Help! Need second tap on a 2.5" tower

[stonebrewer]

First of all, I am newly registered though I have been lurking here for months and wanted to say thanks to all the wisdom I have gained from you guys sharing info here. It has been a blessing!

Here's my issue: I have a kegerator that has a black metal 2.5" beer tower and a single tap. I want to add a second tap. I have looked at many dozens of vendors and cannot find a solution. The tap itself locks into a plastic insert in the fridge, so I don't think I can simply replace it without kegerator mods, which I am trying to avoid (reefer part, anyhow). I looked at conversion kits for the tower, but they all seem to be for 3" and larger towers. I looked at getting a new shank, but I am told that they are for (again!) 3" and larger towers so the fit and finish will be bad. So it seems I can't replace the tower (without modding the fridge), I can't add on an extension, and I can't simply add on another shank and faucet. Ideas or suggestions??

Thanks!

 

[troub]

You could look here -- http://***********/stories/article/indices/20-build-it-yourself/2488-build-a-draft-tower -- for some info/inspiration on building a custom tower to fit your situation. I don't know what to tell you about the shank, though. Seems like it might be a problem if the inside part won't even fit inside the tower. You might be able to make an adapter of sorts -- a 2.5" pipe that fits into the hole and flares to a diameter that you can mount a standard 3" tower on...

 

[fubuki]

I thought I'd bring this back to life since I'm in the same position. I picked up the Igloo Kegerator from Walmart a few weeks back and I made the stupid assumption converting to 2 taps would be easy. Hell I was just about to order a new SS dual tap tower when I realized the sizes were different.

 

[Seanbmc]

I had the same problem and came up with a work-around last weekend. I wanted a second tap, but figured trying to squeeze another in was too much trouble. My 2.5" tower plastic adaptor would not fit the dual tap 3" tower I ordered. Instead of sending it back i wanted to make it work, at least temporarily, and not modify the fridge.

I decided to mount a piece of wood to the plastic tower adapter in the fridge, then I could screw the new tower to the wood. I was not worried about the cleanliness of the build, just wanted to see if it would work. My goal was to get it up and running and figure out if I wanted to drill into the fridge later. I liked the setup and may just get a nicer piece of wood down the road.

Here is the wood mounted to the plastic adapter below. I have no pics before I turned it in.

Here is the now tower screwed into the wood:

And one more

 

[stonebrewer]

I like this idea! Gonna have to try and replicate it. Will post some pix once I do. I am trying to get a third keg into my 'rator as well. This will mean some mods to the plastic interior as I need about 1/4" to get the third one to fit.

 

[thargrav]

I had the same problem and came up with a work-around last weekend. I wanted a second tap, but figured trying to squeeze another in was too much trouble. My 2.5" tower plastic adaptor would not fit the dual tap 3" tower I ordered. Instead of sending it back i wanted to make it work, at least temporarily, and not modify the fridge.

I decided to mount a piece of wood to the plastic tower adapter in the fridge, then I could screw the new tower to the wood. I was not worried about the cleanliness of the build, just wanted to see if it would work. My goal was to get it up and running and figure out if I wanted to drill into the fridge later. I liked the setup and may just get a nicer piece of wood down the road.

Here is the wood mounted to the plastic adapter below. I have no pics before I turned it in.

Here is the now tower screwed into the wood:

And one more

Who did you order the tower from? Not many vendors are offering this tower style with Perlick faucets.

 

[Seanbmc]

I picked it up from kegconnection.

 

[thargrav]

Thanks, they are a good business.

 

[bja]

I added 2 taps for a total of 3 to my 2-1/2" tower. I used 3" shanks and they fit very well.

 

[stonebrewer]

I added 2 taps for a total of 3 to my 2-1/2" tower. I used 3" shanks and they fit very well.

Can you throw a picture up here of your setup? Always interested in visual aids. Sounds like you have the exact setup I want to modify my single tap tower to. I talked to a lot of the vendors like Keg Cowboy and the like and they all told me that fittings would not work, shanks would be too long, etc. Some pictures and/or parts you used would really help.

TIA!

 

[bja]

I don't have a way to download pics but my tower is configured the same as this one

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/towers-pid-DS-133-PSS-tab-reviews.html#tabcontent

The taps are rotated around the tower 45 degrees from the original one and slightly lower. This is so the tail pieces don't hit each other.

I used these shanks I believe (this was 4 years ago)

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/taps-faucets-pid-4329AS-3E.html

Like I said, I have a 2-1/2" tower and the shanks fit very nice.

 

[turnaround89]

You can do what I did and buy an elbow shank.

You will need to lower one tap in relation to the other, but it is possible to fit two taps onto the 2.5" tower. Here is a picture of my setup.

I'm pretty sure we have very similar kegerators. You can use the original tap assembly that comes with the kegerator, this tap assembly, i am assuming on yours, has a very short shank. If you mount the elbow shank slightly higher, the shank will cross over the original shank inside the tower.

 

[stonebrewer]

Your kegerator looks identical in some respects to mine. The 2.5" tower is exactly the same and you have the same Sam Adams glasses I have.

Found the elbow shanks a couple places so will snag one this week and try your mod. Thanks!!

 

[stonebrewer]

I ordered 2 shanks ( hoping I can fit two more for a total of three taps!) and three perlick 525ss's from beverage factory for a little shy of $150 w/ shipping. Once they come in I will start the mod and will post pictures here. Thanks to all who posted to help me get this upgrade started again. I am pretty psych'd!

Tony

 

[stonebrewer]

One shank of the two I ordered and the three Perlick 525ss came in the mail today. Woot!! Too bad there was no power due to a bad storm so I have not gotten to working on the kegerator yet. Power just came on so if it stays on I will attempt this tomorrow and post a pic or two.

 

[stonebrewer]

Modification complete! This was by far the most trying thing I have done in a while!! Misplaced my spanner wrench to boot. The steel on the tower must have been titanium!! It took me hours to get thru with a series of step bits. Once I got that done, I realized I was too close to the original tap, so the tight squeeze got tighter. I must have put the tower together and tore it back down 5 times before I completed it. Whew! I had to remove the stainless steel caterpillar clamp and put on a zip tie instead as I could not get the nut over it inside the tube. I realized putting a third tap on this would have to wait until I do something like seanbmc suggested as drilling this tower was no fun at all! Heck, I drilled kegs and pots a heck of a lot faster and easier than this beast of a tower!!