Sixtels Price

[wessoc]

I just set up my first kegerator and was going to run two kegs. Due to size I wated to go with the six barrels. What can I expect to pay for domestic beer in Maryland? How about some other prices? I did start with Killians and paid $39.00 including tax / no deposit.

[whutever]

Price will vary by region but here's what I paid last Friday for the following sixtels here in Arizona:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale = $57.99
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA = $69.99

These prices do not include tax or deposits.

[JBUNGIE]

I just set up my first kegerator and was going to run two kegs. Due to size I wated to go with the six barrels. What can I expect to pay for domestic beer in Maryland? How about some other prices? I did start with Killians and paid $39.00 including tax / no deposit.

39.00 w/o deposit is a great deal! My sixtel prices have ranged from $28.99 to $130, but I would say on average I spend about $60 for a sixtel.

[scottz5]

I pay around 55.00 in NJ for Sams, Brooklyn, ect.

[Skinsfan1311]

Here in Glen Burnie, sixtels of Clipper City or Dominion Lager were around $60.00 - $65.00, the last time I bought 'em, (last summer?)

I think that the macro-brews ran around $20.00 less.

[Acmemfg]

$70 for Dogfish Head 60??? Bargain of the week. Cannot do better than $95-$100 here

[cubby_swans]

Good grief. No way I'd pay $100 for a sixtel of 60min. 60 min is $10 a six pack everywhere I've seen it. Buying 2 cases of 60min bottles plus another sixer would be cheaper than buying a 1/6 barrel for $95-$100.

Last time I priced a 1/2 barrel of 60min around here it was $170.

[Acmemfg]

You are correct; cheaper by the bottle. Folks in Delaware must have some ax to grind with Florida beer distributors. I recently got to look over wholesale beer price sheets from distributors in both Central Florida (Orlando-$79) and South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale-$75). That equates to a 20% mark up at the retail end in these parts which really isn't all that bad. Indeed I'm thinking Dogfish Head products will be infrequent guests in the Kegatronic.

[Mirko_S]

Here in the Chicago area about 18 months ago when I first built my kegerator I used to pick up 1/6 of Great Lakes & Goose Island for about $55 to $60 which was reasonable and why I decided to go with 3 taps. Now I cant touch those kegs without $65 to $70. The sixer prices have been about the same what's the deal with the huge premium on 1/6ths? I can pick up Goose for less than $25 a case, keg beer is supposed to be more economical!

[scriptohio]

I was running a variety of sixtels last summer until I calculated the cost. Sixtels are not a cost saver over bottles here in Ohio. They are only good if you want variety from your kegerator. The cost savings really occurs with ½ barrels but you can save a few bucks with ¼ barrels. The other issue is that I have found it much easier to keep a stable temperature with ½ barrels. There is less free space in the kegerator and once cold the only thing I really have to watch is frost on the cold plate. I had much more frost with sixtels and ¼ that I do with ½ barrels.

[pismo10]

In Boston there is some but no great savings over bottles.

[Acmemfg]

Price will vary by region but here's what I paid last Friday for the following sixtels here in Arizona:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale = $57.99
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA = $69.99

These prices do not include tax or deposits.

Wow...DFH 60......$99 in Florida. Insane.

[BrewGuru]

Out here in the land of high priced beer 1/6bbl kegs run from about $75 retail on the low end to up to $250 or more for specialty Belgian and other imported crazy stuff, we've got high prices, but good availability on lots of products.

As mentioned, 1/6bbls aren't cost effective, generally a 1/6bbl of the most products will cost half of the 1/2bbl price. A lot of this has to do with overhead, for the brewery, the cost is the same to, manage a keg, wash a keg, fill a keg, etc... the only difference is a marginally longer time on the line when filling, so 1/6bbls are the proverbial 'PITA' for most breweries.

The REAL reason that most domestic 1/6bbls are even available is the 'add a product' business market. Commercial establishment owners can add a third handle to their "2 keg cooler" and have 33% more selection, with the margins of draft, the cost, even at 33% higher than the equivalent 1/2bbl is outweighed by being able to offer more selection.

Home users happened to get lucky that this niche was carved out and more people are packaging in 1/6bbl kegs! Spurred by the import market in smaller kegs, many domestics and micros have quickly realized they can get placements with these smaller kegs, use them for slower moving accounts, etc... and now they are available to everyone!

[Acmemfg]

Bad news...for whatever arcane reason 1/6 bbl prices have increased significantly.
Yesterday's trip to the local keg beer source (and I live in a semi-urban locale) resulted in:

1/6 bbl Budweiser (can't get slim 1/4 bbl kegs here; no idea why)
1/6 bbl Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
1/6 bbl Sam Adams Oktoberfest

All for the measley sum of $163.00 (not including keg deposit)

There are about 100 things wrong with this scenario

[panthermark]

I built my kegerator about a year ago and purchased a sixtel of Sam Adam's OctoberFest...I think it was $65 or $70 before tax and deposit.
That was my first and last sixtel.....they are just not cost effective. My kegerator is too small to hold 1/2's or even a pony (unless I do major work to create and brace a false floor). However, it does hold two corny's...and they are much more versitile to work with. If you have the room, you could always buy a cheaper 1/4 or 1/2 and direct transfer the beer from the keg to two or three cornies...(for a 1/2 keg, three cornies and a growler)