Corny kegs becoming harder to find?

[herc1354]

Do you have a storefront? I'm just looking into kegging and I wasn't aware that pin locks should have a new valve. Is this now standard? I'd prefer ball locks but it seems I am SOL on that.

Pin lock kegs that Coke used have a pre set pressure release valve on the lid that can't be manually opened, while the Ball Lock kegs used by Pepsi had a pressure release valve that could be manually opened to bleed off pressure, the lids of both kegs are interchangeable. I've seen pin lock kegs with the better ball lock pressure release valve. Pin lock kegs can be converted to ball lock fittings for about $20.00, personally I'm going to switch to pin lick kegs since they are shorter, also I like the pin lock connections better.

 

[brew_ny]

I like the pin lock connections better.

so do I

 

[herc1354]

so do I

Right, you can't get them mixed up. Not too long ago someone, me, mixed up a connection on a ball lock keg, it can be done and when it happens the female fittings don't want to come off, this can't happen with Pin lock fittings. I'm not sure what the obsession is with ball lock kegs, even if you have a mixed set it's very easy to change out a ball lock for a pin lock fitting. My kegOreator is a smaller fridge, while it will fit three ball lock kegs four pin lock will fit better as I'll be able to place two on the compressor hump at the back of the fridge.

The attached image was a trial fit of a ball lock keg sitting on the compressor hump, a bit too tall.

 

[Hello]

I'm not sure I understood the obsession except that you can mix up the two connections or something like that. I thought height was another issue but I believe height won't be an issue for me.

I think I found pin locks for $45 locally so I may just pick up two of those. I wasn't really thinking I would keg this soon but I'm near out of bottles and I have about 10.5 gallons to bottle.

 

[CooperBrew]

The attached image was a trial fit of a ball lock keg sitting on the compressor hump, a bit too tall.

View attachment 161158

FWIW - I just ordered a "shorty" ball lock keg (used) from AIH for $50.00 on sale. It's a full 5 gallons but only 22" tall (9.5" diameter?) specifically to fit on the hump in my small 7 cu.ft keezer. Now I can have 4 kegs on tap instead of only 3. I should receive it today actually.

 

[herc1354]

FWIW - I just ordered a "shorty" ball lock keg (used) from AIH for $50.00 on sale. It's a full 5 gallons but only 22" tall (9.5" diameter?) specifically to fit on the hump in my small 7 cu.ft keezer. Now I can have 4 kegs on tap instead of only 3. I should receive it today actually.

Yeah I noticed the had short ball lock kegs, thought they were put of stock, guess not. I'll probably sell my two ball lock kegs and get the 4 pack of pin locks form AIH, I'd like to have a total of 8 kegs by spring.

 

[ICWiener]

You guys are lucky. My LHBS is selling ball locks for $85, pin locks for $65. I'm always on the lookout though....and I'm very patient.

 

[Gitmoe]

Any chance you would be willing to share some more info, like how much and where this LHBS is.

Wish I could, forum rules state I'm not allowed to promote (mention) the shops name or "advertise" in any way from my personal account. Telling you the price and the shop would clearly violate the rules. Sorry...

 

[DanH]

I've bought probably close to 50 ball locks at under $25 each and sold them all for $50 each, doubling my money (easy to do, since local brew shops sell them for $75 now). But lately I've been worried about supply so I've just been hoarding them. I currently only have 14, but I would gladly fill my garage with them, no matter what my wife thinks about it.

 

[day_trippr]

Wish I could, forum rules state I'm not allowed to promote (mention) the shops name or "advertise" in any way from my personal account. Telling you the price and the shop would clearly violate the rules. Sorry...

Is there anything in the rules about mentioning what town said LHBS is in?

Cheers!

 

[herc1354]

Wish I could, forum rules state I'm not allowed to promote (mention) the shops name or "advertise" in any way from my personal account. Telling you the price and the shop would clearly violate the rules. Sorry...

Any chance you might be able to convince the Home Brew store you work for to advertise in the classified section of this forum, perhaps offer a group buy? For the most part those who go into business do so to make money, if this LHBS has so many kegs perhaps they would be willing to sell some over the forum. I know I would be interested so long as they are not at an inflated price, they could even impose a limit as to how many kegs are sold per person.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Do you have a storefront?

no storefront

 

[masonsjax]

I don't believe it would violate forum rules to disclose where you work in your profile. Some forums require it to ensure transparency when reading certain posts. Certainly you could at least fill in your profile to indicate what town/state you reside in.

 

[Gitmoe]

Any chance you might be able to convince the Home Brew store you work for to advertise in the classified section of this forum, perhaps offer a group buy? For the most part those who go into business do so to make money, if this LHBS has so many kegs perhaps they would be willing to sell some over the forum. I know I would be interested so long as they are not at an inflated price, they could even impose a limit as to how many kegs are sold per person.

We're working on becoming a forum vendor sponsor. We recently opened a winery at our largest location and the owner is really focused on that aspect of our business for the time being. I handle all our social media and some of the online marketing. Trust me, I know how amazing it would be to advertise on this forum. We do advertise on the Brewing Network. You may have heard our commercials with a BNARMY discount code. We're also in BYO, Zymurgy, Winemaker, and Philly Beer Scene magazine...

 

[SpeedYellow]

I was picking up some kegs at McEvers Distributing... They said home brewers represent less than 5% of their sales, the majority of their sales are to carnivals and local/state fairs where they don't have a reliable water supply...

That doesn't make sense. Whether you use bag-in-a-box or stainless kegs, you still need clean water to mix the syrup with. Kegs don't contain the finished drink; just the syrup. Maybe what he meant to say is that big chains switched to bag-in-a-box, while mom & pop joints still use the old fashioned kegs.

 

[allenH]

That doesn't make sense. Whether you use bag-in-a-box or stainless kegs, you still need clean water to mix the syrup with. Kegs don't contain the finished drink; just the syrup. Maybe what he meant to say is that big chains switched to bag-in-a-box, while mom & pop joints still use the old fashioned kegs.

So what is pre-mix?

 

[SpeedYellow]

So what is pre-mix?

Oh, interesting. I always thought they were used for syrup only. Thanks for setting me straight!

 

[allenH]

Oh, interesting. I always thought they were used for syrup only. Thanks for setting me straight!

That's was my understanding as well. They still sell new pre-mix dispensers, apparently they work without power as well, extra bonus for carney folk.

 

[srice]

That's was my understanding as well. They still sell new pre-mix dispensers, apparently they work without power as well, extra bonus for carney folk.

Now that you mention it, the kegs I saw full outside of the convenient store were labeled pre-mix. That store had horrible tap water - you could smell the sulfur as soon as you turned on a tap.

 

[herc1354]

Okay we've gotten a bit off topic but I'll comment...

The 5 gallon corney kegs that were primarily used for dispensing soda were of the pre mixed verity, basically a 5 gallon soda bottle, much like how us home brewers use them. The soda manufacture mixed the correct ratio of syrup and soda water and filled the kegs up, the dispenser used CO2 to push the soda out of the keg and to your cup. The only reason the dispensing machines were plugged in was to cool the soda as it was dispensed. The now common BIB, beverage In a Bag, is concentrated syrup that is mixed with carbonated water from what is called a carbonator. The big reason for the switch is one can make a more money per cup from the BIB system then the premixed kegs.

I hope this clears things up....now who has some cheap Kegs they can sell me?

 

[Dr_Jeff]

So what is pre-mix?

Pre-mix is what would be in a 2-liter bottle.
Pre-mixed with water, ready to drink.

 

[allenH]

Pre-mix is what would be in a 2-liter bottle.
Pre-mixed with water, ready to drink.

Taken in context with the post above mine, my comment made sense. Seeing it now, it looks like I'm clueless

 

[herc1354]

Man this is getting a bit crazy... The two ways of receiving "draft" sodas are..... Pre-mix and Post-mix Pre mix is what was/is in the 5gallon corny kegs, this manufacture pre mixed and carbonated the soda, it is ready to drink Post mix is the BIB style, a concertante is mixed with carbonated water at the tap, these machines will actually create their own carbonated water. BIB stands for Bag In a Bag.

 

[allenH]

Man this is getting a bit crazy... The two ways of receiving "draft" sodas are..... Pre-mix and Post-mix Pre mix is what was/is in the 5gallon corny kegs, this manufacture pre mixed and carbonated the soda, it is ready to drink Post mix is the BIB style, a concertante is mixed with carbonated water at the tap, these machines will actually create their own carbonated water. BIB stands for Bag In a Bag.

My point has missed you as well, I completely understand what pre-mix is. I asked the poster who originally quoted me what it was so he would look it up, which he did and replied "thanks for setting me straight".

Now, back to posting cheap kegs!

 

[Newsman]

Is there anything in the rules about mentioning what town said LHBS is in?

Cheers!

Just go look at his profile. He states there where he works.

 

[herc1354]

http://www.keystonehomebrew.com

Check it out....

 

[lombard]

I've been contemplating switching to sankey kegs for this reason.

 

[day_trippr]

BIB stands for Bag In a Bag.

BIB = Bag In Box...

Cheers!

 

[dyqik]

9 just appeared on the Boston craigslist at $40 (about halfway between Boston and Providence).

 

[Chupidacabra]

Okay now lets see that pop up in Montana. Ready. And. Go!