A new market that could run into thousands of tons a year is opening up for stainless steel, as UK manufacturers of beer barrels move away from 
aluminium in favour of stainless steel. This follows appreciable advances made by stainless steel in the European beer keg market, notably in Spain where stainless has gone from minimal market penetration only three years ago to its present position of predominance.
Barrels made from 300-series Chromium-Nickel stainless sheet are said to offer important advantages over aluminium in durability and corrosion resistance, and are increasingly cost-effective.
Although UK beer production has fallen 11% since 1979, there is still a steady demand for new barrels because of widespread pilfering of aluminium kegs.
Thieves are encouraged by the high value of aluminium and the ease to melt it down. Stainless, on the other hand, can only be melted in a steelworks and is seen by the brewers as being less attractive to thieves.
Another factor favouring stainless is the increasing popularity of “real ale” (unpasteurized beer). Fermentation within the keg tends to corrode the resin coating that aluminium containers require, a problem also encountered with cider. Stainless needs no lining and is not affected, but aluminium barrels may have to be relined as often as every two years.
With acknowledgment to Metal Bulletin, May 1986.