Corny kegs becoming harder to find?

[thatshowyougetants]

I was at my LHBS inquiring about kegs yesterday, and the guy told me the following:
- Corny kegs are basically all used now; none have been manufactured in probably 15 years
- With homebrewing becoming increasingly popular it's becoming harder to find corny kegs

I thought that was interesting..

 

[Dr. Francois]

Also consider that when the price of stainless spiked a few years ago, many kegs were scavenged and sold as scrap.

 

[masonsjax]

Mostly true. China bought up everything Pepsi and Coke had left for the stainless steel. There are some new ball lock kegs being manufactured, in Italy I believe. They run over a hundred bucks each, but with dirty beat up old kegs I've seen costing $50, it might be worth the once in a lifetime investment. Pin lock kegs are a little cheaper and easier to find though. Fortunately I bought a dozen kegs when I started brewing at about $20 each shipped. That was about 8 years ago.

 

[jeffjm]

Yep - a few years ago ball locks were $25 apiece, and no one wanted pin locks at all. Now pin locks are easier to find than ball locks, and ball locks are going for $60. Give it a few more years and used kegs will likely be a thing of the past.

 

[brew_ny]

local soda places are a good place to look I bought 8 pin locks for 20 dollars for them all

never hurts to stop and ask he had ball locks for 55 dollars each

he said no one wants pin locks

all the best

S_M

 

[Chinooski]

brb, going to buy all the kegs at my LHBS.

 

[allenH]

I was picking up some kegs at McEvers Distributing, I asked them who buys the majority of their kegs, since they had a few thousand in stock, figuring it had to be Northern Brewer, AHS, Midwest or kegconnection. They said home brewers represent less than 5% of their sales, the majority of their sales are to carnivals and local/state fairs where they don't have a reliable water supply. I found that pretty interesting. If anyone is interested in pin locks, they just got 5000 in.

 

[MrFoodScientist]

I was picking up some kegs at McEvers Distributing, I asked them who buys the majority of their kegs, since they had a few thousand in stock, figuring it had to be Northern Brewer, AHS, Midwest or kegconnection. They said home brewers represent less than 5% of their sales, the majority of their sales are to carnivals and local/state fairs where they don't have a reliable water supply. I found that pretty interesting. If anyone is interested in pin locks, they just got 5000 in.

Corny kegs are still in use for this purpose. I saw them just last summer at an event in a rural area of upstate NY. Likely your local Pepsi bottler still has a number of them on hand and in use, I called one time and I can buy a full keg of Pepsi for about $28, but I would still have to return the keg and they wouldn't sell me a used one. I'm guessing the bottlers aren't buying new ones in such large lots anymore, so the used ones aren't being sold in such large lots anymore and the price goes up on both ends.

As far as new ones being made, I wonder where CHI is getting these bad boys. They're still manufactured. They're still in use and will likely continue to be. They are just not as common as they once were.

 

[beernutz]

I bought my first two pin lock kegs from a guy who was retiring and selling off his concession stand in 1994 for $5 each. He gave me two more for free just because I stayed and talked to him a while about his business.

19 years later I bought my fifth and sixth kegs for $92 shipped for both and imo that is still not a bad deal even given that I paid $2.50 each for my first 4. I've run a craigslist ad for months here offering $25 a keg and have never received a reply to it, not even from a scammer.

 

[brew_ny]

I am stopping in to see a soda guy tomorrow and will post what he charges me for pin locks

I need a least four more eight would be outstanding

all the best

S_M

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I am stopping in to see a soda guy tomorrow and will post what he charges me for pin locks

I need a least four more eight would be outstanding

all the best

S_M

Any news on that? Have my 5 but always inrerested in getting some more

 

[robb884]

I stopped into Northern Brewer here in Milwaukee a few days ago lookin get o pick up a used ball lock keg. I quickly got a response from one of the employees that the company is completely out of ball locks and the company's remaining stock of pin locks were at that store (all of 9 of them). I picked up a pin lock, and then went back the next day to get another and they only had 3 left so I picked up another.

They do sell new kegs but $120 for a new one didn't seem nearly as good of a price as the $45 for the pin locks

Also, when leaving he mentioned that in coming year there should be alternatives coming at a better price but wouldn't get into details. Anyone know of anything that might be coming out? Are the homebrew shops sourcing better priced kegs as " store brand"? Just curious

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Also, when leaving he mentioned that in coming year there should be alternatives coming at a better price but wouldn't get into details. Anyone know of anything that might be coming out? Are the homebrew shops sourcing better priced kegs as " store brand"? Just curious

Plastic kegs, maybe?

My primary LHBS (Strange Brew) recently got in a hundred or more ball locks in excellent condition, but they want $65 a pop for them...

Cheers!

 

[solbes]

Last year in December Midwest Supplies (I think bought by Northern Brewer recently) had a Buy One, Get One deal on ball locks. I think $50 for the first, and then the second for free. The two catches, you had to spend $100 excluding the kegs to get the deal (which I was going to anyway) and there was a limit of 2 kegs. So I went from 2 to 4 ball locks here at home.

I'll be looking for the same deal this year, as 6 would be ideal for me.

 

[brew_ny]

Any news on that? Have my 5 but always inrerested in getting some more

Have not stopped yet I have a keg with a pin hole so I am welding it now but will try to get there today or Wednesday

I will be sure to post what happens

S_M

 

[srice]

I was out in the boonies hiking this weekend and while I was at a convenience store near a trail head I happened to look out back. There sat 30 (yes I counted) ball lock cornies full of Pepsi. There were also 6 full 20 lb Co2 tanks. All of this was behind a small wall and completely unsecured. I was surprised to see that such a busy store was still receiving Pepsi in kegs instead of cardboard boxes.

And no, I didn't steal anything - that would have been very easy, but also very wrong.

 

[brew_ny]

And no, I didn't steal anything - that would have been very easy, but also very wrong.

that is true

 

[herc1354]

My LHBS upped the price of all kegs, ball and pin lock, to $63.00, at least the pin lock kegs had been upgraded to the better safety valve.

 

[PapaFoxtrot]

I was picking up some kegs at McEvers Distributing, I asked them who buys the majority of their kegs, since they had a few thousand in stock, figuring it had to be Northern Brewer, AHS, Midwest or kegconnection. They said home brewers represent less than 5% of their sales, the majority of their sales are to carnivals and local/state fairs where they don't have a reliable water supply. I found that pretty interesting. If anyone is interested in pin locks, they just got 5000 in.

I get down to NSB occasionally; how much does McEvers charge for soda kegs? Any minimum/qty discounts??

 

[redsoxfan1974]

I bought my last 4 from here.... http://www.homebrewing.org/Set-of-Four-5-Gallon-Pin-Lock-Kegs-Used_p_3179.html they work great even though they didn't have the PRV. I just use the poppet valve to release pressure.

 

[Mdsutton]

I get down to NSB occasionally; how much does McEvers charge for soda kegs? Any minimum/qty discounts??

Call them; there is no minimum. Nice guy I bought two kegs from him a year ago, He at least did me well on the shipping.

Martin

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I have plenty of pin lock kegs.
They go for $45 each

 

[MollyHatchet]

I got 15 ball locks from a business owner who has a catering business. His supplier would not pay an employee to drive the 60 miles to pick them Up since they don't use them any longer. He told them he was going to toss them out if they didn't get them out of his way, and they really didn't care, so he ask me if I wanted them. Well I grabbed them up in a heart beat. Been using then for about five years or so. I am about to go all grain,and plan on upping my tap system to have four beers on tap at all times, (currently two). I thought about asking if he had five more, 20 just does sound better than15. I thought it would be nice to split batches, use different yeasts, dry hop some, age some, and by putting half batches on tap,I can swap kegs out faster instead of having to wade through five gallons.

 

[Chupidacabra]

That's just cruel. In my town the best I can get is 80 a used keg. Can get a little better online but not much. I have one.

 

[herc1354]

To all of you who are getting kegs for free, you Suck! I really really mean that in the nicest way too....hahahaha, really I'm just envious as I have to pay $65.00 at my LHBS. The least expensive way would be to buy 5 at a time from home brewing.org.

But still you lucky ones getting them for free, pffff..........

 

[Hello]

I have plenty of pin lock kegs.
They go for $45 each

Do you have a storefront?


I'm just looking into kegging and I wasn't aware that pin locks should have a new valve. Is this now standard? I'd prefer ball locks but it seems I am SOL on that.

 

[JonM]

Yep, my LHBS always had a big display of used cornies that ran the entire length of the front counter. Then the display started getting smaller and smaller and smaller. Now it's all shiny, pretty new kegs instead of used.

I grabbed two last time that had a handful of used ones, but they report that they have no idea when or if they'll get used ones again.

 

[Hello]

My LHBS says they'll never have another ball lock as they're all gone but pin locks are still around. They wanted $60 at one shop and $70 at another.

 

[Gitmoe]

The LHBS I work at has several hundred in stock at the moment. We also have a seemingly endless source for them... I haven't seen a shortage, ball lock or pin lock. I actually take pin lock kegs and put ball lock connectors and safety valve lids on them for my personal use. My kegorator is short in the back so I need the shorter kegs to fit 4 in at a time...

 

[herc1354]

The LHBS I work at has several hundred in stock at the moment. We also have a seemingly endless source for them... I haven't seen a shortage, ball lock or pin lock. I actually take pin lock kegs and put ball lock connectors and safety valve lids on them for my personal use. My kegorator is short in the back so I need the shorter kegs to fit 4 in at a time...

Any chance you would be willing to share some more info, like how much and where this LHBS is.

 

[herc1354]

Do you have a storefront? I'm just looking into kegging and I wasn't aware that pin locks should have a new valve. Is this now standard? I'd prefer ball locks but it seems I am SOL on that.

Pin lock kegs that Coke used have a pre set pressure release valve on the lid that can't be manually opened, while the Ball Lock kegs used by Pepsi had a pressure release valve that could be manually opened to bleed off pressure, the lids of both kegs are interchangeable. I've seen pin lock kegs with the better ball lock pressure release valve. Pin lock kegs can be converted to ball lock fittings for about $20.00, personally I'm going to switch to pin lick kegs since they are shorter, also I like the pin lock connections better.

 

[brew_ny]

I like the pin lock connections better.

so do I

 

[herc1354]

so do I

Right, you can't get them mixed up. Not too long ago someone, me, mixed up a connection on a ball lock keg, it can be done and when it happens the female fittings don't want to come off, this can't happen with Pin lock fittings. I'm not sure what the obsession is with ball lock kegs, even if you have a mixed set it's very easy to change out a ball lock for a pin lock fitting. My kegOreator is a smaller fridge, while it will fit three ball lock kegs four pin lock will fit better as I'll be able to place two on the compressor hump at the back of the fridge.

The attached image was a trial fit of a ball lock keg sitting on the compressor hump, a bit too tall.

 

[Hello]

I'm not sure I understood the obsession except that you can mix up the two connections or something like that. I thought height was another issue but I believe height won't be an issue for me.

I think I found pin locks for $45 locally so I may just pick up two of those. I wasn't really thinking I would keg this soon but I'm near out of bottles and I have about 10.5 gallons to bottle.

 

[CooperBrew]

The attached image was a trial fit of a ball lock keg sitting on the compressor hump, a bit too tall.

View attachment 161158

FWIW - I just ordered a "shorty" ball lock keg (used) from AIH for $50.00 on sale. It's a full 5 gallons but only 22" tall (9.5" diameter?) specifically to fit on the hump in my small 7 cu.ft keezer. Now I can have 4 kegs on tap instead of only 3. I should receive it today actually.

 

[herc1354]

FWIW - I just ordered a "shorty" ball lock keg (used) from AIH for $50.00 on sale. It's a full 5 gallons but only 22" tall (9.5" diameter?) specifically to fit on the hump in my small 7 cu.ft keezer. Now I can have 4 kegs on tap instead of only 3. I should receive it today actually.

Yeah I noticed the had short ball lock kegs, thought they were put of stock, guess not. I'll probably sell my two ball lock kegs and get the 4 pack of pin locks form AIH, I'd like to have a total of 8 kegs by spring.

 

[ICWiener]

You guys are lucky. My LHBS is selling ball locks for $85, pin locks for $65. I'm always on the lookout though....and I'm very patient.

 

[Gitmoe]

Any chance you would be willing to share some more info, like how much and where this LHBS is.

Wish I could, forum rules state I'm not allowed to promote (mention) the shops name or "advertise" in any way from my personal account. Telling you the price and the shop would clearly violate the rules. Sorry...

 

[DanH]

I've bought probably close to 50 ball locks at under $25 each and sold them all for $50 each, doubling my money (easy to do, since local brew shops sell them for $75 now). But lately I've been worried about supply so I've just been hoarding them. I currently only have 14, but I would gladly fill my garage with them, no matter what my wife thinks about it.

 

[day_trippr]

Wish I could, forum rules state I'm not allowed to promote (mention) the shops name or "advertise" in any way from my personal account. Telling you the price and the shop would clearly violate the rules. Sorry...

Is there anything in the rules about mentioning what town said LHBS is in?

Cheers!