Empty Kegs. Where to buy?

[Zanpa]

How did you get your kegs that you personally own. I know when I grew up in a college town, shady aquisitions were the only way. I havent lived in American for quite a few years but will return someday and would like to expand my keg collection legitimately. How did you get your? What did you pay? How many do you own? Any good websites? Thank you all in advance.

[timg]

I've got one half barrel Interbrew that I aquired for the $50 deposit since my favorite mom & pop liquor shop apparently went out of business.

[LasKid]

You can just get a keg from your beer place, pay the deposit, then do what you want with it after it's empty. That's what the deposit is for. If you don't bring it back, they keep your deposit and get another keg. I'm sure that your deposit WAY more than compensates for the price they are paying. Nothing shady about it.

[happytappy]

paying the deposit does not entitle you to keep the keg. It is illegal to obtain kegs that way. check the boards at probrewer or contact your local micro/brewpub.

[kgorilla]

You can just get a keg from your beer place, pay the deposit, then do what you want with it after it's empty. That's what the deposit is for. If you don't bring it back, they keep your deposit and get another keg. I'm sure that your deposit WAY more than compensates for the price they are paying. Nothing shady about it.

I even returned my latest keg to a different store and it was a non-issue. Basically I'm just plain out my $30 until I return the most recent keg. Maybe it's regional, but I think our BAR (bureau of alchohol and whatever) has canned forms for kegs and you can return it anywhere regardless of where you bought it and still get your deposit.

[psychodad]

50 bucks does not come close to a replacement cost for the brewer and does not legally or morally entitle one to keep the keg.

[Zanpa]

thanks for the info. i will chack probrewer. arigatou!

[jerm74]

I think craigslist is the easiest method of obtaining a keg, I see them on my local Craigslist all the time for $25 - $100.

You could always go through Sabco if you have too much money.

If you have a local brewery you could always buy one that they are commissioning due to damage.

And as the other responders before me stated...just because you paid a deposit it does not mean you have purchased a keg.

[cubby_swans]

In Missouri, it's a state mandated $50 deposit. They take down your name, driver's license number, address, phone number, etc, and tag the keg with a number that matches the form you filled out at the store. If you don't bring back the keg with that tag attached, no deposit return, and you can not return a keg from one store to somewhere else. Missouri implemented this system in the past 2-3 years. Used to be if you had a keg, you could just take it to any store and exchange it rather than drop a deposit down. People were stealing empties from bars and either using them to exchange or scrapping them. It's now also illegal for scrap yards here to accept empty kegs.

$50 comes no where near what a brewery pays for a keg, and does not entitle you to keep it. But a friend of mine had a friend of his bring a half empty keg over to a party several years ago. My friend kept the empty in his garage, thinking someone would claim it. He didn't know who it belonged to. 3 years go by, Missouri implements it's new keg policy, and he CAN'T return it. So he sold it on Craig's list for $50.

[LasKid]

Wow, I didn't realize kegs cost so much! When I got one the guy acted like he didn't care if I ever brought it back when I asked him how long I can keep it. I'm surprised the deposit isn't higher (not that I'm complaining). I do remember that a few yrs ago they used to say that if you didn't bring it back by a certain date you got charged a lot more, but they don't do that anymore. Maybe there is some state law stuff that changed. Learn something new everyday!

[cubby_swans]

Wow, I didn't realize kegs cost so much! When I got one the guy acted like he didn't care if I ever brought it back when I asked him how long I can keep it. I'm surprised the deposit isn't higher (not that I'm complaining). I do remember that a few yrs ago they used to say that if you didn't bring it back by a certain date you got charged a lot more, but they don't do that anymore. Maybe there is some state law stuff that changed. Learn something new everyday!

kegs can cost the brewers upwards of $150 each. The guy at the store really couldn't care less if you bring it back or not. It's no money out of his pocket if you don't. You lose the $50. I don't know how it works, if the brewery ends up with your $50 deposit after so long, or what. But I think the deposits should be much higher. Because plenty of home brewers would sooner pay the $50 deposit and keep a keg rather than pay $150 for a 15 gallon home brew kettle.

In answer to the original question, where to buy empty kegs.... I have read on other forums this, too. You can call local brewers and possibly distributors and ask them. They have to decommission kegs on a regular basis, and would probably sell you one. I've read prices as low as $15 or $20. Then, it's YOURS legally.

[cubby_swans]

also, i realize the OP was talking about collecing kegs (man, that collection must take up a lot of space), but for those looking for a keg for a bre pot... they can also be found here.

15.5 Homebrew Kettle With One Weld Half Barrel

[Zanpa]

i want intact kegs for personal private consumtion. i dont intend to brew yet. is it so unheard of for joe blow (me) to seek a keg legitimately for personal use?

[psychodad]

It's not unheard of. But commercial kegs don't really tend to be the best option for home brewers. Old soda kegs are what most of us use. The soda kegs are easier to clean and fill and are perfect for 5 gallon batches.

[LasKid]

i want intact kegs for personal private consumtion. i dont intend to brew yet. is it so unheard of for joe blow (me) to seek a keg legitimately for personal use?

I don't understand. If you're not brewing, why do you need to own a keg? Can you get it filled even cheaper than getting a pre-filled keg from the store?

[Zanpa]

i want to be able to keep my keg for weeks or more, as long as the beer lasts. i also travel around the world alot and have had a hard time aquiring one in japan. again, what is so wrong with me wanting to own my own kegs? money is not really an issue......bet that would change a few peoples mind.

[cubby_swans]

i want to be able to keep my keg for weeks or more, as long as the beer lasts. i also travel around the world alot and have had a hard time aquiring one in japan. again, what is so wrong with me wanting to own my own kegs? money is not really an issue......bet that would change a few peoples mind.

Wait a second, are you talking about just keeping the kegs as long as the beer lasts, or are you talking about having a collection of empty kegs that you wish to keep forever that you can point at and say "Look, here's my collection of kegs"???? Your initial post, as well as the title of this topic, indicates that you wish to have a collection of empty kegs. But your recent additions to this topic indicate that you simply wish to have a full keg of beer at the home that you can drink.


If you're talking about keeping a keg of beer a few weeks or even a few months while you drink the beer, you can get them at practically every liquor store in the entire United States. You just take it back when you're done with it and get another one. I have heard that their hard to get in Japan. Not so here.

It's not unheard of. But commercial kegs don't really tend to be the best option for home brewers. Old soda kegs are what most of us use. The soda kegs are easier to clean and fill and are perfect for 5 gallon batches.

What I was talking about, was homebrewers taking the commercial 1/2 barrels, and cutting the top off, and using it as a brew pot.

[Zanpa]

So you dont have to return the keg the next day?

[psychodad]

No you don't. Keep it until the beer is gone.

[cubby_swans]

So you dont have to return the keg the next day?

Not at all. I usually take 3-4 weeks to finish a keg. Just return it when I'm ready to pick up another.

[Zanpa]

ive never seen that service. I always have to take the kegs back in 24 hours unless i own my own keg and swap it out upon pruchase of the beer. now that i own one keg, i can drink it at my leasure and just swap it out when i want more beer. if you dont have to return right away as in your case, there is no need to own your own keg. do you see why i need my own kegs now?

[cubby_swans]

ive never seen that service. I always have to take the kegs back in 24 hours unless i own my own keg and swap it out upon pruchase of the beer. now that i own one keg, i can drink it at my leasure and just swap it out when i want more beer. if you dont have to return right away as in your case, there is no need to own your own keg. do you see why i need my own kegs now?

That's the way it is everywhere, in the US, as far as I know. You have basically an EXTRA, and return the empty, while keeping the full one. It's not really OWNING it. You're still returning it eventually. There's no need to do that here in the states. Everybody pays a cash deposit, and just returns the keg when they're done.

Out of curiosity, what happens if you don't return it in 24 hours and you don't have an empty to swap it out? Do they send the beer police to your house in the middle of the night?

[Zanpa]

That's the way it is everywhere, in the US, as far as I know. You have basically an EXTRA, and return the empty, while keeping the full one. It's not really OWNING it. You're still returning it eventually. There's no need to do that here in the states. Everybody pays a cash deposit, and just returns the keg when they're done.

Out of curiosity, what happens if you don't return it in 24 hours and you don't have an empty to swap it out? Do they send the beer police to your house in the middle of the night?

yes actually.

[Scott Zuhse]

Food for thought on this subject. Most breweries require up to six kegs in the float for every one that is tapped. Some breweries have several hundred thousand of these packages. A huge issue facing them is the loss of their cooperage either by theft or folks hanging on to them longer than necessary.

With the cost of stainless going up like everything else, kegs have increased from an average of about $80 a decade ago up to $135 or better now. If they continue to lose these kegs, they will simply pass on the replacement cost onto the customer.

The reason that the retail store could care less is that they pass on the same deposit paid to the wholesaler. Remember when deposits were only around $12?

[pie4himm]

I just acquired an empty keg at an estate auction today and it come with other items I wanted and I don't need this keg and would like to sell it..how do I sell it?

[B17fe]

I just acquired an empty keg at an estate auction today and it come with other items I wanted and I don't need this keg and would like to sell it..how do I sell it?

I bought a couple on Craigs LIst.
It cost you nothing to list it there.