Acquiring kegs - legally

[J-Malone]

I am wondering what the best way is to acquire old kegs. I am talking legally, not what back alley can I get a good deal on kegs. I am looking for old out of commission kegs to convert into keggles.

Thanks
JM

 

[BendBrewer]

Check with your local beer distributor.

 

[Toecutter]

A keg distributor sold me 2 empties for the $30 deposit each. I have a reciept. Thats legal enough for me.

 

[samc]

From a brewery. That's how I got mine for $30/ea.

 

[oregonparamedic]

Distributors do not own the kegs. Stick with the breweries. Some like Widmer have a sign up list.

 

[cfonnes]

Knock on the back door of a brew pub when the brew miester is there, ask if he has some old kegs to get rid of. It worked for me.

 

[Dwain]

I go to a scrap yard. I set the guy up to return Miller & Bud kegs to the ditributor. Coors was not interested in buying them back for the deposit. The others (imports, etc. even the ones the BUD distibutors handle), no one will take. Instead of letting them get trashed, I buy them (I'm starting to get too many!). The bottom line is, whatever you consider legal, if you buy them at the scrap dealer, your saving them from a fate worse than death.

 

[Sacdan]

recycling center. I see a lot of them there everytime I go there.

 

[hatrickwah]

Check with your local brewery if you have one. Often breweries will receive kegs back that get damaged, and in the small guys case, may not be worth fixing. I have 3 that had holes in the top, one a manufacturers defect, and therefore no longer held pressure. Some brewers may give them to you, some may want a little money for them. Ultimately, if you want legal, don't talk to your distributor, he doesn't own the keg, nor does the liquor store down the street who sells you the beer. Unless the guy giving/selling you the keg has a name that matches the name on the keg, he doesn't own it.
You may also try Sabco Kegs online (http://www.kegs.com) but they often are out of kegs, to a point that they can't even supply their big customers.

 

[J-Malone]

Thanks guys..I have talked to just about every recycling place around here and they all give me the same BS that they dont accept them so they dont have any...but I find it hard to believe.

But I also have feelers out for the local brewery (Yazoo and Blackstone) to see if they have any they might be willing to part ways with...

 

[jds]

Check with your local breweries. I got my kegs from New Belgium. I sent an e-mail to the contact on their website asking if I could buy a couple of decommissioned kegs. A few weeks later, I got a phone call, went to the brewery, and got 2 for $15 each. Apparently, the necks got beat up and they wouldn't hold pressure any more.

 

[iaefebs]

Thanks guys..I have talked to just about every recycling place around here and they all give me the same BS that they dont accept them so they dont have any...but I find it hard to believe.

Same here in my area. They even have a sign displayed in the lobby/office that states they will not accept kegs for recycle. It was originally posted when the scrap cost of Stainless was higher then the cost of deposit on a keg.

 

[camiller]

...Unless the guy giving/selling you the keg has a name that matches the name on the keg, he doesn't own it. ...

I've seen a lot of kegs with my last name on them

-- Chris Miller

 

[CoolHandLuke]

What does the contract say when paying a keg deposit? ...or is it the same as paying a deposit for glass bottles with a caramel colored cola content?

 

[DustyTheBrewer]

I got mine from a local microbrewery. The owner was more than happy to help me out as he saw it as a "good cause" and gave me two for free. Then we sat down and drank for a few hours. That was a good day.

 

[sjlammer]

Here in NY if you don't return a keg in 90 days you lose your deposit ($70 or something ridiculous)

I would buy a keg of the cheapest garbage I can get my hands on. keep the keg for 90 days and then contact the brewery and tell them they can have it back for the deposit. When they say no, guess what, its yours.

 

[BeastMaster]

Of all the things on this site I find the conversations about "legal" kegs to be the funniest. Should I ever need one I'm buying it from whoever is the cheapest that will give me a receipt. Should someone question me about the keg(highly unlikely), I will plead ignorance and show them the receipt.

 

[BeastMaster]

Also FWIW, a friend of mine recently got a keg of Coors Light here in San Diego and was given "keg registration" papers for the state of CA by the liquor store. As far as I know he paid for the beer and $45 deposit. I'll ask him to see the paperwork when I'm at his house again. Maybe someone here from CA can shed some more light on that.

 

[Airborneguy]

Here we go again...

 

[Seven]

I purchased mine from a local microbrewery. They own the kegs and the owner sold me an old (but still very nice) one for $40.

 

[J-Malone]

Here in NY if you don't return a keg in 90 days you lose your deposit ($70 or something ridiculous)

I would buy a keg of the cheapest garbage I can get my hands on. keep the keg for 90 days and then contact the brewery and tell them they can have it back for the deposit. When they say no, guess what, its yours.

Even though what you are talking about has happened countless times...it is wrong and you are stealing the keg if you pay a deposit (knowing it is a rental fee) and do not return the keg. Most importantly you are causing the brewery to have to replace that keg. Now I realize the BMC could care less and **** em, they should have to spend a little money, but for a smaller local brewery or microbrewery that can get expensive after awhile.

I say legally bc I am not a thief and want to acquire a keg that is no longer in use by the brewery and has been decommissioned or damaged beyond the point of repair for the brewery.

 

[J-Malone]

And yes, I realize what can of worms this is bound to open...

 

[camiller]

Also FWIW, a friend of mine recently got a keg of Coors Light here in San Diego and was given "keg registration" papers for the state of CA by the liquor store. As far as I know he paid for the beer and $45 deposit. I'll ask him to see the paperwork when I'm at his house again. Maybe someone here from CA can shed some more light on that.

There are a number of states that have keg registrations. The primary purpose is so when the police raid a party full of underage drinkers they can track down who to put in jail for supplying alcohol to minors. The keg registration has nothing to do with ownership.

interesting aside: when the cop returns the keg to the liquor store, he walks away with the deposit.

 

[Airborneguy]

Well, once again, I'll have to point out that in the state of NY, ownership of the keg is transferred to the person who purchases the beer at the point of sale, unless the contract so states otherwise.

You can look up the last thread about this for all of the legal mumbo-jumbo, because I posted it all there. It is my job, for my little corner of the world, to take criminal reports, and a report for petit larceny would not be taken for this type of transaction.

 

[J-Malone]

I think it is more an ethical issue, not so much legal. I couldn't in good conscience keep the keg with just a deposit. Just doesn't seem right and when it doesn't feel right that is typically cause it ain't right.

 

[Countryham]

Thanks guys..I have talked to just about every recycling place around here and they all give me the same BS that they dont accept them so they dont have any...but I find it hard to believe.

But I also have feelers out for the local brewery (Yazoo and Blackstone) to see if they have any they might be willing to part ways with...

Hey J-Malone
As a fellow Tennessean, I've checked all of my local recycling places as well. They are correct about not being able to have them. It is a felony for them to accept ANY part of a keg, even if it is cut up, or even the spear if they can recognize it. It's also a felony here to modify a keg after just giving the deposit. I search craigslist here every day (multiple times a day actually), looking for one I can turn into a keggle. The ones you'll find on CL are usually old, and have been sitting in the garage for a couple of years now. I've talked to Yazoo and Blackstone here as well, but Blackstone hasn't been kegging for a while now since the economy tanked. Yazoo may be able to help you, and if they do, let me know. I'm in the market as well. You can always get on eBay and pay those AWESOME shipping prices if you get too desperate. There are also a few restaurant supply shops around here that you can get 60 qt stock pots from for a decent price. If it says NSF on it, its heavy duty.

 

[JRems]

Why is everyone only concerned about sanke kegs being legal. All my cornies have propery of : 7 up, pepsi, Canada dry, coke. I don't have any papers from them stating they were decommissioned. I have 8 cornies and they all are stamped. I would think most are stamped, why does no one ever mention those? Why is it only a big deal with sankes?

 

[LakewoodBrew]

The corny population is well known to be in a decommission lifecycle.

Your doing the right thing contacting the breweries. Try picking brains during business hours. You will find something.

 

[cfonnes]

Some how destroying the keg by cutting the top off seems worse than just possessing it.

 

[J-Malone]

Some how destroying the keg by cutting the top off seems worse than just possessing it.

Makes no difference...possession or cutting it up, its not back in the possession of the brewery who owns it...that is the point.