Why is it so frikkin hard to buy a broken keg??

[billvon]

I mean, I can't believe that there is NO supply of kegs that are broken beyond repair out there!

There are - but people such as yourselves buy them as quickly as they get broken.

 

[Homercidal]

There are - but people such as yourselves buy them as quickly as they get broken.

No people like me don't get a chance to buy them!!

 

[lschiavo]

The distributor I believe would be stuff with the bill, not the liquor store guy or the brewery.

That is exactly my point. You would be in possession of a keg that if not returned the distributor would have to pay for. So, call the distributor and say you can't return it and ask what you owe them. If they say nothing, you have just ethically obtained a keg in my opinion.

You could tell them you moved or got drunk and shot holes in it and feel really bad about it or got drunk and cut the top off and drilled holes in it and installed a ball valve and sight glass.

I was just wondering if anyone has tried this approach.

 

[Rundownhouse]

Typically, when the brewery delivers the beer to the distributor, they include the deposit on the invoice. So if Brewer's Brewing drops off 48 1/2bbls kegs at a wholesale of $100, there'll be an item on the invoice for 48 1/2bbl @$100, and an item for 48 keg deposits @$50.

When the distributor sells a keg to a retailer, they invoice it the same way, one line item for the beer, one for the keg deposit.

When the distributor picks up empty, returned kegs, they just count up how many and issue the retailer a credit. When the brewery picks up empties from the distributor, same thing.

So if you buy one of those 48 1/2bbls of Brewer's Beer from Drinker's Retail, you pay a $50 deposit. If you keep the keg, Drinker's gets credited for 47 1/bbls returned, and make up the loss on the 48th with your deposit, while the distributor is ahead $50. When Brewer's picks up the empties from the distributor, they only credit the distributor with 47 deposits @$50, and the distributor makes it up having only credited Drinker's Retail with 47 deposits earlier. That means that Brewer's Brewing stands at having $50 more cash on hand and one less keg, having initially invoiced the distributor for 48 keg deposits and only credited them for 47 returns.

Keg pricing depends on the size of the float, or order, but for small craft breweries its generally in the $150-$160 per keg range.

 

[lschiavo]

Typically, when the brewery delivers the beer to the distributor, they include the deposit on the invoice. So if Brewer's Brewing drops off 48 1/2bbls kegs at a wholesale of $100, there'll be an item on the invoice for 48 1/2bbl @$100, and an item for 48 keg deposits @$50.

When the distributor sells a keg to a retailer, they invoice it the same way, one line item for the beer, one for the keg deposit.

When the distributor picks up empty, returned kegs, they just count up how many and issue the retailer a credit. When the brewery picks up empties from the distributor, same thing.

So if you buy one of those 48 1/2bbls of Brewer's Beer from Drinker's Retail, you pay a $50 deposit. If you keep the keg, Drinker's gets credited for 47 1/bbls returned, and make up the loss on the 48th with your deposit, while the distributor is ahead $50. When Brewer's picks up the empties from the distributor, they only credit the distributor with 47 deposits @$50, and the distributor makes it up having only credited Drinker's Retail with 47 deposits earlier. That means that Brewer's Brewing stands at having $50 more cash on hand and one less keg, having initially invoiced the distributor for 48 keg deposits and only credited them for 47 returns.

Keg pricing depends on the size of the float, or order, but for small craft breweries its generally in the $150-$160 per keg range.

OK. I see how it works now. Nice description. So, my idea would work but you would have to call the brewery. Kind of a hostage situation

 

[Homercidal]

I imagine that the total number of homebrewers who keep a keg for their use is very small compared to the total number of college kids who were selling them for scrap.

Not that I'm not saying that's it's ok to keep them.

 

[jasonsbeer]

Except the minimum order appears to be 24... that's a lot of keggage.

See if you can set up a group buy.