Keg prices up again

CornyKegs 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
retail: $65, private: $35-$50. Less for pin lock or converted pin lock.
 
I have yet to pay over 50 for a keg. Most i paid less than 30. There has to be a ceiling to what used kegs can be sold for. A small shop near me has some used kegs priced at $94. My buddy recently bought some of these:
http://www.homebrewing.org/AIH-New-5-Gallon-Corny-Keg-Ball-Lock_p_5100.html
He really likes them. He has a bunch of kegs and said these are worth it. On;y complaint is that the lids aren't steel. Think they may be grey plastic. farmhouse has a decent price on them in a four pack 209 for four. thats the most i spent for kegs and the last four i plan on buying. i was visiting the area and have a buddy that was willing to bring them to ohio so i wouldn't have to try to get them on my flight. Its getting out of hand. i bought 30 a few years back for 27 a piece, i guess i should have kept all of them.
 
AIH is selling new 5 gallon ball lock kegs for $75.00+shipping. I have 3 from them and will probably buy a few more.
 
I bought 2 of those from AIH as well. Not as nice as the ridiculously expensive Italian kegs, but they're working great. The shipping up to Canada hurt though... :(
 
For ball lock functionality at the lowest price, I would recommend purchasing a four-pack of used pin lock kegs from AIH ($140) with ball lock conversion posts ($40 for four sets). This works out to $45 per keg. The only downside is that there is no PRV, but you can just use a gas disconnect to vent from the gas post (I've never been bothered by this). (The pin lock kegs are also 9" diameter versus 8.5", which may or may not be an issue in some kegerators.)

I have some new Chinese KegCo kegs, some new Italian single handle kegs, and many of these converted pin locks. I prefer the pin locks. They are high quality, the rubber top/bottom is nice, and at the price point, you can't beat it. Plus, AIH has excellent customer service, should anything go wrong.
 
Eh_Modern_Drunkard said:
I bought 2 of those from AIH as well. Not as nice as the ridiculously expensive Italian kegs, but they're working great. The shipping up to Canada hurt though... :(
Click to expand...



I think the ones I bought from AiH are also made in Italy, and I am impressed with the quality. Lids seal slightly too tight perhaps, but that's just being picky. What other Italian kegs are you referring to? The AIH kegs have the molded black rim on the top, with handles, not the crappy steel band style handle or the Uni-handle.

TD
 
The $75 AIH kegs I was referring to were the ones made in china. I did purchase a new Italian made keg locally ($159.99 before tax..), and while I'm not a fan of the single metal handle everything else about that keg has been dreamy. I think I have a crush on it....
 
In Upstate NY its now $70 retail for used, $45 - $50 on Craigslist if you are lucky. New are going for $130 retail.

:mug:
 
Eh_Modern_Drunkard said:
I bought 2 of those from AIH as well. Not as nice as the ridiculously expensive Italian kegs, but they're working great. The shipping up to Canada hurt though... :(
Click to expand...

OBK seems to have jacked up their prices. Likely because our northern dollar seems to have fallen from grace. I liked parity. However I did get some used ball locks from there within the last 6 months about $50 a piece. Little worse for wear but they were received in functional condition holding pressure. Only a bit disappointed in that they were made to sound like "deluxe" used condition, but looked like the had gone through war. I mean the bottom of one is dented. Through the boot! Some impact managed to squish the boot enough to get through the to metal. I can't fathom how this could have happened unintentionally.

On another note I have a feeling that these creeping prices are going to result in a few micro breweries never seeing their keg back, as the deposit on a corny is lower than the price of a used filthy one. The real scary part is that full + deposit is close to the cost of a brand new empty these days. Not advising it but people will do things like this to save a buck. Before the finger pointing, how many people re-used retail bottles without thinking twice about their deposit?

Edit: Single metal handles. I've got a few kegs with 'em. They're alright. They are the ones I treated myself to and got brand new (on sale of course) before realizing that I don't actually care what they look like. Biggest gripe with them is that when carrying the handle isn't centred, so it's little lop sided. Only time that actually matters is dropping it into a keezer slot, they're packed in there pretty tight. Fortunately I have 2 hands and the non-load-bearing one can adjust the keg for a vertical descent.
 
i got 6 of those new kegs from AIH when they were 80$ a pop. They are just as good as the AEB Italian kegs i got for $120.
 
KartRacer54 said:
+1 I cannot find any sixtels for anywhere near $30.
Share your secret?
Click to expand...
Sixtel is a 1/6 keg. BD is Beer distributor. There is a $30 deposit on all kegs.Call around and ask if they have any returned kegs you can buy for the deposit price.If not you can always buy a keg(1/6) of your favorite beer,drink it and keep the keg.If you ever get out of brewing return the keg and get your $30 back.Then it cost you nothing the entire time you were using it.Cant loose

A 1/6 (sixtel) holds a 5 gallon batch perfectly.Its basically the same size as a corny
 
Sixtels at $30 is alluding to the less than honest method of purchasing a full keg from your local shop and not returning the keg for the $30 deposit.
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
Sixtel is a 1/6 keg. BD is Beer distributor. There is a $30 deposit on all kegs.Call around and ask if they have any returned kegs you can buy for the deposit price.If not you can always buy a keg(1/6) of your favorite beer,drink it and keep the keg.If you ever get out of brewing return the keg and get your $30 back.Then it cost you nothing the entire time you were using it.Cant loose

A 1/6 (sixtel) holds a 5 gallon batch perfectly.Its basically the same size as a corny
Click to expand...

You are stealing from the brewery when you do that. It costs them much more than $30 to purchase that keg, and even if you eventually return it, they dont have access to it while you are "borrowing" it, so they will inevitably have to purchase more kegs.

That $30 is a deposit. You are not purchasing the keg.
 
Yeh, as a business owner, I'm not willing to go that route, would be willing to purchase used unit from distributer though. Can't imagine that possibility exist easily.
 
LHBS has converted corneys for $55, they have new lids with PRV, they don't look great, but hold pressure.
I've thought about using Sanke kegs, but I don't like not being able to see what's inside and the cleaning process seems like a royal PITA.
Taking something that's not yours is stealing and a crime. Keeping a keg that you put a deposit on is stealing someone else's property.
There are scratch and dent Sanke kegs available for sale, beer distributors and the larger breweries are a good place to look.
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
My BD said he wouldn't sell/rent (whatever you want to call it ) a small brewery keg.But he said the BMC "come in like tide and go out like the tide".Sometimes he has a ton of them sometimes he has only a few. Ive drank more BMC over my lifetime than Id like to admit.I will sleep easy "renting" one for a few years. Somehow I think they will survive without it.I to am a small business owner.If this becomes a morel issue and holding onto a keg from a billion dollar company for longer than someone possibly should is the worst thing you've ever done,you must be one hell of a model citizen.Of the endless kegs Ive bought over my lifetime I was never asked once to return it in X amount of days.So whos to say theres anything wrong with it to begin with.
Also the kegs are not damaged in any way and are fully returnable.Of all the endless Keggles out there and all over this site that no one has a problem using and selling that have had saws and torches taken to them,how many do you think were originally purchased new and empty.Im going to say right around zero. My piece has been spoken,time for a homebrew...out of a sixtel.:mug:
Click to expand...

It is a moral issue. Im not professing to be perfect, but this is a rather big issue. Kegs are not a minor expense, even for a billion dollar company. Even if you intend to return it eventually, would you waltz into Lowes and "borrow" a drill with the intention of returning it in a couple a years?

Further more, you arent just advocating doing it to BMC (still wrong), you are saying "Buy some of your favorite brew" or "Take whatever the distributor will sell". This does negatively impact breweries, especially ones who afford to be replacing kegs. This also impacts consumers and beer lovers, because if this trend continues, some breweries are going to stop making kegs available to consumers.

Finally, there are means to legally buy decommissioned kegs for the purpose of converting them to keggles. While Im not sure even a majority of people go down this route, some do. Despite that, "Everyone else is doing it" is not a good excuse.
 
Just checked Craig's List. There's a guy within driving distance selling pin lock kegs for $40/keg. May have to go get a couple and convert them to ball-lock.
 
Additionally, Beverage Elements is selling "reconditioned" ball lock kegs for $60+ shipping. Almost cheaper to buy them than to buy the pin-locks and convert them. If I had pin-lock connectors, I'd consider buying some pin-lock kegs, but everything I own is ball-lock.
 
I have never understood why people are afraid to mix ball and pin locks. I know that they have a different footprint and (pinlocks?) are taller, but it is not too difficult to swap out quick disconnects.
 
DrunkleJon said:
I have never understood why people are afraid to mix ball and pin locks. I know that they have a different footprint and (pinlocks?) are taller, but it is not too difficult to swap out quick disconnects.
Click to expand...

Footprint for me is a major concern. Things are a tight squeeze in my keezer and I'd lose 1 slot even trying to put a single pin lock in. As far as mix and match goes I'd say it's less about the effort of changing the connector (assuming using MFL fittings) and more about the fact that now they would need to go and get a second set of connectors to keep somewhere and pay for. If you're going to pay for something pay for the permanently installed part mounted to the keg and leave your lines in tact. Could even end up in some strange scenario where you are only putting fresh kegs on tap based on the style of keg rather than the contents.
 
Only looked at this option because of the low cost, which does not exist.
Good used, maybe a little rough are available for $50 ish dollars. Why screw around with "borrowing, stealing" or whatever when the better option is out there. JMHO
 
Zepth said:
Footprint for me is a major concern. Things are a tight squeeze in my keezer and I'd lose 1 slot even trying to put a single pin lock in. As far as mix and match goes I'd say it's less about the effort of changing the connector (assuming using MFL fittings) and more about the fact that now they would need to go and get a second set of connectors to keep somewhere and pay for. If you're going to pay for something pay for the permanently installed part mounted to the keg and leave your lines in tact. Could even end up in some strange scenario where you are only putting fresh kegs on tap based on the style of keg rather than the contents.
Click to expand...

Exactly. If I'm going to do anything, it'll be swapping the connector type. I have ball lock connectors now. FWIW, the pin-locks are fatter and the ball locks are skinnier and taller. Both are 5 gallons. The space in the kegerator is the main concern. Not sure you can fit two pin locks (even converted) in the kegerator. Then there's the hassle of changing the connector on the QD if you don't change the post. I mean do you REALLY want to have to dig up a wrench to disconnect the MFL connector when your keg kicks?
 
My go to right now is cornykeg.com $60.95 for pepsi ball locks.
They have converted pinlock kegs for $45.95.
They are close, so shipping is reasonable and fast.

I also bought one of the new ball locks from AIH for $75, and two of the new 2.5 gal kegs for $79.99 each.
 
Cornykeg.com has "Ugly ball lock kegs" for $38.95, plus shipping. If you're a pin lock guy they're even cheaper. :)

Edit: The "Ugly ball lock kegs" are converted pin-lock Coke kegs, but they'll still work for most things, unless space is tight.
 
I paid $300 for 7 ball locks a couple months ago. Up to 11 kegs now so I hope I don't need any for a while (although, 8 are tied up right now... I have 11 total).
 
I can only hope this is glitch in the system.The back and forth between myself and others in a discussion regarding kegs vs corneys has been deleted only showing one side? I refreshed 4 times with the same results.Please say this isn't so...
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
I can only hope this is glitch in the system.The back and forth between myself and others in a discussion regarding kegs vs corneys has been deleted only showing one side? I refreshed 4 times with the same results.Please say this isn't so...
Click to expand...

It's not a glitch. Regardless how common stealing kegs for the price of the deposit is, we're just not going to allow discussion of it here. Don't even think of rejoining that debate BTW. It's over.
 
This past November I bought 4 ball locks for $199 with free shipping from ebay. The seller was in Portland. The kegs were all in excellent condition but still had soda remains and needed to be cleaned (which is how they were advertised), but it was no big deal. They also included 4 new packs of gaskets.
 
The brew supply store I stopped at about 200 miles away was going out of business. He had picked up 400 corney ball lock kegs all stamped coca cola. He was selling them for 30.00 each. Found myself 10 kegs and a few for some buddies.
 
Didn't even know about cornykeg.com, they're just a small road trip away too. Thanks Newsman!
 

Similar threads

kevin58
AMCYL Kegs
Replies
8
Views
558
Starkers
S
E
Keg parts question
Replies
6
Views
438
Fixerman
F
M
Keg identification and sealing problems
Replies
10
Views
490
mac_1103
mac_1103
gromitdj
California Pin Lock Disconnects and posts - Free
Replies
2
Views
305
505-Brewer
5
B
Kegerator not locking in; air flowing around keg
Replies
2
Views
266
Bobby_M
Bobby_M
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top