Michigan has tripled the deposit on beer kegs, a number not quite so shocking since the state previously had a very low deposit for $10 and the new fee of $30 is less than in most states.
It costs a beer manufacturer about $152 to buy a new half-barrel when one disappears, according to Ken Wozniak of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. He said a Michigan brewing company asked the commission last year to raise the $10 deposit to $90 per keg.
“The commission thought that request was a little steep,†Wozniak said. “The purpose of the increase in the barrel deposit to $30 was to ensure the return of the keg, not necessarily to cover” beer manufacturer’s cost of the keg.
Increasing pricing for scrap metal have made kegs an attractive target for thieves.
He’s crazy! I’ve been tapping Straub beer for over 20 years both in two prong and now ball taps. Never had a leak, no problem with deposit, it carries over to the next quarter barrel.
No preservatives in the beer, it’s the preservatives that you give you the headache with bottled and canned beer. You don’t use ice and borrowed taps. You have your own fridge and your own equipment.