How to identify SS vs Aluminum Kegs?

Okay... I'm working on a wild hair here and need some advice. I want to build my own three-tier AG system and I'm riding the fence between half-barrel kegs and converted coolers. I'd really like to go the keg route, but I have to be able to get it done under a budget. Specifically, the kegs have to run about $50 each or less.

First and foremost, does anyone have any good suggestions where to track down used 15.5 gallon SS kegs? Sabco has 'em, but I don't like bending over that far. I don't know of any brew clubs near where I live, so that's out. There's eBay, but I think 95% of those auctioned are kegs that someone paid the deposit for and "forgot" to return. If I could find some locally, I'd sure like to avoid shipping a 35 pound hunk of steel. Of course, I live in a corner of the country known for micro breweries. I guess I could start calling them.

Secondly, is there any sure-fire way to determine if a keg is aluminum or SS? The magnet trick doesn't work too well, considering SS has such a small amount of iron in it.

Stainless steel is still magnetic.

The weight difference shoud be dramatic.

Try a steel salvage yard. I was told they often have SS kegs.

You can't go wrong checking out the local micro's and distributors. Also, talk to your favorite pub/bar owner he might be able to send you in the right direction. I to am in the process of putting together a 3 tier. Check out my gallery.

I would opt for a picnic cooler for your mash tun. This will save you some green. Get a retangular one, the shape is very well suited for mashing and installation of a slotted manifold. Since you will need a burner (or two), get a turkey fryer set up and use the pot that comes with it for your HLT. Now that you have extra money, get the Sabco universal kettle for boiling. This is a bargain in my book. $100 for an already converted keg in the (in my opinion) ideal configuration is money well spent.

Prosit!

Denny's Brew said:

Stainless steel is still magnetic.

The weight difference shoud be dramatic.

Try a steel salvage yard. I was told they often have SS kegs.

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True, but barely. I held a magnet up to my SS brew pot and it fell right off. I could only feel a very slight attraction as I got the magnet right next to the metal.

Oddly enough, I think the aluminum ones are heavier. I've seen a couple on eBay listed as aluminum with weights around 45 pounds. The SS ones are usually listed at 35 pounds.

Yeah, someone mentioned that to me. We have a couple steel yards not to far away. I'll give them a ring. Thanks.

DrewsBrews said:

True, but barely. I held a magnet up to my SS brew pot and it fell right off. I could only feel a very slight attraction as I got the magnet right next to the metal.

Oddly enough, I think the aluminum ones are heavier. I've seen a couple on eBay listed as aluminum with weights around 45 pounds. The SS ones are usually listed at 35 pounds.

Yeah, someone mentioned that to me. We have a couple steel yards not to far away. I'll give them a ring. Thanks.

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Dudes I don't think kegs are made out of aluminum. I could be wrong....but....

TNlandsailors advice is best. You can go that route and save some cash, because there is no true way to do it cheaply if you want 3 kegs for your system. If you are lucky, you might find 1 useable keg at a salvage yard.
I'd still get a sabco for the boil kettle. Then talk to TNlandsailor again about a sightglass and hop stopper.

ORRELSE said:

I'd still get a sabco for the boil kettle. Then talk to TNlandsailor again about a sightglass and hop stopper.

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I have to agree with tnlandsailor and orrelse here...the sabco deal is really not as expensive as it looks, once you consider all the time you're going to spend tracking down something locally, then getting everything cut.

tnlandsailor said:

I would opt for a picnic cooler for your mash tun. This will save you some green. Get a retangular one, the shape is very well suited for mashing and installation of a slotted manifold. Since you will need a burner (or two), get a turkey fryer set up and use the pot that comes with it for your HLT. Now that you have extra money, get the Sabco universal kettle for boiling. This is a bargain in my book. $100 for an already converted keg in the (in my opinion) ideal configuration is money well spent.

Prosit!

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I'm still considering the cooler idea. The problem is that I'm a long-term type of thinker. Coolers warp and crack (so I've read) over time, which means I'll have to buy another one to replace it. And you can't apply direct heat to them if you want to do different types of mashing. I'd prefer to build a system that, short of a few minor tweaks, lasts until I'm too old to brew (which is gonna be quite a while). That also means it has to be able to handle the occasional 10 gallon batch. I've already got a monster outdoor cooker set-up (185k btu) that I'll be using for the bottom level. I can get another burner (or two) from the manufacturer for $15 plus shipping. I suppose I could just get a big aluminum pot for the HLT, but then there's the stories about cooking with aluminum...

It's not the $100 for the Sabco converted keg that hurts, it's the additional $35 to ship the blasted thing. If I could get it to my door for $100 I'd be much happier. I have a friend who will weld the fittings in for free (he's an excellent welder... he's built frames for three race cars). Between the stainless wire, the fittings, a $50-60 used keg, and 30 minutes worth of Sawzall cutting and deburring with my Dremel, I can have the same thing as the Sabco keg for around $75-80. Now multiply that $55 savings times two or three and you can see why I'd prefer to go that route.

ORRELSE said:

Dudes I don't think kegs are made out of aluminum. I could be wrong....but....

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Yup... they did at one point. I was told by a local beer distributor they stopped using them around 20 years ago, but they are still floating around. Everybody uses SS now.

DrewsBrews said:

I'm still considering the cooler idea. The problem is that I'm a long-term type of thinker. Coolers warp and crack (so I've read) over time, which means I'll have to buy another one to replace it. And you can't apply direct heat to them if you want to do different types of mashing. I'd prefer to build a system that, short of a few minor tweaks, lasts until I'm too old to brew (which is gonna be quite a while). That also means it has to be able to handle the occasional 10 gallon batch. I've already got a monster outdoor cooker set-up (185k btu) that I'll be using for the bottom level. I can get another burner (or two) from the manufacturer for $15 plus shipping. I suppose I could just get a big aluminum pot for the HLT, but then there's the stories about cooking with aluminum...

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Not to keep raining on your parade--but you could get a very large cooler mashtun (definitely big enough for 10 gallon batches and BIG beers at that) for 15-20 bucks. It will last many batches. With all the money you saved going that route, it will buy you some time to save some money up and then do what you really want.

DrewsBrews said:

Yup... they did at one point. I was told by a local beer distributor they stopped using them around 20 years ago, but they are still floating around. Everybody uses SS now.

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My bad.

flhrpi said:

You can't go wrong checking out the local micro's and distributors. Also, talk to your favorite pub/bar owner he might be able to send you in the right direction. I to am in the process of putting together a 3 tier. Check out my gallery.

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I talked to my local brewpub owner and he told me "Sabco".

DrewsBrews said:

It's not the $100 for the Sabco converted keg that hurts, it's the additional $35 to ship the blasted thing. If I could get it to my door for $100 I'd be much happier. I have a friend who will weld the fittings in for free (he's an excellent welder... he's built frames for three race cars). Between the stainless wire, the fittings, a $50-60 used keg, and 30 minutes worth of Sawzall cutting and deburring with my Dremel, I can have the same thing as the Sabco keg for around $75-80. Now multiply that $55 savings times two or three and you can see why I'd prefer to go that route.

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I'm in your same boat with the Sabco purchase and the reason I haven't purchased any kegs yet. My assistant brewer works in a metal shop. I've shown him what I would want to do to retrofit a keg and his comment was; no problem. Program it into the bookoo bucks metal fab machines that they got and he'd be able to machine it to whatever I want. I just need to find the kegs. Locally I wish, but I really haven't looked too hard yet either.

ORRELSE said:

Not to keep raining on your parade--but you could get a very large cooler mashtun (definitely big enough for 10 gallon batches and BIG beers at that) for 15-20 bucks. It will last many batches. With all the money you saved going that route, it will buy you some time to save some money up and then do what you really want.

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Rain all you want... it's been raining here in the Seattle/Tacoma area for 26 days straight now! I'm pretty used to it.

No really, that's why I posted the thread. I wanted opinions and advice. I guess part of the reason I want to do all kegs is the "cool" factor. You're probably right about saving the money now to get rolling and then eventually buy what I really want. I just have to convince myself.

DrewsBrews said:

True, but barely. I held a magnet up to my SS brew pot and it fell right off. I could only feel a very slight attraction as I got the magnet right next to the metal.

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Yeah, not all grades of SS are equally magnetic. Some are barely magnetic at all.

Took a trip to the local mega-scrap yard (helps to be in a port town) and found that they had somewhere between 30-40 half-barrel kegs in pretty nice shape.

The good news is that I can buy as many as I want for a buck a pound (roughly $35 a piece). Now, I just have to learn to stomach the fact that most of them were scrapped rather than taken back to the brewery they were rented from. I guess I can justify it by knowing they're just going to be melted down anyway.

DrewsBrews said:

Rain all you want... it's been raining here in the Seattle/Tacoma area for 26 days straight now! I'm pretty used to it.

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While I use a coolertun for cheapness, I'll send some sunshine your way by adding that with a keg you can apply heat directly to the mash instead of having to add infusions of hot water. While most people are happy with single infusion mashes, it does give you the option and makes raising the temp a snap if you mash in too low. If you can get kegs for ~$35 a pop I'd be all over it.

flhrpi said:

You can't go wrong checking out the local micro's and distributors. Also, talk to your favorite pub/bar owner he might be able to send you in the right direction. I to am in the process of putting together a 3 tier. Check out my gallery.

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Man, I'd love to have the brew shed in the back yard. Don't have the space for it in the current house. I've been brewing extract w/ grain batches over my outdoor cooker in the back yard. Once I get the AG system built, I'll be brewing in the garage, right in front of the neighbors. That should be interesting.

DrewsBrews said:

Man, I'd love to have the brew shed in the back yard. Don't have the space for it in the current house. I've been brewing extract w/ grain batches over my outdoor cooker in the back yard. Once I get the AG system built, I'll be brewing in the garage, right in front of the neighbors. That should be interesting.

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Charge admission!

Lower grades of stainless steel have more iron in them, I would have thought a good magnet should pick that up in a keg. Otherwise take a file to it...aluminium filings tend to 'spray' slightly as you file. The filed surfaces will appear different too, Ali has a whiter shine in comparison to the bright chromed shine you get from ss. You may even find small rust spots on lower grade SS.

check your local liquere store, beer depot or any other place that sells half barrels. I got mine here in Milwaukee for $10. but like the others said if the sabco one is only $100 it may be worth it just to save the run around and "putzing' time. by the time I am done I'm looking at . . .

Half barrel $10
cut the top off $15
SS weldless ketting fitting $37
weldless sight glass $20

grand total minus gas and running around $82 . . .
and I'm sure I'll have to buy a drill bit yet so add that in . . .
and I'm debating if I want to add a bazook screen into my boil kettle so add that in $18 + $6 for the adaptor or a run to the hardware store . . .

You are in Tacoma right? If you don't mind taking an afternoon drive to Portland, Widmer will sell you decomissioned Kegs for $25.00 each!!! The only thing that is wrong with them is a hole drilled in the top by the sankey valve. But you are planning on cutting a hole in the top anyway right? Viloa, KEG CONVERSION!!! Make sure you call for availability. They are right off of I-5 a couple minutes after you head over the Interstate bridge from Vancouver.

Im sure some brewery even closer to you will have a sweet deal like that too. Just check around.

Keep in mind that a decommisoned keg is just that, one no longer in use by the brewing industry. Paying a deposit on one, drinking the beer and keeping the keg isn't the same. Those kegs are actually worth a lot and taking one contributes to shrinkage thus increasing beer prices over all.

Not judging, just telling the difference. Maybe sticking it to budweiser is a good thing, just, damn it.. then you have all the bud to get rid of.

Ed_Savage said:

You are in Tacoma right? If you don't mind taking an afternoon drive to Portland, Widmer will sell you decomissioned Kegs for $25.00 each!!! The only thing that is wrong with them is a hole drilled in the top by the sankey valve. But you are planning on cutting a hole in the top anyway right? Viloa, KEG CONVERSION!!! Make sure you call for availability. They are right off of I-5 a couple minutes after you head over the Interstate bridge from Vancouver.

Im sure some brewery even closer to you will have a sweet deal like that too. Just check around.

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Well, that's another option for sure. My brother lives in Portland. I could just make it a dual-purpose trip. There are two microbreweries in Seattle that I know of, Red Hook and Pyramid. I could give them a ring as well.

The way I'm looking at the scrap yard kegs at this point is that once they've accepted them, they're destined for the melting pot anyway. The onus is on them to say "no" to people trying to sell them. Buying one from them just means someone gets use out of it rather than turning it into scrap. Some of these things looked almost new and $35 a keg for a 10 minute drive sure is hard to pass up, considering I have the option.

Nothing wrong with that. I'm talking about kegs currently in use by the beer industry. Once decommissioned they are fair game. That's why a decommissioned keg costs more than the deposit on a new keg.

Paying a deposit on one, drinking the beer and keeping the keg isn't the same. Those kegs are actually worth a lot and taking one contributes to shrinkage thus increasing beer prices over all.

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I posted about this b4, and I dunno if it's because of the area I am in or what, BUT I was told by a Miller Rep that to pay more then a deposit on the barrel was "retarded". Like I said it may just be because I live literally 5 minutes from Miller brewery and their International HQ, or it may be because I have a Buwieser keg . . .or it could be a global consperacy set up by Opus Dei, the Pope, and Invisable Penguins for all I know . . .but the last option would explain all the black helicopters in my neighborhood lately.



Think in this case I would go with the Sabco keg though $100 + $35 for shipping doesnt sound like a bad deal if you dont want the hassels of the do it yourself stuff.

I did a search for my post about it but couldn't find it *shrug*

Okay... I picked up three very nice, used kegs today from the scrap yard. One 13.2 gallon (for the HLT) and two 15.5 gallon units for a grand total of $99.10, including tax. Not a bad deal, eh?

I deliberately chose kegs that still had the valves intact knowing that the only thing I would find in there would be liquid beer and/or CO2. Hopefully that means I won't need to do any scrubbing inside once they're opened up. Of course, they're likely still under pressure. So my question is: how do I release the pressure from one of those valves? I suppose I could just take a big screwdriver and depress the valve (whilst turning my head the other way )

I did that behind a bar once...