The ethics of sanke kegs: WTF do I do with this old keg?

[mmb]

I feel like dirt. In Michigan, we have a bottle deposit of 10¢ per long neck and they take those glass bottles to recycle and reuse. I just keep mine and bottle beer in them. I never thought I'd be depriving a brewer of his glass bottles. That means that AB has to buy more bottles to replace the bottles I keep.

Trickle down sucks.

 

[HenryHill]

I feel like dirt. In Michigan, we have a bottle deposit of 10¢ per long neck and they take those glass bottles to recycle and reuse. I just keep mine and bottle beer in them. I never thought I'd be depriving a brewer of his glass bottles. That means that AB has to buy more bottles to replace the bottles I keep.

Trickle down sucks.

Damm you mmb, that was my NEXT post!

 

[samc]

+1 on the phone call to see what they say. I purchased mine direct from a brewery and asked how much a new one costs. In the quantities they buy them in with the name stamped it is approx $110 per keg. With all the work I have done on cleaning them I wish I had bought new ones.

I've always thought that if you are going to steal make sure it's stainless steel. Seriously do what you think is right.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I vote the phone call, tell them where it is so that THEY can pick it up if they want it as long as they give you the deposit or a finder's fee. I realise you probably have no legal right to a fee, but it will show that you are reluctant to give it up easily. It's not like you stole it, but they certainly did lose it. Careless buggars.

PS if they give you any crap, just tell them that the gnome population does not like them very much. That should scare them off, nobody wants to deal with a nutter.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Brew with it. If anyone has a real problem with you screwing AB, then they should feel more than welcome to not drink your beer.

 

[Cape Brewing]

Actually... scratch that... send it to me and I'lll brew with it.

 

[camiller]

If you returned it to the liquor I work at part time you would get a deposit back, even if you did not have a receipt. Then when the AB distributor came and picked up our empties we would get credit for it, and when they sent it back to the brewery they would get credit for it. I know that in some states they require a receipt and possibly some stores require it if the state doesn't but I don't think you will have a problem getting a deposit back. Call and ask first.

 

[TXCrash]

Realistically: Brew with it.

Morally: Call distributor. Tell them you have keg, don't have receipt, would like deposit back (whatever is average in your area). If they agree to refunding the deposit - then morally you should return it (I never made a phone call...). If they refuse - you've made a good faith effort to return the keg. They are depriving you of your deposit. Moral dilemma solved.

 

[ruffdeezy]

I've always thought that when you put a deposit on something, then you don't return it, you have forfeited the deposit and legally purchased the item. Although it's not under normal circumstances. Someone has lost their deposit on it so it isn't stolen property anymore. I don't get why you didn't give it back right away if you didn't want it.

 

[toddrod]

make a reflux still out of it and use it to distill water for your brewing:cross:

 

[Jewrican]

maybe i am just a dick, but they ask for a deposit .. knowing that if you dont return it you keep the keg... if they were that worried about it, the deposit would be more significant.

Screw that - keep your keg.. they wont give you **** for it - and in my opinion, if they were at all interested in getting it back they would give you the 30 bucks.

I think sometimes you guys take this out of proportion... They know when they loan it to you that you may keep it..

 

[mmb]

maybe i am just a dick, but they ask for a deposit .. knowing that if you dont return it you keep the keg... if they were that worried about it, the deposit would be more significant.

Screw that - keep your keg.. they wont give you **** for it - and in my opinion, if they were at all interested in getting it back they would give you the 30 bucks.

I think sometimes you guys take this out of proportion... They know when they loan it to you that you may keep it..

SWEET! I put a security deposit down on my rental car! Awesome news!

 

[Jewrican]

SWEET! I put a security deposit down on my rental car! Awesome news!

you even have me laughing on that one lol.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

SWEET! I put a security deposit down on my rental car! Awesome news!

Try stopping the payments and see what happens...

As for the keg, I'll take it off your hands. I'll even pay for shipping depending on how much it is.

AB expects a certain amount of kegs to never be returned, so they charge the deposit to increase the likelihood of it being returned.

I say brew with it too. Or, as was mentioned, "borrow" it and use it as a fermenter.

 

[JumboBlimpJumbo]

if you're looking for a keg try posting a wanted add on craigslist. I got 2 responses within an hour, ended up getting 2 kegs from a guy for $15 each. Probably a lot cheaper than shipping one would be.

 

[Homercidal]

Just call some place and ask if they will give you a deposit for a keg you found and don't have a receipt for. If they say no, then you tried. If anyone asks, just tell them that you called and they wouldn't take it back.

Or, just brew with it. I'm not going to get in on the argument over deposit and cost. The price of metal skyrocketed and breweries had to up the price of deposit because people were taking them to the salvage yard and getting back way more than their deposit. The breweries aren't going to feel the bite of a few homebrewers keeping them. They are going to feel the bite of college kids keeping all their kegs and selling them to the scrap yards. Plus, the price of deposit is much higher now in almost all areas, so the loss to the brewery is less. Especially since the price of metal has dropped again, and their replacement cost is likely to be less than it was when they raised the deposit... See what I'm saying?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Jumbo, I've been looking on craigslist for quite a while. I finally found one for $20. I have no idea where the OP is, but if he offered it to me, and he was close enough, I'd go pick it up instead of paying shipping. I'm sure that it's not cheap to ship those things, but if it cost less than the deposit cost, I would be interested.

Homercidal, that's a good point too. The bottom dropped out of the scrap metal, so it would make sense that the replacement costs would come down. I'm wondering if the deposit prices will come down too.

 

[conpewter]

Jumbo, I've been looking on craigslist for quite a while. I finally found one for $20. I have no idea where the OP is, but if he offered it to me, and he was close enough, I'd go pick it up instead of paying shipping. I'm sure that it's not cheap to ship those things, but if it cost less than the deposit cost, I would be interested.

Homercidal, that's a good point too. The bottom dropped out of the scrap metal, so it would make sense that the replacement costs would come down. I'm wondering if the deposit prices will come down too.

I've shipped one cross-country (Well... midwest to left coast) for around $30. That had the top cut out and a spigot installed, but that will give you a rough estimate

 

[kirscp]

Normally you don't get a deposit back, as that would promote empty keg thefts. People would steal dozens of kegs and return them for the deposit.

Take it back or keep it. Why you would come here to ask is beyond me. If you keep it the AB P.D. isn't going to come knocking on your door.

Don't listen to anyone here, they are filled with their own agendas. Do you you think is correct.

 

[kirscp]

SWEET! I put a security deposit down on my rental car! Awesome news!

You also SIGN A CONTRACT when renting a car. May want to read over your rental agreement.

AND

Nothing says when you have to return the keg and in what condition. He may return his keg in 30 years, nothing wrong with that......

 

[Skrimpy]

Realistically: Brew with it.

Morally: Call distributor. Tell them you have keg, don't have receipt, would like deposit back (whatever is average in your area). If they agree to refunding the deposit - then morally you should return it (I never made a phone call...). If they refuse - you've made a good faith effort to return the keg. They are depriving you of your deposit. Moral dilemma solved.

I agree 100%. Call the brewery. They may have been paid a deposit by the distributor. You didn't steal it, the moron that didn't return it did. If the brewery won't pay the deposit obviously, they don't want it back. They can track the number on it and find out who did if they really want it back. If they tell you they won't give you the deposit for it, cut the top off it and brew with it. At least you will know that they really didn't want it. In all honesty there is probably some sort of agreement between the distributor and the brewer. They probably account for lost/stolen kegs in their deposits...and I wouldn't count yours as stolen. Brew with it. :rockin:

 

[Bobby_M]

Normally you don't get a deposit back, as that would promote empty keg thefts. People would steal dozens of kegs and return them for the deposit.

Take it back or keep it. Why you would come here to ask is beyond me. If you keep it the AB P.D. isn't going to come knocking on your door.

Don't listen to anyone here, they are filled with their own agendas. Do you you think is correct.

What agendas exactly might you be talking about? I don't know a single person here that has anything to gain no matter what he does with the keg.

 

[Jonnio]

Only problem is, besides the AB logo on that keg, what makes that keg all that different than the one that Lazy Magnolia or any other breweries use?

This means AB has to buy more kegs which means.....remaining kegs on the market are more scarce meaning prices go up on kegs....this means smaller breweries have to pay more to get and fill said kegs, even if they rent them, meaning you have to pay even MORE when you get a keg of good stuff.

Trickle down is a pain-in-the-neck, ain't it?

Actually, in manufacturing, the more of something that gets made the cheaper it is up until the point that the mfg can't keep up with the demand...which a) the homebrewing community would be completely unable to drastically alter the current demand, even if we all kept kegs and b) I doubt is an issue at this point in time.

To the OP - it is a personal choice on what your happy with....we can't guide you through those types of decisions, however, when you decide to keep it we can help you learn how to cut it up and use it

 

[hayabusa]

you bought the kegerator off Craigslist - you had no idea if the original owner owned the keg, rented the keg or beat a small guatemalan midget for the keg... it's just in the kegerator that you purchased. If you were really concerned with the morality of it all you would have either a) not purchased the kegerator w/ the keg inside or b) told the seller to remove the cursed item.... you didn't.... you've already made the decision you were going to make which was to keep the keg.

not trying to sound mean - but it's pretty simple.

 

[BeernuT100]

you bought the kegerator off Craigslist - you had no idea if the original owner owned the keg, rented the keg or beat a small guatemalan midget for the keg... it's just in the kegerator that you purchased. If you were really concerned with the morality of it all you would have either a) not purchased the kegerator w/ the keg inside or b) told the seller to remove the cursed item.... you didn't.... you've already made the decision you were going to make which was to keep the keg.

not trying to sound mean - but it's pretty simple.

+1


(and a few characters)

 

[pizzaman]

Ok, this is what you do:

Step 1: Get a keg of bud light from a liquor store.
Step 2: Fill your empty keg full of piss.
Step 3: Take the keg full of piss to another liquor store and demand a full refund with your original receipt.
Step 4: Take the purchased keg full of bud light back to original store, and get a full refund on that as well.

 

[lowlife]

Normally you don't get a deposit back, as that would promote empty keg thefts. People would steal dozens of kegs and return them for the deposit.
.......

It happens all the time in college towns. People raid frat areas for truckloads and get paid....

 

[Beernip]

I've been authorized by all breweries in the United States to accept all kegs without receipt for a $10 refund on your deposit. If you are interested I'll sell you a legally owned keg just like the one you are selling me for $15. It's a steal, errr I mean bargain.

 

[Boondoggie]

Should I feel bad about re-using bottles instead of returning them for the nickel deposit too?

I never thought the deposit on a keg was any different.

 

[Bobby_M]

Notice that glass bottles have a deposit that is likely the cost to replace. It is an encouragement to return them. Kegs cost about $150 to replace and the deposit is $30. It doesn't even coincide with the scrap value. That is hardly an incentive to return the item.

Also, bottles are different in that they are melted down to create new bottles so only a portion of their original value is recovered each time. A keg is literally reused in its current state.