Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Keg profit per barrel
$187.00
Can profit per barrel
$215.00
Profit difference (keg − can)
-$28.00
More profitable channel
Cans
Cases per barrel
13.78
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How to use this
- 1Enter wholesale price per 1/2 bbl keg ($).
- 2Enter keg packaging cost (deposit, co2, cleaning) ($).
- 3Enter wholesale price per case (24×12oz) ($).
- 4Enter can/case packaging cost ($).
- 5Enter production cost per barrel (from batch cost) ($).
- 6Read your keg profit per barrel on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The same batch of beer produces very different margins depending on whether it leaves the brewery in a keg or a can, because packaging cost, distributor pricing, and retail sell-through differ by channel. Kegs cost less to fill per barrel-equivalent but sell at a lower wholesale price per unit volume and carry keg deposit and loss risk. Cans cost more in packaging materials (can, lid, six-pack carrier or case) but often command a higher effective per-ounce wholesale price and open up off-premise retail distribution. This calculator compares net profit per barrel-equivalent for both paths given your actual packaging costs and wholesale prices, so you can decide how to allocate a batch between a keg run for the taproom and bar accounts versus a can run for retail.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Wholesale price per 1/2 bbl keg: 155 $
- Keg packaging cost (deposit, CO2, cleaning): 14 $
- Wholesale price per case (24×12oz): 32 $
- Can/case packaging cost: 9.5 $
- Production cost per barrel (from batch cost): 95 $
Results
- Keg profit per barrel: $187.00
- Can profit per barrel: $215.00
- Profit difference (keg − can): -$28.00
- More profitable channel: Cans
- Cases per barrel: 13.78
What each field means
Inputs
- Wholesale price per 1/2 bbl keg ($)
- The wholesale price per 1/2 bbl keg used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 155 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Keg packaging cost (deposit, CO2, cleaning) ($)
- The keg packaging cost (deposit, co2, cleaning) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 14 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Wholesale price per case (24×12oz) ($)
- The wholesale price per case (24×12oz) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 32 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Can/case packaging cost ($)
- The can/case packaging cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 9.5 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Production cost per barrel (from batch cost) ($)
- The production cost per barrel (from batch cost) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 95 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Keg profit per barrel
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Can profit per barrel
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Profit difference (keg − can)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- More profitable channel
- Returned as a plain value. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cases per barrel
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why do kegs sometimes lose to cans even at a lower packaging cost?
Keg wholesale pricing is usually lower per ounce than can pricing because bar accounts expect keg pricing to reflect no retail shelf placement cost and often negotiate volume discounts. Cans, sold into retail, carry a higher per-ounce price that can offset the extra material cost of the can and carrier.
What about keg loss and breakage risk?
This calculator assumes kegs come back. In practice, lost or damaged kegs (a common problem with self-distribution or unreliable accounts) cost you the replacement keg (commonly $150-200) on top of the lost beer, which erodes keg margin further and should be added to your keg packaging cost if it's a recurring issue.
Should every batch be split between keg and can?
Not necessarily — flagship year-round beers benefit from canning for retail visibility and shelf life, while rotating or draft-only releases often make more sense kept in keg since canning line changeovers and label runs have fixed costs that don't pencil out for a one-off batch.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Keg vs Can Margin Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/keg-vs-can-margin
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/keg-vs-can-margin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keg vs Can Margin Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Keg vs Can Margin Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/keg-vs-can-margin) (2026).