The myth of the <$50 corny keg

CornyKegs 728
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jeremydgreat

jeremydgreat

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I live in North County San Diego (close to Stone, AleSmith, Mission Brewery, Port Brewery, Lost Abbey, Karl Strauss, and many more). There are about 5 LHBS's within a 30 min drive. I've emailed every one. Most of them just say "try ebay."

There is one (ONE!) LHBS that sells reconditioned corny kegs for $60 a pop. Most of the ebay sellers are selling them for at least that much, which doesn't include the shipping ($20-$30 on such a large item). Craigs List searches as far north as LA have turned up nothing.

So my question is... where are you people finding these $20-$30 corny kegs!? I keep reading on these forums that corny kegs can be found for pretty cheap and that $60 is pretty overpriced. Am I just looking in the wrong places?
 
They are getting scarce as the kegs get scarce. It seems the only good deals are the occasional ones that pop up here when someone stumbles upon a bunch at the scrap yard.
 
For one thing, most of us don't live in an area where a tiny 2 bedroom bungalow in need of major repairs can sell for a million bucks ;)

I can pop over to my LHBS and score a nice clean ball lock for $40...

Cheers!
 
This probably doesn't help, but I've picked up (my first) 9 in the past week for $100.

The first 5 I bought from someone getting out of the hobby and the other 4 were given to me by a friend that works at a soda distributor. However, I know some folks are picky and 6 of the 9 are pin lock. Since I am new to kegging that is fine for me, I'll just pick up the pin lock disconnects and probably wind up selling the three ball locks.
 
Yeah I picked up a bunch at Northern Brewer a few years ago for $30 a piece. I didnt realize how the price has gone up on these. Im surprised no one is manufacturing them anymore on a smaller scale
 
Keep checking CL, and don't expect local breweries to help you find corny kegs. They are not becoming scarce... you're just not looking hard enough. The place I go to in Denver has hundreds of them... just sitting there... not going anywhere... and I get them for $35 a pop if I buy at least a few per visit. Not paying for shipping will save you a bundle.
 
Keg connection. Flat rate $7.95 shipping anywhere in US. Ball lock kegs (reconditioned pinlocks) for $39.95 as well as others.

(I put the link in wrong but it works, just scroll down the page a ways once it opens and you have the option to open original link. It will open Keg Connection home page and you chan check out the "Kegs" drill down menu.

http://stores.kegconnection.com

Edit: The only thing that makes these a little less desirable is the pressure relief valve can not be actuated manually. Still though, not much trouble to push the poppet in on the "in" post to relieve pressure.
 
I have a search on my phone that watches CraigsList for "Keg".

2 hours ago, I met with a guy that stopped brewing 2 years ago and had a bunch of stuff he wanted to get rid of.

I gave him his asking price, $200.

I'm going back to pick up most of the stuff because I just couldn't haul it.
I took with me 6 ball lock cornies and a 5lb co2 tank.

I didn't go through the boxes but what I did see was;
2, converted sanke keggles (one with a false bottom)
4, glass carboys
2, 10 gallon coolers with valves
1, 3 gallon corny
1, 20lb co2 cylinder
2, co2 regulators
1, pump & switch "contraption"
5, cases of bomber bottles
and 2 boxes of "stuff" that I didn't even open.

Point is, opportunities come along... just make sure you don't miss them when they do.

Ed
 
Ohio-Ed said:
I have a search on my phone that watches CraigsList for "Keg".

2 hours ago, I met with a guy that stopped brewing 2 years ago and had a bunch of stuff he wanted to get rid of.

I gave him his asking price, $200.

I'm going back to pick up most of the stuff because I just couldn't haul it.
I took with me 6 ball lock cornies and a 5lb co2 tank.

I didn't go through the boxes but what I did see was;
2, converted sanke keggles (one with a false bottom)
4, glass carboys
2, 10 gallon coolers with valves
1, 3 gallon corny
1, 20lb co2 cylinder
2, co2 regulators
1, pump & switch "contraption"
5, cases of bomber bottles
and 2 boxes of "stuff" that I didn't even open.

Point is, opportunities come along... just make sure you don't miss them when they do.

Ed
Click to expand...

nice score! :rockin:
 
I think the LHBS I frequent still carries them for around $35. I think there were $20 or so a few years ago when I got into kegging.

EDIT: I just called and he said they were now up to $55 and they can see the supply dwindling as time goes on.
 
jeremydgreat said:
So my question is... where are you people finding these $20-$30 corny kegs!?
Click to expand...

I found most of the $20-30 kegs in 2005 ;)

Seriously though, I feel your pain, it's getting harder and harder to find reasonably priced kegs. I haven't seen much locally or on the web for less than $40 in a while.
 
1234 said:
I sold all of my balllock kegs and bought the corny keg $14 kegs. I now have enough, 17.
Click to expand...


Yep...every couple days check out the clearance section on cornykeg.com for $14 pin locks. They show in stock now.
 
Triple9 said:
Yep...every couple days check out the clearance section on cornykeg.com for $14 pin locks. They show in stock now.
Click to expand...

+1 to this, I bought 4 and converted them to ball locks (with the cornykeg.com kit) and the price for each ended up being ~$25 each.
 
Ya, I just got into kegging and decided to go pin locks. Seems like there are more out there right now than ball locks... AND the coke ones are still in use! When I stopped at a gas station in northeast tennessee on vacation I took a picture of these guys:

0918011549.jpg
 
My LHBS here in Phoenix has them for $30-40 depending on condition. Sounds like supply is low and demand is high in so-cal.
 
Beverage Factory has ball locks for $47.95 - I think they are right by Miramar. A 4 pack is $180. Also check keg connection - $7.95 shipping and pin locks & 'converted' ball locks for $39.
 
EarthBound said:
They are not becoming scarce... you're just not looking hard enough.
Click to expand...

I mentioned all the placed I've been looking. Seemed like a pretty wide sweep to me, as I have two of the largest cities in CA under an hour away.

EarthBound said:
The place I go to in Denver has hundreds of them... just sitting there... not going anywhere... and I get them for $35 a pop
Click to expand...

What type of place would that be?
 
Also - try searching around for any beverage supply places. Any companies that distribute soda in particular. Lots of them still have cornies that they're working to convert away from over to newer systems. Local one by me will give me cornies for $10 - granted, they're filthy and need new o-rings, but I think that's more than worth it!
 
Last i checked hydrobrew had them for $50. That was a couple of months ago, are they back down to $40 now? Hydrobrew's are refurbed with new seals and verified good.
 
This is why I'm going to Sankes. I've put all of $90 into 3 1/2 bbls, 1 1/4 bbl, and 1 1/6 bbl. Two of the kegs were found in a dumpster by my friend and the rest are secondhand from scrapyards.
 
MoreBeer.com. I bought bulk kegs (in sets of 4). With shipping, it was about $120 ($30 each).
 
Dan said:
Keg connection. Flat rate $7.95 shipping anywhere in US. Ball lock kegs (reconditioned pinlocks) for $39.95 as well as others.

(I put the link in wrong but it works, just scroll down the page a ways once it opens and you have the option to open original link. It will open Keg Connection home page and you chan check out the "Kegs" drill down menu.

http://stores.kegconnection.com

Edit: The only thing that makes these a little less desirable is the pressure relief valve can not be actuated manually. Still though, not much trouble to push the poppet in on the "in" post to relieve pressure.
Click to expand...

Do "converted" ball-lock kegs (pin-lock kegs with ball-lock tops) have the same diameter as standard ball-lock kegs?
 
outside92129 said:
Last i checked hydrobrew had them for $50. That was a couple of months ago, are they back down to $40 now? Hydrobrew's are refurbed with new seals and verified good.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Hydrobrew got back to me and said they had ball-lock cornys for $60 a keg. :-/
 
sudsmcgee said:
No, they have pin lock dimensions.
Click to expand...

Let me rephrase:

I read that pin-lock kegs are 9" in diameter, while ball-lock kegs are 8.5" in diameter. Visually, the pin-lock kegs look much fatter though. So, is that information accurate?
 
sudsmcgee said:
No, they have pin lock dimensions.
Click to expand...


From MoreBeer website:

Pin lock kegs are approximately 9" Diam. x 22.25" Height. 25.25" Height with fittings.

Ball lock kegs are approximately 9" Diam. x 25" Height. 26 1/4" Height with Flare fittings.
 

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