What kind of shanks do I need?

[Pickngrin]

I'm going to upgrade my 2 corny setup from picnip taps to REAL BEER FAUCETS! I got inspired by seeing some of the DIY draft towers (made from PVC) and decided that I will make a dual-faucet tower from 3" PVC pipe. I'm going to buy 2 Perlick faucets. My question is - what type and size shanks do I need?
I'm probably going to place an order with Austin Homebrew...hopefully they have the shanks I need.

(As an aside, why is it that 9 times out of 10, one online supplier has all but 1 item that you need...leading you to pay shipping for two different orders?)

Thanks

 

[GroosBrewz]

shank length depends on how thick your kegerator is since you have to drill through that..

door thickness +about 1" for assembly pieces,this includes shank, nipple, locking nut, and washer.

keep your sizing as close throughout your system as possible since restriction increase pressures and will cause dispensing issues with foaming or undercarb

Hope this helps

 

[kunstler]

GroosBrewz: I think you missed the mark on this on - sorry

He's building a tower, not going through the door.

usually they say elbow shanks work for towers (since you just have to go through the "wall" of the tower.

I made a tower last year out of a giant plastic crayon Bank (its like a 2 foot hollow crayon) and the wall of that was minimally thick so I just used an elbow shank since there wasn't much room depth wise. I'd assume the same would be for PVC pipe as its the same concept only slightly thicker to begin with (but we're not talking inches thick)

 

[GroosBrewz]

GroosBrewz: I think you missed the mark on this on - sorry

He's building a tower, not going through the door.

Ooops- my bad.... Too much damn Apfelwein.....

 

[mordantly]

ive only seen L tail pieces.

 

[Pickngrin]

Thanks for the input. It seems that very few vendors sell the elbow shanks. Has anyone here ever dealt with kegworld.com?

 

[Stuntman]

GroozBrewz, I did the same thing. Tower man Tower lol




3 inch shanks is what I used. I had an inch or so extra, but worked fine out the side of an old frig.

A good trick is to drill holes for size of PVC that will fit over your shanks (tightly). That way when you tighten them up you won't bend the sheet metal that the frig is made of.

I hate to make another thread for this one question, So I'll shoot it out.....

How do I get the shank off my Perlicks? I want to buy the elbows and tower. I threw out the old garage frig and now want to make a Sanyo 4912 tower setup. Using the Perlicks I have that are now connected to 3" shanks.

 

[elmetal]

austin has 2 inch shanks and elbow tailpieces.

it's altogether with beernut and washer the same price as the elbowed shanks you find elsewhere, except the diy is much easier to keep clean inside.

 

[Pickngrin]

austin has 2 inch shanks and elbow tailpieces.

it's altogether with beernut and washer the same price as the elbowed shanks you find elsewhere, except the diy is much easier to keep clean inside.

So those 2" shanks from Austin will fit in a 3" PVC tower?
Any problems connecting the 1/4" piece to standard 3/16" beverage line?

 

[elmetal]

the elbowed tailpiece will fit a 3/16 line easily.

ok maybe not easily but after a good hot water soak it's semi easy.

at least you know it wont be flying out anytime soon.

 

[Stuntman]

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Categories.bok?category=*Components:Towers:Tower+Parts

Here are those elbows 22 and change.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I hate to make another thread for this one question, So I'll shoot it out.....

How do I get the shank off my Perlicks? I want to buy the elbows and tower. I threw out the old garage frig and now want to make a Sanyo 4912 tower setup. Using the Perlicks I have that are now connected to 3" shanks.

If I'm understanding your question...one of these will make tightening/loosening the collar MUCH easier. Called a spanner wrench.

 

[Stuntman]

If I'm understanding your question...one of these will make tightening/loosening the collar MUCH easier. Called a spanner wrench.

Awesome! I do appreciate that, I can now order the stuff I need, and save about eighty bucks.