How is that stealing if it cannot be returned for the deposit?
Sorry, it is stealing. Your deposit is not purchasing the keg. You can only buy a keg from the owner, in this case the brewery. The store can charge a deposit, but it is not theirs to sell. If you can’t return it for the deposit, it is because you have broken an agreement with the store, most likely for the timely return of the keg but you’d have to read the paperwork you signed for the keg to know for sure. You are still legally obligated to return it.
It’s a crappy system, but it’s what we have.
Although it’s getting harder to get access to scrap yards these days, that’s your source for “cheap” stainless steel. Sometimes you luck out and find scrapped kegs. Other than that, go to distributors and ask if they have any damaged kegs you can buy.
Yeppers.
Ok, so first off these things are called 1/4 barrel slim kegs, in case anyone is interested. (7.75 US Gallons.) I finally found an online source that would sell small amounts. Thanks to Thirsty_Monk for suggesting this site. It seems like they will sell very small amounts, as I asked for a quote for four and they got right back to me.
www.franke.com/beveragesystems/de/en/home.html
The person who got back to me quoted around $130 per keg, with about $35 a piece for shipping. I guess four is out of my reach for now, I’m thinking about getting two.
This seems like a good source for brand new kegs, either used for serving or fermenting. I would like to thank everyone for their input, it helped me spend the time to look for new legal kegs. 8) Preeeeeesh!!
Did you let them know you wanted them for fermenters so if they were damaged that would be ok? You might be able to get some cheaper ones from them.
I’m still going to get one of these someday.
I have talked to them.
I do not think this is the case.
BS. The post I was responding to indicated that the keg could not be returned. What am I gonna do, mail it to the brewery?
Edit: Just to be clear, I am not advocating stealing kegs or keeping rented kegs and foregoing the deposit. Perhaps not even keeping a keg for which the deposit will not be returned (you have a point there). But a keg that the liquor store won’t take back? That’s gonna get the grinder.
I’m sure they would take it back and not give you a deposit back, especially if you didn’t have a receipt (which is what the post you responded to said). If you are stuck with a keg and would like to return it to the brewery, call them and they will tell you where you can drop it off. The distributors will take them no questions asked. They won’t give you any money for them, but then they shouldn’t have to since it’s not yours in the first place.
You can justify it to yourself any way you like, but it does not belong to you and is still a stolen keg, even if the liquor store won’t take it.
I freakin’ hate it when you’re right. 
I just called New Belgium (since their kegs seem to be popular for conversions), and asked them about this. It turns out that it is becoming more common for their kegs to be rejected for return by liquor stores because stealing them from another customer in order to return it for the deposit is common. Of course, in this case the keg is unlikely to come back to the liquor store that sold it, so apparenlty they won’t take it, even if you’re not asking for the deposit back.
But they did say that if I had an empty keg the brewery would come pick it up themselves because each keg costs them $140 making it worth their time. I asked about returning it to the distributor, but they didn’t seem keen on that. I didn’t ask why, perhaps they self distribute?
I’m still gunning for you on that mash depth v. efficiency thing, gonna do a side-by-side this weekend to check it out. But I’ll probably be wrong there, too. 
;D
It’s possible the distributor pays a deposit on the keg to the brewery, so if they bypass the distributor, they get to keep it. Maybe, just pulling it out of thin air.
Let us know what you see. 