Beverage Air Kegerator

[efjeld]

Hey everyone, I just picked up a two tower Beverage Air kegerator. I'm brand new to the world of kegerators and kegging. I'd like to modify the two single tap towers into two double tap towers. I've been looking around at keg connection and beverage factory and have tried to compile a list of things I need to get this unit to be functional for me. Hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

 

[Exception13]

Hi there,

Assuming you have something like this...

... nice kegerator. It should be as simple as changing out the towers for 2 hole versions, buying the two new taps, 2 new lengths of beverage line, 2 new lengths of air hose, and swapping out the 2 station manifold to a four station one. Add in clamps, fittings, QD's for your style of keg and you should be good to go. I'm not familiar with that line of kegerators at all. Description online for this model shows it'll hold up to 6 1/6 barrel kegs so it shouldn't be any issue getting 4 cornys in there.

Let us know how it goes and congrats on the kegerator.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[efjeld]

Thanks for the info. Any preferred place to get what I need? Mainly based on service/shipping. Also, best place to get kegs? Basically, I'm looking to start with two kegs, eventually moving to four in the near future. I'd love to move up to six at some point....but I feel like that's a ways off. I attached a photo of what I've got. Beer line is shot. I'm planning to replace both current lines, but I'm planning for future needs. Basically a free unit that needs to be refreshed.

 

[Calaeb]

Wow thats a nice unit, especially for free! I've had really good luck with both keg connection, and also ritebrew. I'm not sure where your at but rite brew has awesome shipping. Keg connection would be where i'd shop if I was wanting to get everything in one place. If you like to piece stuff together ritebrew is the way to go. With 4 faucets have you thought about what route you're going with those? Lots of people reccomend the intertaps. I've had both the intertaps gen 2's and the perlick 630ss, i preferred the perlick but I already committed to intertaps and didn't want mismatched faucets.

 

[Exception13]

What Calaeb said. Not sure where you are. If you are in Canada, Ontario Beer Kegs would be a place to start. My go-to at any rate.

Free?! Wow.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[efjeld]

So, the project is coming along. I've gotten it cleaned up and installed two new double tap beer towers. To simplify getting everything connected I got a four tap setup from coldbreak brewing https://www.coldbreakbrewing.com/co...g-kit/products/4-tap-dispensing-kit-ball-lock I now realize that this is setup for a jockey box or keezer.

The beer lines that are connected to the tower are 1/4 ID lines with no connection at the end. Can I just use a 5/16 to 1/4 barbed coupler to connect the two lines or am I completely wrong here.

 

[pbrennan10]

disclaimer -- i'm an amateur.

those are for shank connectors (5/8) so you'll have to remove them to do a barbed adapter.

I think this would be the whole deal.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

I'd avoid any sort of adapter in the bev line, there's a risk of creating turbulence and getting a glass of foam.
I think most folks use about 10 feet of 3/16" beverage line (per keg).

Did that rig come with Sanke keg couplers ?

 

[efjeld]

So basically, I just need to connect 3/16 hose to the faucet tailpieces and then to the ball lock adapters.

The kegerator came with one sanke coupler and two out of date 20#CO2 cylinders. Even after the tank test, still a lot better than buying!

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Dcpcooks]

I just finished a build similar to yours. I used 6’ of 3/16” beer line for the beer lines. I carb to 12-13 psi and serve at the same pressure. It works great!

I do have a cold air line venting into the tower to keep foam to a minimum. If you can’t get cold air into the tower then you’ll want to insulate the lines.

 

[efjeld]

The towers both have cooling hoses running into them. I'm planning to just use the 1/4 lines already there and connecting them to the keg. I brewed on the 21st and that'll be my first batch going in a keg!

 

[efjeld]

So, the first keg is in there. The hoses that came with the new towers were four foot 1/4” lines. I had major steady foam. So I read up and replaced them with 10 foot 3/16th line. I’m now having sputtering foam. What am I doing wrong? Beer line is coiled on top of the keg and the cooling fan hose is running up into the tower.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

how long did you let the keg carb up for and at what psi?

also, mine looks almost like yours except it's all stainless and the towers were missing.
So I made some insulated towers with dual taps out of nickle toilet brush holders.
mine is quite a bit older than yours though but still free.

.

 

[day_trippr]

"Sputtering" suggests CO2 being injected into the beer stream. Is this on a corny keg or a Sanke?
If the former, a damaged or missing O-ring under the Out dip tube flange can cause that exact "sputtering foam" syndrome...

Cheers!

 

[efjeld]

Its on a ball lock corny keg. The old pour was a steady stream of pure foam and when I changed to the new lines I get the sputtering foam.

Keg was carbed at 30psi for "a few days." I'm not exactly sure how many days. Less than a week.

 

[day_trippr]

I would definitely disconnect the gas from that keg, depressurize the head space, remove the Out post and dip tube and check that little O-ring under the flange...

Cheers!

 

[efjeld]

I would definitely disconnect the gas from that keg, depressurize the head space, remove the Out post and dip tube and check that little O-ring under the flange...

Cheers!

Problem solved! Apparently when I cleaned and reassembled them I put the o-ring on top of the dip tube. Only problem now is that the beer is coming out at a trickle. I've tried pouring at 10-12psi and it doesn't have any effect on the super slow pour. Thanks everyone for all your help! Kegging is 100% new to me and I made my first batch of beer just over a year ago, so I'm still in the rookie learning phase. Thanks!

 

[Roadie]

Carbing at 30 psi for a few days or more probably made the beer over carbonated. I’d now leave at 12 psi if your keezer is at 38-42 degrees.

Not sure by what you mean by super slow pour - how long does it take to fill a pint glass? It’s not supposed to come out like water from your sink! [emoji6]

 

[efjeld]

Carbing at 30 psi for a few days or more probably made the beer over carbonated. I’d now leave at 12 psi if your keezer is at 38-42 degrees.

Not sure by what you mean by super slow pour - how long does it take to fill a pint glass? It’s not supposed to come out like water from your sink! [emoji6]

It took about two minutes to fill half a pint glass. It's virtually a trickle....like an old man with a swollen prostate...

Kegerator is right around 35-40 degrees based on the old school thermometer thats in there.

 

[day_trippr]

High odds are the dip tube, post and/or quick disconnect is plugged.
Lower odds are the post and disconnect aren't playing well with each other and one of them isn't fully opening...

Cheers!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Should have left the sanke connectors with short lines and gotten sanke kegs. If you didn't get the rest of the kegs I'd go that route for the other ones...they serve far better than cornys without the hassles

 

[Roadie]

Agree with day_trippr if it’s that slow look for something plugged/clogged.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

do you have the in & out lines swapped or the dip tube on the wrong side?
I've did this a few times when I was new to kegging.