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TheKeggingPart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
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Location
Watertown
Hello Everyone,

I've been doing some research and I believe that I can bring stainless steel pins (4.5 UK gallon cask vessels) to the Boston area for $110 ($115 for MA residents as I'm obligated to collect sales tax). Out-of-area people would have to pay the exact UPS shipping to move the pin from Boston to their location. I've included a draft of the numbers below. I believe that I can do this but I'd like to gauge interest before making the commitment. Please e-mail pinbuy [aT) homebrewcask {d0t] com if you'd like to participate. I'm thinking that this inaugural buy I'd shoot for 90 pins. At this time I have no interest in organizing the import of individual firkins. If a business would like me to organize this for them, they can contact me at the same address.

There's also an opportunity to include a Filton gravity tap for $40. The authorized US distributor isn't willing to cut me a special deal, but if I order a bunch to arrive with the pins, you wouldn't have to pay the extra $12 shipping to get it from them.

I've put up a crappy website to help communicate information. Let me know what more you would want to know. I put all of the numbers to show the costs under the pin item in the bulk buy tab. www.homebrewcask.com.

FULL DISCLOSURE:

I'm very active in the real ale scene here in Boston as the Head Cellarman of the New England Real Ale eXhibition (NERAX). I also recently organized my own homebrew-only cask ale festival, the May Day Cask Festival (www.maydaycask.org). I'd like to see more pins in the hands of homebrewers so that more people are learning to do cask beer. They will in turn encourage their local brewpubs and breweries to do it *AND* do it right. If you can do cask right at home, you won't settle for mediocre cask when you're out paying a premium for the privilege. This will drive both demand and supply of real ale, so when I'm travelling about, I can get good cask ale.

I am a part-owner of the Homebrew Emporium, Inc and the founder of MerkTech Industries (the company I organized to distribute my invention, The Kegging Part). This bulk purchase is separate from both of these ventures and is non-commercial in nature. I did have to run the importing paperwork through MerkTech Industries, which is why I must comply with MA Sales Tax laws.

HomeBrewCask.com will become a commercial venture because I foresee a demand for the woody bits and accoutrements to support working with cask vessels. I plan to keep it small and have no intention of competing on a large scale with existing cask-oriented businesses. I also hope to continue organizing these bulk buys as my primary motivation is to get more pins in circulation. I hope that this website will become an information resource for real ale done right. Its development is contingent on successfully being able to pull off this kind of purchase.

Thanks for reading!

-- Randy Baril
Head Cellarman, CASC (Cask-conditioned Ale Support Campaign) & NERAX
Founder, Inventor, MerkTech Industries (www.thekeggingpart.com)
Part-Owner, Homebrew Emporium, Inc

This post has been approved for this forum by TxBrew. He felt that even though it is equipment it was appropriate and in the spirit of other bulk buys.
 
Love it.

I have already replied for more than one and the local clubs are chatting up the idea in the DC area with pretty good interest.
 
Not in the budget now, but I'll see if my club is interested in purchasing one.
 
Giving this thread a bump. I have about 30 pins from the Boston area and another 30 from the BURP club down near DC. If I'm going to do this, I really need 90 pins.
 
This is something I'd like to do someday, but I know it probably won't happen for a year or two. Still, kudos to you for trying to get it started. I hope it goes well!
 
Randy,
I will place an order with you, I'm with the BURP count already. I was wondering if you had seen this company in Pennsylvania that sells pins.

http://www.geemacher.com/pricing.php

If you don't hit your numbers, from a quick look, you already have enough buyers to get a better price.

Mitch
 
I did a bit of research and my UK supplier said that their stainless is manufactured at the same place as Geemacher's, the Penglai Jinfu Stainless Steel Products Company out of Shandong, China. I confess myself a bit disappointed that the stainless originates in China but I place my trust in my UK supplier to stand behind their product. Geemacher mentions that "all kegs manufactured from 304 Stainless Steel in our ISO-9002 production facility."

Unfortunately the landed cost of both companies remains about the same, $115 to get them to Boston. Geemacher's lag time actually makes the UK company more responsive and cheaper to work with. I'll continue working with them to see if we can improve those points.

I still need enough people to claim 30 pins before I can place the order in the UK. It's beginning to look like I'll have to recruit people at the National Homebrewer's Conference to fill it up. Unfortunate but it's the reality.
 
Due to a lack of interest, I'm suspending this group buy until after the National Homebrew Conference. Hopefully I'll be able to drum up enough support there to make this kind of purchase. Until then, you are always welcome to contact me at [email protected] or visit the website - www.homebrewcask.com.

Cheers!
 
Last call for those interested in ordering a pin through this group buy! I have about 60 pins claimed, which is a bit shy of the goal of 84. If there's not enough interest to do a full buy, I'll see what I can do for those who are still interested.
 
Just in case anyone is interested, I was able to do two of these group buys. BURP down near Baltimore and a couple of breweries up near Boston participated. In total, 56 pins were distributed in the name of homebrewed cask ale!

If you're interested and can get a group of people together, I'd be happy to help coordinate. You can reach me via the contacts page at homebrewcask.com.

Cheers!
 
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