 23 ⅜"
• Capacity: 15.5 gallons / 1,984 ounces / 165 12-oz. pours

Which Size Keg Will Fit in Your Kegerator?

If you’re searching for a kegerator for your home, knowing the types of keg your favorite brand has available or which kegs you prefer to use for home brewing can help.