Beer shanks and temp controller help

[RichardM]

I'm switching over from a small commercial Haier kegerator that I could never get to work well to a refrigerator kegerator. I've researched shanks and want to make sure before I buy. Are 4" shanks the correct length to go through the door of the fridge? I've considered 5 1/2" to be safe, but don't want too much excess. Also is there a big difference between the one piece with attached nipple vs a tail piece with fitting and o-ring?

I will be converting the kegerator to a fermenting chamber and really just need a temp controller. Is the Inkbird 308 a good choice for this?

Thanks

 

[day_trippr]

- the ITC-308 is very popular here on HBT.
- I would go with separate shanks and tailpieces - and you may want 90° tailpieces.
- The shank length depends on your fridge door liner and where you choose to drill through it. You'll need to decide where you're going to mount your faucets and work from there - and there's a good chance you'll want longer shanks than 4".

Finally, if this is a top-freezer fridge, be sure to allow plenty of clearance for the freezer door to open without it opening your faucets (an amazingly common mistake)...

Cheers!

 

[doug293cz]

Shanks that extend farther than the minimum into the cold space help keep the taps and delivery ends of the beer lines cooler, which can help avoid foaming issues. A potential con for longer shanks is more of a tendency for taps to sweat in humid weather. A fan in the chamber is also a good idea to minimize temp stratification in the box.

Brew on

 

[RichardM]

Good advice. I’ll likely go with 5 1/8” shanks. I’ll be running bev seal ultra lines. I’m not sure how I’ll rout them yet to avoid kinking due to the stiffness.

If anyone has any pics or suggestions on running these lines in a fridge I’m all ears.

 

[RichardM]

Would 7/8 or 15/16 be best to drill for shank hole in fridge door?

 

[cloudybrewer]

For shank length, keep in mind that the faucet threads, black plastic collar behind the faucet, shank nut, and tailpiece nut all take up space. I have 4 1/8 inch shanks, and by the time all the above pieces are assembled the usable length of the shank is down to 2 and 3/4 inch.

 

[RichardM]

Best hole size for shanks in fridge door?

 

[day_trippr]

If you measure the diameter at the outside of the threads it'll be 7/8", so I'd go with 7/8" and be prepared to dress the holes a scoche if needed.
I like a tight fit over a sloppy one

Cheers!

 

[RichardM]

Thanks day tripper.