Used Corny Supply Running Out!

[wittmania]

My LHBS guy told me that he's been having a really tough time getting used cornys lately. He said that the soda companies have been pushing the bag-in-box system instead of the "old fashioned" kegs for about 20 years now. So, nobody in America is making new ones, and the existing supply is pretty much consumed at this point.

Granted, he's a small-time retail shop so I'm guessing he has a tougher time finding product than the larger vendors, but when I was in he only had two used cornys left and said that when they were gone, that was it. I bought one, and it looks like he already sold the other. He posted an article about it on his website here:

http://www.kirksbrew.com/2011/08/the-end-of-an-era/

Is anyone else hearing rumors that the age of the used corny is coming to an end?

 

[Rivenin]

i doubt it'll come to an end anytime soon, there is still a ton of brand new ones out there etc. and they are still getting made. Don't panic!

 

[Brek81]

yep, used keg prices have defiantly been going up.

 

[jppostKW]

yep, used keg prices have defiantly been going up.

$35 bucks when i started brewing in 2009 LHBS wants $75 now

 

[rcrabb22]

Unless a reseller can afford to buy in large lots, used ball lock kegs are becoming scarce. My LHBS had no luck sourcing used kegs in the quantities they used to get (10-15 an order). The kegs they received in their last order several months ago were in real bad shape.

 

[brewtime]

$35 bucks when i started brewing in 2009 LHBS wants $75 now

You are getting ripped-0ff at those prices.

 

[wittmania]

You are getting ripped-0ff at those prices.

Not necessarily. Market forces at work, baby. The LHBS can't get them in as cheap as they used to because the supply of used ones is diminishing, but demand is growing as the number of brewers grows. You could pay around $50, plus shipping and a few weeks of travel, through one of the online stores or walk in and get one at $75 today and support your local economy.

I gladly paid $50 to get one the other day from my LHBS. He's going to be charging $130 for new ones, which is all he's able to get in now.

 

[brewtime]

your market forces are out of wack My LHBS sells used ones at $35 so yes $70 is a rip-off

 

[BrewThruYou]

Yeah, my LHBS sells cleaned used ones with replacement o-rings for $39.95.

 

[mrgstiffler]

$35 bucks when i started brewing in 2009 LHBS wants $75 now

Mine still sells them reconditioned for $35.

 

[xoltri]

Mine charges $60. They are not really reconditioned though. But he just got in a shipment of 100 of them, so I'd say they are not quite yet running out. Unless those are the last 100 in all of North America.

 

[bob1852]

They're still out there, you just have to find them.

Like this guy: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f19/i-just-scored-free-cornies-264717/

The whole "LHBS owner said they're gone" really should be translated to "it's no longer profitable for a LHBS to be the middle man for used cornies when consumers can get them from corneykeg.com or other avenues for cheaper than what we can acquire and sell them for"

 

[logdrum]

I just checked Sabco & they're out as well. New ones are nicer anyway!

-d

 

[nyer]

I know someone who just bought 20 kegs from a soda supplier. They just called them and asked if they had they would sell.

 

[day_trippr]

My LHBS (Strange Brew in Marlboro) picked up at least 100 ball locks a few weeks ago. They had been hurting for kegs but the dam apparently burst big time. The owner said he made a deal with the supplier to resell some other equipment to get the kegs, and it seemed like there are more kegs in the pipeline...

Cheers!

 

[glavini]

I bought 3 of them from strange brew right before they moved. I want to sat they were around 60bucks.

 

[copyright1997]

I picked up my first keg earlier this year from my local home brew for $40, then a second one for $45. Then I found non-recondition kegs (in the vendor showcase) for $20 each, so I picked up 5 of them. So, unlike what "Kirk" says, there still seem to be some around. If you don't mind pin-lock, this vendor has them for $22.95 (they were $20 when I first looked). Shipping is steep @ $38.73 but I played around the with quantity and you can ship up to 4 at that price, and only a couple $ more for 5.

 

[Cosper123]

I picked up my first keg earlier this year from my local home brew for $40, then a second one for $45. Then I found non-recondition kegs (in the vendor showcase) for $20 each, so I picked up 5 of them. So, unlike what "Kirk" says, there still seem to be some around. If you don't mind pin-lock, this vendor has them for $22.95 (they were $20 when I first looked). Shipping is steep @ $38.73 but I played around the with quantity and you can ship up to 4 at that price, and only a couple $ more for 5.

Morebeer has reconditioned pinlocks for 40 bucks with free shipping on all orders over 60 bucks. So around the same price if you buy two of them but again these are reconditioned kegs...and no limit on 4 or whatnot.

In any case, lots of better options out there than 75....and shipped right to your door.

 

[day_trippr]

I bought 3 of them from strange brew right before they moved. I want to sat they were around 60bucks.

Closer to $45, I believe, before sales tax. But you have to pick up an o-ring set, which is another $7, so that's closing in on $60 all up.

Have you seen the new store? The good news is they now have a wicked huge space, all on one level, with a well lighted grain room. The bad news is no more Brew Days

Cheers!

 

[glavini]

Much bigger, I was just there the other day. I never went to the brew days as I have just started brewing again recently.

 

[Thanatos69]

I got lucky last year and picked up 12 unconditioned pin locks for $10 each off of CL. I've reconditioned about half of them with the rest in my garage.

 

[Kaleco]

One of my LHBS is selling used non-reconditioned for $75 and reconditioned for $99. :'-(

 

[audger]

One of my LHBS is selling used non-reconditioned for $75 and reconditioned for $99. :'-(

BARF. cant blame them if they actually paid that much for them, but normally you can buy them retail, used, for 30-40 depending on condition. if they are buying them wholesale for $10-20 each like everyone else does, that is a rediculous price to charge customers.

the LHBS here sells em for $30 (in the condidion they recieve them, usually pretty dirty, but pressure tested) and $35 for cleaned and new o-rings.

 

[Agentaaron]

My local shop charges 59.99 for either ball or pin...but ball seems to be more popular

Since all of mine are pinlock now. I always keep an ad up on craigslist looking for more and when I come across ball locks, I can just take them in and trade straight across for more pinlocks...win win

I can usually get them for around 25-35 bucks on craigslist though

 

[solbes]

NB has them in stock kind of sporadically for $40. Used the 10% off and the brewsaver shipping for my fall ingredient order. Besides having a green top which doesn't really matter (7up), the keg was spotless.