$150-$180 for a 5.2 gallon keg? Am I reading that right? Haven’t bought a keg in some time, but that doesn’t sound right.
Breweries to survive coronavirus?
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I was debating heading to Dubuque tomorrow with my mountain bike and hitting Dimensional for crowlers
Is that going to be post-coronavirus code for "driving my car to Paul's for burgers?"
If your not getting Paul's burgers in the early morning hours, you're doing it wrong.
When I started this thread, I specifically did not ask for people's opinion about which breweries might close permanently. What I DID ask for was:
A couple of other items,
- I had originally intended for this to be a list of Iowa breweries and beers. But the more, the merrier. Please include what state you are writing from. If you're discussing Iowa brewed beers, include where it is brewed (so many breweries located in the central and western sides of the state never make it to distribution in eastern Iowa where I live).
- I need to add to my list #1, a macro brew: Busch Lite. Its average drink ability combined with its low low price makes it hard to ignore (though if I could get most of my local beers for the price that Iowa Brewing was offering a few of its brews to select local bars in Fall 2019, well, that would be a different story).
A couple of other items,
- I had originally intended for this to be a list of Iowa breweries and beers. But the more, the merrier. Please include what state you are writing from. If you're discussing Iowa brewed beers, include where it is brewed (so many breweries located in the central and western sides of the state never make it to distribution in eastern Iowa where I live).
- I need to add to my list #1, a macro brew: Busch Lite. Its average drink ability combined with its low low price makes it hard to ignore (though if I could get most of my local beers for the price that Iowa Brewing was offering a few of its brews to select local bars in Fall 2019, well, that would be a different story).
Those prices seem right to me. I pay anywhere from $90 to $160 for 5.2 gallons (1/6 barrel) at the local breweries here in Fort Collins. When I calc'd the feasibilty I am not saving much over buying cans / bottles of the same beer (if available) but I really like not having to go to the liquor store all the time.
That said, I was always getting my faves, so I have gone back to buying different sixers to try more beers and support more breweries.
I picked up 2 kegs (5 gal) from Confluence on Saturday for $176. Average of $88 a keg. That said, I had 2 kegs to turn in, so I didn't have to pay deposit on the new kegs. Deposit is $50 a keg, so if I had to pay deposit, it would have been $276, but I get my $100 back when I turn the kegs back in.
At an average of $88 for the beer, saving about $32 dollars per keg, based on their $10-4 pack price. Also, depends on the beer. I averaged the cost, but with the kegs I bought, 1 keg was more expensive then the other, so the cheaper beer would have more cost savings.
All in all, great way to go, if you like the beer and have the setup. Of course, my kegerator, CO2 tank, regulator, hoses, adapters, etc. cost some money to setup as well, but it has paid off over time.
Plus no bottles to show the wife how much you actually drank. I have been running a kegerator for the past 8 to 10 years. I go through a keg of Bud, once a month, cost is $160.00, and like you, no deposit, since I am turning it back in. That is for a 15.5 gallon keg. CO2 tanks last me about 6 months, and the last one ran around $27.00 to switch out.
Not sure I could afford to pay the prices you guys are paying for the craft brews.
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I guess I was just trying to say that those prices are not out of line, just dependant on the brewery it seems. I was lucky that my kegerator came with an empty keg that the local liquor store took for exchange because most of the breweries here are charging a $100 to $150 deposit. One brewery did credit it back after the 3rd keg.
Assuming you have a dual tap, what do you typically have on it?
I'm usually a domestic beer guy, but I've been hitting up the local breweries and restaurants on the weekends since this pandemic started and I'm acquiring quite the collection of glass crowlers/growlers - what am I supposed to do with them since I can't refill them? Do I just recycle them or is there something else I can do with them?
Give them to friends/family members so they don't have to buy a new growler/crowler for refills.
They're refilling growlers? Local breweries in CR stopped refills due to the pandemic and only sell new growlers/crawlers.
I suppose, I just don't want to stick my relatives with a growler they can't refill for awhile. Better them than me, I guess.
Are there breweries that are refilling growlers in the DSM metro?
My wife and I have been buying Big Grove/Lion's Bridge/Iowa Brewing Co beers at Hy-Vee. We may do some online ordering from LB and IBC soon. I'd hate to see any one of those three shutting down.
I'd like to support Quarter Barrel and Third Base as well, however I'm not aware of them having cans/bottles, so harder to support.
I'd like to support Quarter Barrel and Third Base as well, however I'm not aware of them having cans/bottles, so harder to support.
We have been buying a lot of Big Grove and SingleSpeed around the Cedar Rapids area. Hope both of those make it through this difficult period!
I have a 3 head tap on my kegerator. Generally I have my own homebrew on tap, but at other times and like now, I have had Confluence Capital Gold and Chewbocka on tap. Also have done kegs of Fat Tire, Bud, Coors Light, Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat (one of my favorites), etc. Depends on the situation, party, etc.
With 3 taps, do you go through more CO2, then when you were only running one large keg, or is it about the same?
