used keg quality and where to buy

I am looking to see if anyone has had any issues with the quality of their used kegs when purchasing online. Also to find out where to purchase from. I am currently looking at Amazon, Ebay, Keg Connection and Beverage Factory. Is there anywhere else i should look? should I continue to look for used or just buy new. I hear that most of the used kegs now contained root beer and that the smell and flavor are hard to get out. Let me know, I need to purchase by this weekend, and I contacted one LBHS and he doesn't come by used ones that often and the price of the new ones from there are a bit high.

 

Check out Adventures in Homebrewing. I just got pin locks from them for 30 each and they all held pressure during shipping

 

as for cleaning- hot water and any good oxygenated cleaner (oxyclean, onestep, etc) will be fine. take apart the dip tubes and flush them out to remove syrup/etc. rinse the o-rings well or buy new one(cheap). rinse the lid and its rubbers. use hot water and a brush or a scouring pad- but not metal stuff like copper/stainless/brillo scrub pads.

i've bought soda kegs from both bev elements and adventures in homebrewing/AIH. where you order depends on what you're looking for in terms of kegs. you can buy new kegs, but that's pretty expensive. like $100 or so for a 5 gallon. but for used? out here in san francisco area the going rate for used 5 gal keg is $50-60 bucks on craigslist. i'd assume its similar in your neck of the woods.

so-- new or used? these kegs are durable goods that last a long time with moderate maintenance so for me its used kegs. as far as who to buy from, in my opinion if you want standard 5 gallon kegs then just go with whoever has the best price after shipping (if you cant find any locally on craigslist or homebrew forums). then your only real decision is to buy pin lock or ball lock style keg.

at AIH they sometimes sell a package deal of 3-4 used kegs at good pricing, maybe find a buddy to split with purchase with?

also- you can also get 2.5 or 3 gallon kegs if you brew smaller batches or for variety's sake. great for splitting batches up for different dry hopping, adding spices/fruit, making sour/brett, etc. AIH is better on pricing for these sizes in my opinion.

but if you absolutely need one RIGHT NOW then do a good craigslist search and check "for sale" stuff on all the internet homebrew forums first. so if you cant find one that's close to you dont sweat it, they're all pretty much the same thing. just go with whatever makes sense for price/speed.

 

unfortunately, there's nothing on craigslist in my area. I have found used ones at a lhbs, for $90. but i found new for less @kegconnection and @breveragefactory. which brings me up to my next question, what is the difference between nsf and not nsf certified? what goes into being certified?

 

That's the issue. I need faster than i could get through the internet when i get the money to purchase, and the price for what i get local is more than i want to pay.

 

Ive had a lot of luck on ebay with both sanke and ball lock kegs.

 

McEver has ball lock kegs for 45$. I have never had problem with there kegs.
http://www.mceverdistrib.com/beer-kegs/5-gal-ball-lock-kegs/

 

Awesome! Thanks for the Heads up!

oops, didn't see that $25 shipping charge. still $75 isn't terrible.

 

The NSF is a certification from a third party stating that the product can be used as intended safely, such as to hold food/beverage without contamination from any of the material being used to manufacture the product. One to look out for is that the stainless steel that was used to manufacture the keg was made with "food grade" stainless, there are many types of stainless steel. Also that the welds of the keg were made sanitary and that the rubber gaskets used in it are food grade as well. When you see the NSF cert, that means an independent party has inspected the product to make sure it is up to standard.

Is the NSF cert required? No, it's just like a UL cert. Companies will get these certs so that their customers feel much more comfortable buying a product that some professional "checked out" and gave their approval.

 

I'll second homebrewing.org.

I picked up two of their loose bottom kegs a while back. They're definitely not lookers, and the inside needed an oxyclean soak, but they arrived holding pressure.

 

I found a pretty good deal on this site from someone in my area getting out of the hobby from the for sale section.

 

I have had equal quality luck wherever I have bought from. So long as they dont say something crooked like as is, you should be fine. I got a bad keg once, called up the seller and told them and they helped make it right. Just test the keg upon receiving it, make sure it seals and doesnt leak and all is good. If not let them know.

 

AIH is a pretty safe bet. I've bought new, used, and "loose handle" kegs from them at various times (all at good prices) and all have done a good job for me.

 

I have bought from beverage factory, but they are local to me so I can avoid shipping and I was able to exchange one that I couldn't seal without a leak. I also check Craigslist for deals from time to time.

 

Another recent thread on the subject of cheap kegs showed this site.

Best prices I've seen.

I've gotten 6 from AIH. All very good and great customer service. One poppet was encrusted and I couldn't get it clean (still working on it). They sent me a replacement popett. All their used kegs are assured to hold pressure and come with new spare o-rings.

Can't recomend them more highly. But the cheaper price is the link I gave.

 

I just bought a new 5 Gal Ball lock from Austin Homebrew yesterday for 69$ + tax. Used ones are 59$ + tax.

 

Another vouch for AIH.

I always look for the loose handle ones. I have 4 so far from them.

Yeah they are ugly, but who cares.

 

I have 13 currently. I got 2 3 gallon "loose" handles that were in good condition from AIH and they were in perfect shape for the money. $30 each maybe st the time.
I bought a bundle of 5 on craigslist a year and a half ago for $150, one keg off craigslist with a bunch of carboys, a bundle of 3 off craigslist last month an hour away, and found 2 at a garage sale dirt cheap last week.