What Shank Length for Keezer?

I read somewhere that having a longer shank means a colder faucet meaning less likely "first pour" foam(CO2 coming out of solution due to warmth).

If this is so, what is a good shank length for a Keezer with collar build? 3, 4, 5 inches? Any experience with this?

Rich

Longer shanks can also make it a PITA to get kegs in and out. I've got 4" shanks on a 2x6 collar and I have to move stuff around to get a keg to slip in under the shanks. If I had gone a bit short it would have made a world of a difference.

As far as the first pour foam, I tend to purge out the first 2 ounces if the beer has been sitting in the line any longer than a few hours (it picks up the line taste in the standard beverage lines). So the purge foams up, but the actual pour is fine.

I use 4 inch shanks through my 2 inch (1.5 actual) wood collar and find them to be plenty long. I wish I would have tried 3 inch shanks to see if this would give more clearance for removing a keg. If you barely have room for two kegs along your shortest dimension then I would use 4 inch or less if possible.

IffyG said:

Longer shanks can also make it a PITA to get kegs in and out. I've got 4" shanks on a 2x6 collar and I have to move stuff around to get a keg to slip in under the shanks. If I had gone a bit short it would have made a world of a difference.

As far as the first pour foam, I tend to purge out the first 2 ounces if the beer has been sitting in the line any longer than a few hours (it picks up the line taste in the standard beverage lines). So the purge foams up, but the actual pour is fine.

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I'm doing that currently with a mini-fridge setup, but was looking to not get that on the keezer build. Blowing air with a fan helps a little, but I hate wasting beer.

Anyone else with experience in this area?

I personally don't mind a foamy first pour, but that is me. To me, it means that the entire device is being more energy efficient, as you aren't using the shank as a heatsink transferring energy.

I use a coffin box attached to the wall of my walk-in, and all the shanks and faucets are at room temperature, so the first pour from any of the faucets is foamy, but it is worth it to me since if I were cooling the coffin box to keep the shanks and faucets cool, it would be costing me that much more in my electricity bill. We all have different priorities though.

How big of a deal is a foamy pour to you?