Saving energy by drinking beer

Yes I am taking a positive step in cutting fuel cost and conserving natural resources. This afternoon I pick up the co2 tank for a keggorator that was given to me last year and then a pony keg of Texas Blonde from Humperdinks here in Arlington Texas

How is getting a Keg at home environmentally friendly and a cost savings you ask?

First it will save me money Buying a Pony Keg cuts the cost of beer by around 50%. A Pony Keg is 7.75 Gal. This equates to about 6.88 12 packs. with a Pony of Shiner Bock running at about 50 to 55 dollars this means I am paying about $7.50 to $8 a 12 pack. If you can find it in bottles for that kind of price I want to know where. A pony of Texas Blonde from Humperdinks actually only costs me $40 giving me a solid tasty premium lager on tap for the price of $5.80 a 12 pack

You can get Kits to install a keg tap in almost any old fridge (It does have to be big enough for the keg) for $100 to $150 http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/fridge-kits.shtml a used fridge to stick in your garage can be found pretty cheap usually looking at the classifieds in the news paper or asking around some appliance stores. I figure I am saving about 25 to 30 a month so the set up has less than a six month payback on your investment.


It also saves on my impact on the environment and our energy resources. No more runs to the store for a 12 pack, though I will still be buying the occasional six pack of beer for my hobby of trying and reviewing brews.

But the reduction of impact doesn't actually stop at emissions from my truck (which also saves money on gas). Fewer bottles means the energy I indirectly consume goes down as well. Think about it. Even though I recycle my bottles they still have a cost associated with the recycling process as well as the paper labels which are lost when a bottle recycled. Same for the chipboard pack itself, yes it is also recycled but at what cost and both glass and paper products when recycled are mixed with a given percentage of "virgin material" meaning My 12 pack still requires trees to be cut down, and minerals to be mined, not to mention the fuel for the furnaces and paper mills. Sure there is still an indirect energy consumption involved in me buying a keg but it is allot less than continuing to buy 12 packs.

Toping it off is the fact that a large thermal mass once chilled is easier to keep chilled than smaller individual portions (it has to do with surface area and heat transfer) this thermodynamic principal combined with less opening and shutting of the fridge (another big energy suck as you have to now cool all the warm air you just let in) In fact since my keg-fridge has a tap on the outside the opening and shutting of the door is virtually eliminated.

So beer drinkers unite and go green! Buy a keg!