Where to buy sanke kegs???

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Rhys79

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Ok, let me preface this by saying, it'll be a good while before I can even think of spending the money on kegging equipment. :(

That said, is there anywhere that you can buy small quantities of new or used, but still servicable, 15.5gal 1/2bbl kegs? Specifically being NOT a commercial entity.

TIA!!
 
This is a hot button topic that's inevitably going to start a flame war on keg buying ethics. So my answer is going to be call a local brewery and see if they have any retired kegs they're willing to sell. I'll bet that they do.
 
Generally, and I'm making a small assumption here (yes, I know the definition of assume, I don't need reminded...), retired kegs are retired for a reason... When I am looking, I would be looking for serviceable kegs as well, hence why I would be looking for somewhere to buy NEW as well as retired kegs...

The question is more of, is there somewhere that will sell NEW 1/2bbl kegs to someone that is NOT running a business?

I am not looking to buy questionably acquired kegs. I'm fully well aware there are many not so terribly ethical ways to procure them, and I'm not interested.
 
to revive a dead topic...
i called anheuser busch here in columbus and asked about this. they said talk to their distributor. the distributor said that they don't sell them, but suggested to just buy a full keg and not return it for the deposit! i told him that it's illegal though. he said he wouldnt worry about it, there are thousands of them floating around and that is equated into the profit equation. get that! also, the big breweries apparently recycle theirs if there's a problem. no retiring them, it's fix or recycle for materials to be reused.

thought that was interesting.
 
The guy at BevMo told me the same thing. Pay the deposit and don't return it. He didn't care, because he pays the same amount for the keg to begin with...
 
Didn't we just go over this in another thread? The OP is specifically asking for advice that is NOT "just forfeit the deposit on a rented keg." We've covered it time and time again. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. Just because some guy at BevMo or a BMC distributor recommended the practice doesn't make it right.

NO MORE SUGGESTIONS TO FORFEIT THE DEPOSIT ON A KEG. PERIOD.
 
I buy them on Craigslist. Why do people sell them on CL? Because they can't return them. The retailers and distributors won't take them back! Many places put a time limit on how long you can have a deposit keg out before they consider it yours. Other places also put the stipulation that you must have your receipt to get your deposit back. No receipt, no deposit returned.

Most of the kegs floating around on Craigslist and other places are because the people who obtained them (legally) are not allowed to get their deposit back. I readily buy these "guilt free".
 
JonW said:
I buy them on Craigslist. Why do people sell them on CL? Because they can't return them. The retailers and distributors won't take them back! Many places put a time limit on how long you can have a deposit keg out before they consider it yours. Other places also put the stipulation that you must have your receipt to get your deposit back. No receipt, no deposit returned.

Most of the kegs floating around on Craigslist and other places are because the people who obtained them (legally) are not allowed to get their deposit back. I readily buy these "guilt free".
Click to expand...

I agree. I don't see the big deal.
When you buy these, how much are you paying?
 
JonW said:
I buy them on Craigslist. Why do people sell them on CL? Because they can't return them. The retailers and distributors won't take them back! Many places put a time limit on how long you can have a deposit keg out before they consider it yours. Other places also put the stipulation that you must have your receipt to get your deposit back. No receipt, no deposit returned.

Most of the kegs floating around on Craigslist and other places are because the people who obtained them (legally) are not allowed to get their deposit back. I readily buy these "guilt free".
Click to expand...
That's a different situation entirely. If the distributor refuses the keg, there is no recourse but to sell/scrap/use it.
 
JonW said:
I buy them on Craigslist. Why do people sell them on CL? Because they can't return them. The retailers and distributors won't take them back! Many places put a time limit on how long you can have a deposit keg out before they consider it yours. Other places also put the stipulation that you must have your receipt to get your deposit back. No receipt, no deposit returned.

Most of the kegs floating around on Craigslist and other places are because the people who obtained them (legally) are not allowed to get their deposit back. I readily buy these "guilt free".
Click to expand...

I've bought 13 of them this way on CL. I too have no guilt - Because I never pay more than the deposit for them. That way I know that they are not returnable - Or the guy really is a moron...

Either way, I sleep just fine at night.
 
McKinney777 said:
I agree. I don't see the big deal.
When you buy these, how much are you paying?
Click to expand...
I've paid $20 to $40. The $40 ones were at a retailer that had some kegs that he took in as deposit trades that he could not give back to the distributors because the kegs were not stamped with a brewery. For me, these were the best because not only were they in great shape, but I didn't have to worry about someone saying I stole some brewery's keg.

SweetSounds said:
{snip} Or the guy really is a moron...
Click to expand...
I get a kick out of people on CL asking $75 - $100 for a keg with lines like:
"Own your own keg and get it refilled cheaper!"
"Don't pay a $50 deposit each time you get beer if you have your own keg!"

I just have to laugh at how stupid some people really are.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
Didn't we just go over this in another thread? The OP is specifically asking for advice that is NOT "just forfeit the deposit on a rented keg." We've covered it time and time again. THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. Just because some guy at BevMo or a BMC distributor recommended the practice doesn't make it right.
Click to expand...

While this is true and sage advice and we should not discuss nor advocate intentionally breaking the law, I think it is more than interesting that multiple distributors for the big dogs are flat out telling you to steal their kegs. I find that to be shocking, honestly.
 
JonW said:
I've paid $20 to $40. The $40 ones were at a retailer that had some kegs that he took in as deposit trades that he could not give back to the distributors because the kegs were not stamped with a brewery. For me, these were the best because not only were they in great shape, but I didn't have to worry about someone saying I stole some brewery's keg.
Click to expand...


Yep, I picked up 5 for $30 a pop from a place that went out of business a few years back and the distributors would not take the kegs back. :drunk:
 
Randar said:
While this is true and sage advice and we should not discuss nor advocate intentionally breaking the law, I think it is more than interesting that multiple distributors for the big dogs are flat out telling you to steal their kegs. I find that to be shocking, honestly.
Click to expand...

I don't find it shocking at all. It's a non-issue for the big dogs. If I can buy new kegs for $120 each, I am sure that the big dogs are getting them for $40 based on their huge volume. If they lose one at deposit value, it didn't really cost them anything.

Now, take that same argument to the smaller microbreweries that we all love and they are probably going to be taking a loss on the keg because they are not buying as many as the big dogs. Here is where keeping a keg from the deposit is going to be more noticeable. The smaller the brewery, the more impact keeping their keg will have. It's pure economics!
 
JonW said:
I don't find it shocking at all. It's a non-issue for the big dogs. If I can buy new kegs for $120 each, I am sure that the big dogs are getting them for $40 based on their huge volume. If they lose one at deposit value, it didn't really cost them anything.

Now, take that same argument to the smaller microbreweries that we all love and they are probably going to be taking a loss on the keg because they are not buying as many as the big dogs. Here is where keeping a keg from the deposit is going to be more noticeable. The smaller the brewery, the more impact keeping their keg will have. It's pure economics!
Click to expand...

This is why I want a keg from the big dogs, so that I can get the good beer from the smaller local microbreweries...that I really love and they don't have the 1/6 barrels for me to get.
 

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