TheKeggingPart
Well-Known Member
Hello Everyone,
I've been doing some research and I believe that I can bring stainless steel pins (4.5 UK gallon cask vessels) to the Boston area for $110 ($115 for MA residents as I'm obligated to collect sales tax). Out-of-area people would have to pay the exact UPS shipping to move the pin from Boston to their location. I've included a draft of the numbers below. I believe that I can do this but I'd like to gauge interest before making the commitment. Please e-mail pinbuy [aT) homebrewcask {d0t] com if you'd like to participate. I'm thinking that this inaugural buy I'd shoot for 90 pins. At this time I have no interest in organizing the import of individual firkins. If a business would like me to organize this for them, they can contact me at the same address.
There's also an opportunity to include a Filton gravity tap for $40. The authorized US distributor isn't willing to cut me a special deal, but if I order a bunch to arrive with the pins, you wouldn't have to pay the extra $12 shipping to get it from them.
I've put up a crappy website to help communicate information. Let me know what more you would want to know. I put all of the numbers to show the costs under the pin item in the bulk buy tab. www.homebrewcask.com.
FULL DISCLOSURE:
I'm very active in the real ale scene here in Boston as the Head Cellarman of the New England Real Ale eXhibition (NERAX). I also recently organized my own homebrew-only cask ale festival, the May Day Cask Festival (www.maydaycask.org). I'd like to see more pins in the hands of homebrewers so that more people are learning to do cask beer. They will in turn encourage their local brewpubs and breweries to do it *AND* do it right. If you can do cask right at home, you won't settle for mediocre cask when you're out paying a premium for the privilege. This will drive both demand and supply of real ale, so when I'm travelling about, I can get good cask ale.
I am a part-owner of the Homebrew Emporium, Inc and the founder of MerkTech Industries (the company I organized to distribute my invention, The Kegging Part). This bulk purchase is separate from both of these ventures and is non-commercial in nature. I did have to run the importing paperwork through MerkTech Industries, which is why I must comply with MA Sales Tax laws.
HomeBrewCask.com will become a commercial venture because I foresee a demand for the woody bits and accoutrements to support working with cask vessels. I plan to keep it small and have no intention of competing on a large scale with existing cask-oriented businesses. I also hope to continue organizing these bulk buys as my primary motivation is to get more pins in circulation. I hope that this website will become an information resource for real ale done right. Its development is contingent on successfully being able to pull off this kind of purchase.
Thanks for reading!
-- Randy Baril
Head Cellarman, CASC (Cask-conditioned Ale Support Campaign) & NERAX
Founder, Inventor, MerkTech Industries (www.thekeggingpart.com)
Part-Owner, Homebrew Emporium, Inc
This post has been approved for this forum by TxBrew. He felt that even though it is equipment it was appropriate and in the spirit of other bulk buys.
I've been doing some research and I believe that I can bring stainless steel pins (4.5 UK gallon cask vessels) to the Boston area for $110 ($115 for MA residents as I'm obligated to collect sales tax). Out-of-area people would have to pay the exact UPS shipping to move the pin from Boston to their location. I've included a draft of the numbers below. I believe that I can do this but I'd like to gauge interest before making the commitment. Please e-mail pinbuy [aT) homebrewcask {d0t] com if you'd like to participate. I'm thinking that this inaugural buy I'd shoot for 90 pins. At this time I have no interest in organizing the import of individual firkins. If a business would like me to organize this for them, they can contact me at the same address.
There's also an opportunity to include a Filton gravity tap for $40. The authorized US distributor isn't willing to cut me a special deal, but if I order a bunch to arrive with the pins, you wouldn't have to pay the extra $12 shipping to get it from them.
I've put up a crappy website to help communicate information. Let me know what more you would want to know. I put all of the numbers to show the costs under the pin item in the bulk buy tab. www.homebrewcask.com.
FULL DISCLOSURE:
I'm very active in the real ale scene here in Boston as the Head Cellarman of the New England Real Ale eXhibition (NERAX). I also recently organized my own homebrew-only cask ale festival, the May Day Cask Festival (www.maydaycask.org). I'd like to see more pins in the hands of homebrewers so that more people are learning to do cask beer. They will in turn encourage their local brewpubs and breweries to do it *AND* do it right. If you can do cask right at home, you won't settle for mediocre cask when you're out paying a premium for the privilege. This will drive both demand and supply of real ale, so when I'm travelling about, I can get good cask ale.
I am a part-owner of the Homebrew Emporium, Inc and the founder of MerkTech Industries (the company I organized to distribute my invention, The Kegging Part). This bulk purchase is separate from both of these ventures and is non-commercial in nature. I did have to run the importing paperwork through MerkTech Industries, which is why I must comply with MA Sales Tax laws.
HomeBrewCask.com will become a commercial venture because I foresee a demand for the woody bits and accoutrements to support working with cask vessels. I plan to keep it small and have no intention of competing on a large scale with existing cask-oriented businesses. I also hope to continue organizing these bulk buys as my primary motivation is to get more pins in circulation. I hope that this website will become an information resource for real ale done right. Its development is contingent on successfully being able to pull off this kind of purchase.
Thanks for reading!
-- Randy Baril
Head Cellarman, CASC (Cask-conditioned Ale Support Campaign) & NERAX
Founder, Inventor, MerkTech Industries (www.thekeggingpart.com)
Part-Owner, Homebrew Emporium, Inc
This post has been approved for this forum by TxBrew. He felt that even though it is equipment it was appropriate and in the spirit of other bulk buys.