Keggles
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100 is a lot. I keep creeping on clist and find them for 50 to 75. I recently purchased one that had a rubber coating on it. I thought it would make a great mash tun because it would hold heat better. I have yet to use it because even the skirt along the bottom of the keg is rubber. SO if I set this rubber covered keg on a burner it will melt the skirt and fall over. 
IF you do press the ball down to test it for pressure please either have a friend do it for you or cover it with a towel. It will most likely spray old nastey beer ALL over you. (words of experience)
IF you do press the ball down to test it for pressure please either have a friend do it for you or cover it with a towel. It will most likely spray old nastey beer ALL over you. (words of experience)
Do you happen to have a YouTube video of that?
$100 for a 15.5 gallon uncut Sanke keg is really high IMO. I've got one dated 2011 sitting in my garage that I got for free. Now I just need to haul the thing down to my buddy's shop, depressurize, and take a whack at it with his plasma cutter.
must be talking about purchasing "illegal" kegs if your saying $100 is alot... i havent seen a legal keg to purchase keg around here for less than $100 and even the "not so legal" ones are $75 or higher around here WHEN they do come up very very hard to find. aside from going to a party store and slipping the clerk $10 and the $30 deposit for one i paid $250 (used sabco MLT) and $100 for my other 2 kegs (last to "legally" bought(chime in keg police))
I would check a local big liquor store. I called mine down the street and the manager said he would charge me $35 a piece all day long for as many as i want. And he said a lot of them are brand new. He told me to come down and pick out the ones I want.
Essentially you are paying the guy $5 to steal the kegs for you.
Clonefan94
Senior Member
Because the Brewery still owns them. the deposit is just that, a deposit so that you bring it back. The guy at the liqour store has no authority to sell them to you unless he actually purchased them from the brewery or the manufacturer.
I'm not saying people don't do this, but theoretically, it is stealing.
I have read the debates on this, I get what your saying. I dont know the law, I am just a consumer, if he wants to sell me great kegs like new, im buying them. Not my problem.
I look at it like its just a bigger bottle with a bigger deposit on it. Does harpoon still own my bottles? Maybe ill bring back my 16 cases of empties to them..... lol
I look at it like its just a bigger bottle with a bigger deposit on it. Does harpoon still own my bottles? Maybe ill bring back my 16 cases of empties to them..... lol
It is stealing. And because you know what is going on, you are legally responsible. That being said no one will ever prosecute you for this. BUT, that does not make it the right thing to do.
It is different from bottles because those are priced into the purchase price of the six pack. The cost of the keg is not included in the purchase price of the keg.
It is different from bottles because those are priced into the purchase price of the six pack. The cost of the keg is not included in the purchase price of the keg.
That goes to the state, I think. More importantly, good luck with the 3 feet of snow!
Found this great deal on a car the other day, $20k for a brand new Ferrari. The guy looked a little shady, but hey, I'm just the consumer.
I'll add my $.02...
I bought two kegs off craigslist. It was dark and rainy (in Seattle?), so when I got home and checked more closely, the kegs were date stamped 2012, and they were in perfect condition. Crap, I think I just bought stolen kegs.
Tried calling the guy to ask WTF, but after the deal, he never picked up again.
So, I email the brewery and tell them the story. I let them know that I paid good money for these, and if there is a deposit out on them, maybe I could return them and re-coup my money (at least partially).
Nope.
They inform me that they own those kegs, and regardless if somebody left a deposit or not, my beef is with the guy that sold them to me.
They suggested that I give them my name and address, and they will send me a shipping label, and then I can send them back (next state over).
To me, doesn't it make more sense that they fork out a small fee for returning as opposed to having to buy new ones? They did (I assume) just make $45 off somebody.
I guess the question is, when you pay a deposit on a keg, who gets the deposit? The store? The brewery?
Like Lespaul said, if they just treated it like a pop bottle, maybe people would be more inclined to actually return kegs.
I bought two kegs off craigslist. It was dark and rainy (in Seattle?), so when I got home and checked more closely, the kegs were date stamped 2012, and they were in perfect condition. Crap, I think I just bought stolen kegs.
Tried calling the guy to ask WTF, but after the deal, he never picked up again.
So, I email the brewery and tell them the story. I let them know that I paid good money for these, and if there is a deposit out on them, maybe I could return them and re-coup my money (at least partially).
Nope.
They inform me that they own those kegs, and regardless if somebody left a deposit or not, my beef is with the guy that sold them to me.
They suggested that I give them my name and address, and they will send me a shipping label, and then I can send them back (next state over).
To me, doesn't it make more sense that they fork out a small fee for returning as opposed to having to buy new ones? They did (I assume) just make $45 off somebody.
I guess the question is, when you pay a deposit on a keg, who gets the deposit? The store? The brewery?
Like Lespaul said, if they just treated it like a pop bottle, maybe people would be more inclined to actually return kegs.
If someone stole a car and sold it to you, would you expect the car dealership to pay you to return the car? Clearly not, so why do you expect something different from a brewery?
It's true that he should at least get the deposit back... I mean he did return kegs that had deposits on them, they owe him that much.
Ok sorry to the op this has gotten out of hand but,
Stealing a car and PAYING for a deposit on a keg is different. I have been through these debates before. The company is willing to take a loss of a keg for a deposit otherwise it wouldnt have one. The company is saying this keg is worth $35 to me. If u want it take it and pay me my $35. There is no way a brewery is paying $120 for a keg and putting a $35 deposit on it.
If I buy a full keg of bud for $79 +35 for deposit and dont return it, the company is making money, otherwise the deposit would be $120!!!!!!!!!!
And the blizzard is awesome up here thanks!!!
If I buy a ferrari for $20 grand and its stolen I give it back and lose my money. If Budweiser wants a keg back with a hole cut in the top ill give it back. It wont be stolen scince I paid Budweiser for a deposit on MY keg.
You can buy a keg and if anything happens, you already paid your deposit on it, "just in case".
That you are right! You have to pay additional money for a deposit on a keg, if you buy one. That additional money is for if the keg doesn't return, or returns in bad shape and is unuseable.
Its all true except that deposit doesnt cover the price brewery paid for the keg, deposit its just there to motivate ppl to return it. Its a business model that was working well (and probably still does except for small % of occasions) until ppl found other use for the kegs.
It works out because the kegs have no value to about 99.9% of people. This allows them to set the deposit amount at a level people are willing to pay and that provides sufficient motivation for them to return the keg.
First of all... it was a joke... reductio ad absurdum...
But since you have taken it so seriously, let's look at the car idea closer, a keg is more like a rental car than anything. If you rent a car, and then damage it, you are required to pay to fix it.... not just the deposit you put down on it. If you never bring the car back, you are a felon.
Illegal kegs are not a big deal, but as keg deposits have already gone up twice in recent years just because the price of the raw material went up, I would imagine that if more and more people continue to turn them into keggles, we might see the deposit increase by another $5. $5 is nothing, but to a brewery with a half million kegs floating around, $5 is an extra 2.5 million, way more than enough to re coupe from a few stolen kegs. Kegs are an asset to a brewery, I'm sure they have someone doing some team statistical analysis on every aspect of their business, including the deposit on kegs.
The internet, honing pointless debate skills of bored people since 1994.
As a side note. Just make sure your illegal kegs belong to BMC.... they make enough off of bad beer. Return the little guys kegs (even though they are always in much better shape).
J-Luke
Active Member
"The internet, honing pointless debate skills of bored people since 1994."
LOL so true
LOL so true
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
In many states the deposit is decided by law, and not the brewery. And in those states the breweries have been lobbying to increase the deposit since they lose so much money every time a keg gets stolen. And where they can set the deposit, many smaller breweries have found that distributors won't carry their beer if they charge a higher deposit than BMC, and simply have to charge a low deposit and hope that they don't lose too many kegs to theft.
I had to pay a $250 desposit on a rental car not long ago. Does that mean that the rental company is saying the car is worth $250 to them, and that if I give them $250 I can keep the car? If so, I think I may have discovered a new business opportunity.
Not true. Many breweries lose money on the sale of a keg of beer if the keg doesn't return to them. Kegs cost the breweries ~$100 each on average, and the profit per keg is often less than the difference between the deposit and the cost of a replcement keg. According to the brewers association, on average it results in a net loss to the brewery every time a keg doesn't return.
This is just my opinion, but if a big liquor store can sell you empty kegs, it is not the customers fault if its right or wrong. Maybe they should be holding the liquor store accountable. No offence to anyone but I dont care if Budweiser loses $65 on a keg, the company is rich, they dont care about me, why should I give a crap about them.
I know im gonna qet quoted and ripped apart but you know what, thats how I feel.
Now this thread is not to debate this. I believe the OP was asking a price on some kegs. We can keep debating this but it should be done somewhere eles.
I stand by what I said if you can get a keg for its deposit I say do it. $35 for a almost brand new keg. And who knows they may have some that the tops were damaged and they are no good.
I know im gonna qet quoted and ripped apart but you know what, thats how I feel.
Now this thread is not to debate this. I believe the OP was asking a price on some kegs. We can keep debating this but it should be done somewhere eles.
I stand by what I said if you can get a keg for its deposit I say do it. $35 for a almost brand new keg. And who knows they may have some that the tops were damaged and they are no good.
End of debate. No more. The legalities and ethics of used kegs was covered.
Back to the OP's question. I'd say 2 kegs for $100 is a good deal.
Further, I would suggest not taking kegs that don't have flat sides. I.e., I think Coors kegs are more barrel shaped, which cause all sorts of problems (might not be Coors, but you get the idea).
Back to the OP's question. I'd say 2 kegs for $100 is a good deal.
Further, I would suggest not taking kegs that don't have flat sides. I.e., I think Coors kegs are more barrel shaped, which cause all sorts of problems (might not be Coors, but you get the idea).
And a sight glass is VERY difficult to get right on one of those.
New law went into effect in october 2011 where the state of michigan requries retailers to ad further info (in a yellow) tag with the purchasers infor on it "to hold people accountable at parties" but then put some stupid strict laws to go with it.. if a person is caught with a keg with out a tag its a $500 fine and possiable 93 days in jail.. for a party store that returns a keg without said tag is $500 fine and possible loss of license.. on top of that (legit) scrap yards still wont scrap them because there considered "stolen" ... So now there in limbo for some of these kegs that never made the back (average consumer dosent know to contact brewery/distributor) so they end up on craigist.. most people think there worth their weight in silver and want $100 for them but i all i have to do is tell them to meet me at a party store, have them try to return it then when they cant i explain and pay them $20 for there 34lb paper weight..
Thats how its been working for me here in MI and if anyone around here comes across it.. dont pay more than $30 for one.. is it "legal" idk but the state made it that way so the brewery can take it up with them. To me it feels "legal" cause i will convert and save it so to speak from them jus lying around or having someone chop it up and scrap it.
Thats how its been working for me here in MI and if anyone around here comes across it.. dont pay more than $30 for one.. is it "legal" idk but the state made it that way so the brewery can take it up with them. To me it feels "legal" cause i will convert and save it so to speak from them jus lying around or having someone chop it up and scrap it.
Good price..... i paid $30, $25 and 3 homebrews for my last three kegs.
This.
And otherwise make sure it is in decent all around shape. Does it sit level and not rock (stability when full of boiling wort). Is it reasonably round? Hold pressure?
Basically you want to make sure it holds what you are brewing and does not cause any safety issues like spilling/blowing up.
