Guides / Bars

Keg cost per pint: how much profit is in one keg?

Usable ounces after foam and line cleaning, divided into pours, gives the real cost of a pint and the profit in the keg.

2 minute readUpdated September 28, 2026

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Cost a keg

A keg is not 124 pints. After foam, spillage and line cleaning it is closer to 110, and every one you lose was paid for. The calculator uses usable ounces, not the number on the keg.

The formula

Usable ounces = keg size × (1 − waste). Pours = usable ÷ pour size. Cost per pour = keg cost ÷ pours. Pour cost % = cost per pour ÷ price.

What a good number looks like

18% to 25% pour cost

Normal for draft.

5% to 10% waste

A well-kept system. Over 15% means the lines or the pour need work.

What to do about it

Count pints per keg for one keg. The number surprises most owners.
Price the 20 oz imperial pint separately from the 16 oz.
Clean lines on schedule; a sour line wastes more than the cleaning does.

Now do it with your numbers.

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