Question about Perlick Century Tower

[swmalone]

I have the opportunity to pick up a used Perlick 6 tap Century Tower. I really don't want to use the tower portion or run glycol lines, but I would love to use the faucets and perhaps the internal shanks.

I am just wondering if anyone on here as any experience with these. My plan is if possible to strip the faucets and if possible perhaps the shanks. If that won't work I am wondering if I can at least use the faucets and purchase replacement shanks.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

You should have no issue stripping the faucets for use elsewhere - beer faucet to shank connections are standardized. Although I dont have experience with this particular series of Perlick equipment, I would imagine that the shanks would simply come out of the tower assembly by removing the mounting/lock nut that holds the shanks in. The only hurdle would be getting the cover off of the tower.

 

[swmalone]

Thanks for the info. I have one shank that I was planning on taking with me just to make sure the faucets would mate. The tower isn't in the best shape so it may be sacrificed so I can gain easier access to the components. I just wanted to make sure the faucets would work on standard shanks since it is an hour drive just check them out.

 

[jddevinn]

Hey, Malone

Is this one of the Tee towers like this (http://www.perlick.com/files/5213/7545/8225/RB_Tee_Towers_6-13.pdf)? If so I just rebuilt one of the bridge towers that size and can help you.....

 

[swmalone]

That link said page not found. I will post a picture later.

 

[jddevinn]

Well, I guess it does... like this?

 

[swmalone]

Yep, something like that.

 

[jddevinn]

Ok, Well I did about the opposite of what you are looking to do. I purchased a really dinged, scratched and dirty 10 tap bridge tower that looks to be the same model. I ended up disassembling and cleaning the body and some of the internals, polishing and then replacing the shanks with new ones and the faucets with 630SS's.

To answer your specific question. The faucets will be usable with regular shanks. However, the shanks are not standard they look like the first picture below. The glycol lines run into the tower and then into a manifold that the beer lines also run into as shown in the second picture. The manifold is tapped and the shanks are threaded.

The one I purchased was very dirty so I ended up removing all the internal installation, cleaning and then reassembling and spraying more insulation in place. I couldn't find new plastic pieces that aligned the manifold so what you see in the second picture are washers I used to space and hold the manifold in place. I then put a small bucket into my chest freezer with a pond pump and STC-1000 instead of gycol. (Tower is temporarily directly on top of the freezer but won't remain there) If you do clean and reuse the tower the insulation is pain to remove and a lot of the hardware holding the assembly together are rivets.

 

[swmalone]

I have only seen poor pictures of the tower so far. I am going to go check it out on Friday. Seems like a good deal even if I only use the 6 faucets. He is asking $75. If I get it and decide to keep the tower I may hit you up for more details.

 

[jddevinn]

Sure thing. Also note, if this is anything like the one I picked up the faucets are Perlick faucets but are the commercial versions not the forward sealing ones that everyone likes for home use.

 

[swmalone]

Good to know. Did you use the faucets at all or just immediately switch over the the 630s? Is it worth $75 for just the 6 faucets if they are the commercial ones?

 

[jddevinn]

No I didn't. The one I got was in terrible shape. 7 or 8 of the faucets could not be removed from the shank and the outside most were too close to remove assembled to the shank... a cutting wheel was involved at one point. Cleaning the inside (beer flow part) of the manifold portion took several 30 minute sessions of re-circulation PBW through the system with a pump. The faucets were coated chrome and the shanks something other than stanlainless I could get neither to clean up.

The first picture shows the tower as received and the second shows how it is now. See the round sections in the end of the faucets on the received picture? These pull back to allow the flow. If the faucets have these they are not forward sealing, but may still be worth the $75 if all good.

I purchased mine for the 10 tap capacity and the ability to run the cooling water for when I eventually build a bar. Even if the faucets were good I would have replaced them.

 

[swmalone]

Thanks for the info. I have to decide if it is worth it for those rear sealing faucets. I did some research and I think they are 408s. I am guessing for $75 I would be lucky if I could get one 630 with a shank. Although if I end up replacing them anyways it might be better to just go with the forward sealing to begin with.

Thanks again. Gives me a lot to think about.