Need help picking the right beer shank for kegerator

[rtstrider]

Hey all! I will be upgrading from picnic taps to Evabarrier/duotight fittings soon. I'm looking at this shank

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CE61NI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A3HRWBO4JJQFLN&psc=1
and this duotight fitting

https://www.morebeer.com/products/duotight-pushin-fitting-8-mm-516-58-fpt.html
Would those two be compatible? Meaning would the duotight fitting fit on that shank?

The taps I'm looking at are

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074DBS79C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A256D0PSJHAOYF&psc=1
Due to being forward sealing. I also like the growler spout option with that setup. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[VikeMan]

Would those two be compatible? Meaning would the duotight fitting fit on that shank?

They should be. "Beer thread" is the standard for shanks.

 

[rtstrider]

They should be. "Beer thread" is the standard for shanks.

Yeah I have picnic taps, but, am trying to hold up another month or so and just do this right (duotight and beer taps) before tapping the keg. It's a lager, plus I have the blonde that is naturally carbing, so I got time and a stash lol

 

[DuncB]

Well my keg fridge has 3 of those taps on and 2 Nukataps which are meant to be an improvement. Less metal, better flow pattern and cool down quicker due to less metal volume.
Forward sealing I do have the springs in them ( an extra I think ) that automatically shuts the tap off when not pulled.
The shank with 1/4 inch hole is nearly 6mm so slightly bigger bore than your planned tube which is 8mm external and 4mm internal.
You can get shanks that have a narrower bore 3/16 i think which is closer to 4mm. I now have a mix of shank diameters when I bought the extra taps, I did notice this once fitting it all and have managed to balance the system okay, but probably would have been better with all the same taps and shanks ( hindsight eh).
There is another option for the growler filling which is the
https://www.morebeer.com/products/intertap-beer-faucet-parts-ball-lock-spout.html
You would then just put a liquid ball lock on this with tube coming off that to the bottom of your growler. Seems a bit odd but it does give you the option of putting cleaning fluid back thru this way for line cleaning ( not the normal way ) or use other bottle fillers such as the williams warn device on the tap.

Slighly more expensive option for your growler filling would be
https://www.morebeer.com/products/tapcooler-counter-pressure-bottle-filler
this just pushes into the tap spout. I have the williams warn filler so no experience with the above.

Found this helpful for line length calculation

http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/
I would have gone Nukatap for all if they were available when I started my kegerator build.

 

[rtstrider]

Well here's the dilemma. I found 4 inch 3/16 bored out beer shanks on Amazon. The seller keeps running out of them pretty quick. Would I be ok just using Pass Through Beer Shank - 4.5 in. | MoreBeer if I was going to go with 4mm Eva Barrier line? I'll be putting in the order Friday morning and would like to get the kegerator done by next weekend if possible. But I would be willing to wait and do it right if putting in multiple orders for the 3/16 inch bored shank would be the correct way. In the end I want this puppy one and done correctly. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DuncB]

You would certainly need some kind of beer shank in all cases I think, so you need to decide on the length that will suit your kegerator thickness of wall and any cladding if fitted or the collar.
As mentioned above I have the same length shanks throughout and different bores on them.
I haven't a keezer but a full height commercial fridge that holds 6 kegs so my system is balanced okay with the different heights of kegs ( three on the top and three on the bottom) , different shank bores and slightly different taps. Haven't yet hacked the shelf support bits on the fridge that would allow me to squeeze in another 2 kegs.

I can't really say whether the 3/16 or 1/4 inch bore is better maybe a commercial keg company could advise, but the 3/16 is closer to 4mm and so might mean that less expansion or gas release could occur in the shank that's narrower.

Getting parts the same will make sorting out the flow easier for you I'm sure. It's easier to shorten the tubing to increase flow than lengthen. Or just wait a few more seconds whilst you pour.

 

[rtstrider]

You would certainly need some kind of beer shank in all cases I think, so you need to decide on the length that will suit your kegerator thickness of wall and any cladding if fitted or the collar.
As mentioned above I have the same length shanks throughout and different bores on them.
I haven't a keezer but a full height commercial fridge that holds 6 kegs so my system is balanced okay with the different heights of kegs ( three on the top and three on the bottom) , different shank bores and slightly different taps. Haven't yet hacked the shelf support bits on the fridge that would allow me to squeeze in another 2 kegs.

I can't really say whether the 3/16 or 1/4 inch bore is better maybe a commercial keg company could advise, but the 3/16 is closer to 4mm and so might mean that less expansion or gas release could occur in the shank that's narrower.

Getting parts the same will make sorting out the flow easier for you I'm sure. It's easier to shorten the tubing to increase flow than lengthen. Or just wait a few more seconds whilst you pour.

I found a third party that has the 4 inch shanks with a 3/16 inch bore so going to use that

 

[Culinarytracker]

I found a third party that has the 4 inch shanks with a 3/16 inch bore so going to use that

I went with 6 inch shanks just so there was more metal inside the keezer, which keeps the whole tap/faucet colder.
Maybe that's a dumb idea, but I thought the extra 2 inches inside was worth it for me.

 

[rtstrider]

I went with 6 inch shanks just so there was more metal inside the keezer, which keeps the whole tap/faucet colder.
Maybe that's a dumb idea, but I thought the extra 2 inches inside was worth it for me.

I'd thought about that but it's a tight squeeze in the current fridge. I'm going to have to invest in a rotary tool to cut out some of the interior door molding also. I won't be getting the hoses and duotight fittings this time though. Wife is starting to put her foot down on the kegerator expenses lol Going to get what I need to get the taps and shanks mounted then order the eva barrier hoses/fittings along with the rest of the stuff over time. At least there's picnic taps (I remove them and the hose at the end of each day, run pbw through, and hang to air dry) until the big conversion Oh yeah I'm also a little over cautious and put the hose/tap in star san for a bit as well as spray the liquid out post down before hooking up the hose and of course spray the inside of the tap with star san before/after each pour. Would much rather do this correct over time then rush, spend more money, and have to replace things to get what I want in the end

Question. Do the foward sealing Nukatap faucets already come with a spring or will I need to order those separately?