Converting a chest freezer, need parts advice

I'm starting on my keezer build. So far I have the freezer and kegs, and not much else. 10# CO2 cylinder on the way.

I'm going to use 1/4" gas line, figured I'd get 5/16" barb fittings for a tighter fit... [Edit: And similarly, 3/16" beer line, 1/4" barbs.]

I'll be building a collar for the freezer and will mount the faucets through it.

I want to minimally be able to run two different CO2 pressures and put two kegs on each. Ideally, I'd like to be able to run a different pressure for each keg, but if it's cost-prohibitive, I'll settle for two pressures.

Here's the list of parts needed that I came up with...please let me know if I'm missing anything or have something listed that won't work or is a poor choice:

(1) Love TS-13010 temp controller
(4) Perlick 425SS faucets
(4) 3" straight shanks
(4) Stainless steel shank collars
(4) 1/4" nipples, neoprene washers, nuts, hose clamps
~30 feet of 1/4" gas line (can this be any old vinyl tubing, such as at Lowes?)
~30 feet of 3/16" beer line (same question...?)

Now the regulator stuff is what I'm really going back and forth about.

Kegconnections.com has their in-house dual body regulator with a wye and two valves per body for $110. That would give me two different pressures with the ability to run two kegs on each. But I don't like the idea of all that stuff hanging directly off my CO2 cylinder. Seems unwieldy.

To be able to use either four different pressures, or two each of two pressures, and not have all of it hanging off the CO2 cylinder, I need a single body regulator and either two or four secondary regulators, correct? And they get attached to the primary by flexible tubing? If that's right, can someone recommend a good place to find these? Didn't see any on kegconnection.com

Look here for banks of secondary regulators CO2 Secondary Regulator - Keg Beer Dispensing
But you will still need a primary regulator. Run the primary reg a bit over your highest pressure you want to use, then set each secondary accordingly.
Primary Beer CO2 Regulators
I'd like to use a bank of secondaries (I'd need 6!) but for now I have a simple manifold and a separate tank/reg/line for my nitro tap.
For the beer line, get 35 foot, so you can start your lines at 8.5 rather than 7.5 (accounting for some cutting errors).
You cannot find 3/16 beer line at the hardware store, buy the best beer line you can find. For the air, you could use hws hose, or spring for better quality line from a beer supply.

Regarding beer line, read this: Off Taste from Tubing. I couldn't find the Bevlex that Kal used in the size I wanted, so I ordered Tygon brand tubing rated for beverage and dairy. A guy on another forum I read works for A Very Large Brewery (the biggest there is), and he said they're allowed to use stainless steel, or Tygon. I ponied up for SS Shanks to match the SS Perlicks, but I guess the importance of that is up for debate, I'm just fussy.

For gas line, you want 5/16" ID, the stuff I ordered from McMaster-Carr is 5/16" ID and 9/16" OD, to ensure that the tubing wall would withstand whatever pressure I wanted.

The other thing I did was to get some 1.5" Polystyrene "Insulpink" to line the collar, since even hardwood (used Maple) doesn't insulate too well.

Get a bunch of hose clamps, and TIGHTEN THEM. I couldn't tighten too well, but I busted out the nut driver (like a screwdriver, but for hex nuts) and made sure everything was nice and snug.

Williams brewing has perlicks with shank, collar, washer, nut, and nipple pre assembled for about $50 each. That's the best deal I could find when I last looked.

Go ahead and get the Perlick 525SS faucets. That is the newer model. You can get those from Rapids Wholesale. I would get 5/16" gas line. Also, I would consider getting a shank that is longer than 3". There needs to be enough of the shank inside the chest freezer in order to cool the faucet on the outside. What do others think about that?

As for the hose clamps, home depot has packs of 10 worm clamps for cheaper than I could find online.

Actually, I mistyped--I am getting 525SS faucets. I already have one, actually, and need to order the other three. (I was planning for one tap and then got ambitious! )

Thanks for the advice so far, all.

masonsjax said:

Williams brewing has perlicks with shank, collar, washer, nut, and nipple pre assembled for about $50 each. That's the best deal I could find when I last looked.

Click to expand...

That's a great deal... I tried to order 3 though, and unfortunately they're out.

1 Part hardware
2 parts love
.5 parts ingenuity
8 parts persistent searching for photo examples

those are all the parts I can think of that is needed.

The main part I couldn't find through photo examples was the best/cheapest source for secondary regulators.

Found that Williams actually did have one of those faucet/shank deals left (I need 3).

I called to see if there were more coming up. The guy I spoke to told me the deal with the one they have left is that it's an "older type"... although the pic is of a 525SS. I asked if it was a 525SS and he said he didn't know any of the model numbers (and didn't seem to have time to find out). He said it has a "P" logo on the front rather than "PERLICK" on the side, and it's a one-piece design. So this leads me to believe that it is a 525SS, and as far as I know there are none newer, so I 'm not sure what that was all about.

Anyway, he said they're just waiting for some more shanks to come in, to put together some more Perlick faucet/shank packages. But I'm confused as to what the "new" ones actually will be, since the "old" one seems to be a 525SS.

I'm not sure what he meant when he said they were out of shanks to put together new packages, either... they have standard 3" and 4" shanks available to order. I asked if the new faucets they were getting in took different shanks and he said "Dude, you sound like you know what you're talking about, but trust me, we don't have the shanks." So, whatever...

He said to give them 4 or 5 days and they'll have more. I don't know if I'll wait or not. The guy was pleasant enough on the phone, but I didn't really get an answer to my questions.

Before I called, I was actually all set to just order the components from them separately, but now I really have no idea which faucets I'd get if I ordered them now.

Parts are all in, except secondary regulators, but I can get things into operation with what I have.

Ended up getting the bulk of parts from KegConnection.com. One 525SS that I ordered a couple months ago before I decided to go with four taps, has an engraved "P" for Perlick logo and the other three I just received yesterday have a slightly different etched "P" logo. I've asked KegConnections if I can switch the first one out for one that matches, so hopefully that'll work out.

Decided to keep the 10-pound CO2 tank outside the freezer and run a 5/16" gas line through to the inside.

Ended up with a Love TSX-10140 controller. Got it all wired up without too much trouble.

Now to build a collar. Going to have to be 7 or 8 inches in order to get 4 kegs in there. (Actually 5 will fit, but I'm going with 4 for now.)

One word of advice: Get at least 4-1/8" shanks if you're building a collar. 3-1/8" shanks have exactly 1-1/2" of clearance between the back of the flange and the nut that tightens them to the back of the collar.