Finders keepers...

[SAHomeBrew]

A friend of mine is buying a house, so I went with him this weekend to take a look. The shed in the back yard had a half barrel sandkey keg sitting in the corner (empty  :-/ ). This is great news!! I have been looking on-line for a bigger brew kettle to start construction of my all-grain system, now I don't need to pay for 1 kettle out of three... now if I could just find 2 more...

[cmbrougham]

Nice score. A friendly welder should be able to TIG weld in a SS full coupling for you. Just go to town on the keg with a hole saw or (better yet) a step drill and a sawzall. It shouldn't cost more than $10 to have the coupling welded... especially since every welder I've ever known loooooooves beer

Another thing: unless you're planning on making a direct-fired brew system or something like a RIMS/HERMS, you really don't need three keggles. One for boiling would suffice, and then you could mash in something like a converted cooler. Just a thought, anyway! Enjoy your new find!

[SAHomeBrew]

I was planning on using weldless bulkheads, easier for me to maintain myself. Where I work we have all sorts of welding/cutting tools and they work with stainless a lot, so I'm not real concerned with cutting the top, (plasma cutter... cool) but I'm gonna seriously consider the weldless bulkheads 'cause if you mess up welding stainless, you'll get rust.

I plan on three burners, I'm building my own version of the brew-tree / MoreBeer sculptures, and want to get as close to the "real thing" as possible. I may go to a cooler convert for awhile before using the burner, not even sure I need the burner on the mash tun, if what ever I use is insulated, I should only loose a degree or two, so it's most likely not needed, unless I do a step infusion. I dunno, the option would be nice to have, even if I never use it.

[liquidbrains]

Consider, a new 1/2bbl sankey costs a brewery about $200. You get it for $60 plus a $10 deposit, but decide not to return it.

Here is a math problem for you. Imagine being at your dream job where you run a micro with a production of less than 5,000bbl per year. How may kegs can you lose before you close your doors and return to your previous job, which you don't like nearly much?

Is there a brewery name stamped into it?  I'm sure the brewery would love to get it back.

Sorry about the rant, but you can legally buy used sankeys for less than the price of the beer in them. Go visit your local micro, they'll probably sell you three!

-L

[SAHomeBrew]

Miller can afford to loose a keg (I'm VERY willing to bet a new keg didn't cost them $200), and I'm not the one that took it from them, I found it in a shed. If looseing a kegs will put Miller out of business, how many do I need to "steal" from them?

I would also like to know what kind of beer you are getting for $60? My local pub cost $125 to get it filled. I"M GETTING RIPPED OFF! Just kidding, but $60 for a filled keg? Last time I check on a keg it was $150 deposit.

[liquidbrains]

I would also like to know what kind of beer you are getting for $60? My local pub cost $125 to get it filled. I"M GETTING RIPPED OFF! Just kidding, but $60 for a filled keg? Last time I check on a keg it was $150 deposit.

You nailed me on the price of beer. I paid $60 for 1/4bbl of Fat Tire just last weekend -- my bad. Paid only $10 deposit on the keg, though. If it's a $150 deposit in your area, that just shows how serious they are about hanging onto them.

Look, if your cool with stick'in it to the big guy, knock yourself out. At least it's not a micro -- but let's not split hairs. I just want to point out that whoever 'owned' the keg is taking a hit when it doesn't get returned.

-L

[SAHomeBrew]

I just want to point out that whoever 'owned' the keg is taking a hit when it doesn't get returned.

-L

I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, if it had been a micro, I would have returned it, but all the labels are gone except the bottom rim being stamped "Miller brewing co" and I'm sure the person that got it didn't get it from Miller directly.

[liquidbrains]

So I don't get a bad rep...  

...plasma cutter is the way to go. I recomend putting a couple inches of water in the bottom to catch spatter, so you don't have to grind later.

Next best method is an angle grinder with a (new and unused) bimetal cutoff wheel. Several passes, don't try to cut all they way through on the first pass.

Don't use a sawsall or a jigsaw, you'll be finishing the edges for the rest of your life.

-L

[Triple_Freak]

A lot of states have put a 3 day limit into renting a keg. If it's not back in that time, they supposedly come looking for it. I know New York just started a program where you have to register a keg to rent it. That sucks.

[SAHomeBrew]

Did you get the tag number of that keg?