Forgive me if this has already been discussed-- You can’t really do a search for “soda kegs” on the draft board without getting hundreds of hits!
I was at lunch today when the counter person had to change the syrup on the fountain soda. When I watched her open up the soda machine, I saw several boxes with bags of syrup in them (reminiscent of boxed wine).
I thought-- “Are the five-gallon soda kegs on their way out, to be replaced by these smaller syrup boxes?”
Are they?
[quote=“Rico Suave”]Forgive me if this has already been discussed-- You can’t really do a search for “soda kegs” on the draft board without getting hundreds of hits!
I was at lunch today when the counter person had to change the syrup on the fountain soda. When I watched her open up the soda machine, I saw several boxes with bags of syrup in them (reminiscent of boxed wine).
I thought-- “Are the five-gallon soda kegs on their way out, to be replaced by these smaller syrup boxes?”
Are they?[/quote]
A friend of the family is a beer distributor. I asked him this same question this past summer, and he tells me that the soda business has been using the “throwaway” bags-in-boxes method for quite some time. Easier to let the merchant throw away garbage, than to chase down a returnable valuable keg, I gathered.
I didn’t know anyone was still using soda kegs for soda? It was my impression that they stopped doing this well over a decade ago, maybe that’s just here in california? I have worked on and off, though off for some time now, in restaurant’s since 1994 and have never personally witnessed soda being dispesed from a corney keg, only the syrup in a box method.
For most static location the BIB has taken over the premix kegs. The cafe at the local YMCA still uses kegs.
Also, any temporary use site will still need them. Like the local tire shop doing a customer appreciation day with hot dogs and soda. And the traveling food shacks at the fairs.
The manager at my shop told me they are harder and harder to get. Basically very few companies use them for soda anymore.
Price keeps going higher and higher too. Better pick up as many as you can now.
You would think that with the amount of BIB soda, cornies would be plentiful. There is a large Pepsi distributor near my house that had them stacked outside behind their building must have been 20’ high. Now they are gone. I am thinking taking bulk to the scrapyard would be way easier than trying to sell them and less problem with insurance.
I just can’t imagine the number of them out there compared to homebrewers that there aren’t a load of ones to be had unless they are scrapping them. I have a few more than I need right now but not giving any up just in case.
I have been doing design and construction work on restaurants since the early 80’s. I can tell you that I do not recall seeing anything other than a Bag in Box in any chain restaurant during that time. I did however see a corney sitting outside a rear door of a McD when I went through a drive through a few weeks ago.
I had an opportunity several years ago to buy a very large amount of kegs in bulk at a very cheap price. I didnt have a way to haul them at the time and by the time I was able to secure a truck and trailer the opportunity had passed. My thought at the time was that I could keep a few for myself and then sell the rest to homebrewers. 
Looking back on it now it is probably good that I didn’t end up taking advantage of the opportunity…it probably would have been more headaches than it was worth.
This company was a major player in soda kegs.
About a year ago I was planning a trip to OR to pick up a pickup load from someone that had connections to a soda distributor. A couple months later he said they were all gone. I’m guessing Chi picked them up.
When I got my first Corny kegs 22 or so years ago, they were given to me as freebies by the local beverage service place that fills my co2 tank. They were evidently considered pretty much obsolete even back then, and those freebies I acquired (most of which I am still using) were treated by the dealer as ‘abandoned’ by the original owners.
Of course now,recognizing the demand by homebrewers, they’re selling them in “as is” condition for $35 a pop.
Soda tanks or “Corny kegs” were syrup tanks way back when and they were replaced by the BIB (Bag In Box) systems over 20 years ago. The used kegs we all like to used were phased out and sold a scrap by the bottlers. This means that the average keg in our kegerators is over 30 years old! But this also means that the supply of used kegs will continute to drop and the price will continue to rise.
New soda tanks are still available new for about $120.00 each.
I just bought eight yesterday at $10.00 ea. But it is well understood that the kegs are going the way of the dinosaur. I believe I will have what I need for the long term now.
I was with him and also bought 6 for $10 ea the guy has 250 of them but they have all been disassembled and stacked out side where the birds have built nest in them and the out sides are very cruddy.
He did give us all brand new o-rings that does count for some thing.
I’ve worked all day cleaning and removing the labels must have used $5 worth of PBW and they still need more cleaning on the outside.
Once I’m done they will look like new so it is a good deal and what is my time worth who knows I’m retired.
Care to share?
:cheers:
[quote=“TG”]Care to share?
:cheers: [/quote]
Share what ?
Where we can buy kegs for $10?
You won’t get any from this guy since he doesn’t ship and you need to hand pick out the kegs you want.
Don’t think it would be worth driving from where you live to a gravel back road to his place in Wisconsin.
I am near rockford, Il and would not mind driving a little north for some $10.00 Kegs. Is he still selling them?
If its anywhere near New Richmond, it’s more than a little north from Rockford.
If there are more to be had I’d like to know. I live about 15 minutes from Hudson and wouldn’t mind a short drive.
