Petainer one-trip kegs now available to U.S. craft brewers

A Petainer plastic keg has several benefits over your traditional metal kegs for a growing craft brewer.

Petainer is a fully-recyclable, sustainable “one-trip” keg, made mostly from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Petainer has found most of its success in Europe and Russia since its launch overseas, but the company is now working more with the growing craft brewing scene here in the United States.

“We have had some growing success in the U.S. from brewers, cider makers and wineries who see Petainer as either an ideal vehicle for export of draft product, or to enter new domestic markets (more distant customers, concerts, festivals, new pub groups, etc.),” the company stated.

The Petainer Keg can open up new channels and markets, as well as reduce costs and improve cash flow for a growing brewer. A range of sizes are available and there are versions adapted for use on existing filling lines – so no need to sell or send additional dispensing equipment as is the case with some plastic kegs. Working alongside supply partner KHS, Petainer can provide total packaging systems solutions which include equipment for conveying, handling and filling kegs.

Petainer Kegs can be supplied either complete and ready for filling or as ‘preforms’ that can be blown near the point of use. If required, standard Petainer Kegs can be supplied in an outer cardboard box to further improve the ease of handling and to provide opportunities for product branding.

All Petainer Kegs are available with one-way, Micro Matic compatible low-cost fittings, which allow them to be connected to existing tapping systems for draft beer. Standard Petainer Kegs are currently available in four sizes – approximately 4, 5.3, 8 and 10.5 gallons. The 1/6 and ¼ barrel kegs are also available in a version that is specifically designed for use on existing filling lines for metal kegs.

There are potential cost savings to be gained by eliminating the need to maintain a fleet of kegs as well as the costs associated with up-keep, damage or replacement. Efficiencies in the use of space can be made by eliminating the need to store large numbers of kegs in order to have them available for periods of peak demand. Preforms take up even less space, giving the lowest warehousing costs and best space utilization.