First time home-bar keg owner looking for help

I can recommend two vendors that can help a lot: Micromatic and KegConnection. Have dealt with both, good product selection and good customer service. Micromatic tends to be a little more expensive. There are probably other dependable vendors but I trust these two.

Starting with your questions: If you have beers carb'ed to a different level you will need a dual-primary regulator. I.E, an IPA may have a pressure of 10-12psi while a Saison will be 14-16psi. These are easily available; at Micromatic pick from their premium regulators and at KC pick their Taprite brand (mine is going strong after 5+ years). For gas line you want 5/16ID red vinyl, should last a decade+, for beer line you want 3/16ID x 7/16OD (clear). Buy twice as much as you think you'll need 'cause you'll replace it every year or two.

For CO2 tank, shop your local area for how it will be re-supplied. Many places are exchange only, some will do an actual refill (typically fire extinguisher outlets). If exchanging you may be able to "buy in", i.e. pay for a tank (used) and return it for a full one similar to propane exchange. If actually re-filling then you'll need to buy your own tank ... you will have to manage your hydro inspections but this isn't a deal breaker. Check your local prices, but almost always a bigger tank is cheaper to operate. You can't go wrong with a 20 lb'er, a great advantage is you typically go a year+ without touching it. Luxury would be having two 20 lb'ers.

Regarding faucets/shanks: I use all stainless, initial cost is higher but cheaper in the long run. I recommend Perlick faucets, with simple maintenance/cleaning they will be pouring at your wake. For shanks stick with the ss . . . all of this is available through the two vendors listed above.

I defer listing all the cleaning/accessories parts until you get closer . . . no show-stopper here. There are other posters on this Forum who can give better details regarding dual-towers and commercial couplers.

Here's a primer on how Draft Beer works: http://www.draft-beer-made-easy.com/draftbeerequipment.html
A couple more useful FAQ sites:
https://www.micromatic.com/education/draft-beer-faqs
https://www.kegconnection.com/documentation-how-to-videos/

Will also defer on things like leaks/balancing until you are ready to put it all together.

 

What he said.

 

Everything Largo says, times 2.

For the dual faucet tower you will notice there can be quite a spread in cost. You will want to spend some good money on the tower if you can. A poorly made tower (or faucet for that matter) will remind you of the $30 you saved buying the plasticy not really chrome POS tower, every time you pull a beer. So like a good car or a fine piece of furniture the tower should be robust, satisfying. Thunk. The Perlick forward seal S/S faucet is absolutely my favorite, by a lot. The Micromatic S/S faucet (not a forward seal) is ridiculously well machined, heavy and also looks like it was pulled off of the Chrysler building. But if you like that...

A known vendor will verify that their tower will fit the True kegerator. Most do, but there is some real cheap junk out there so do ask. There is some really atrocious hardware being sold to a price point. If you want to do it right buy name brand.

"Anti microbial" mumbo jumbo. Bull Shit. Use vinyl "Beverage Line" and not ordinary hardware tube. For gas line, as Largo notes get 5/16" ID Red gas line. It stays flexible in the cold and is pressure rated. There is no magic here. Having installed a few thousand feet of draft line, trust me, it ain't brain surgery. Anti microbial? My beer has microbes? Should we worry? Yikes!

Ask questions as needed. You look to be about twice as informed as the typical newbie. So good luck!
Cheers.

 

#2, your answer is #2. You should get a second tank and keep it in reserve, because there is absolutely nothing worse than running out of gas when you go to get a beer.

 

You really only need one tank in operation, the "spare" is for when you run out on Fri afternoon before a long weekend. The geometry of your setup should tell you which way to go. If your tank is mounted inside the kegerator you probably want a dual-primary. My tank is outside with a single primary, one line through the wall (collar) feeds a couple of secondary regulators. If you have a dual stage outside your unit that will require running two lines into the kegerator. So, take a hard look at where you have excess space and how you will snake the line(s). Be aware a manifold can feed an unlimited number of kegs but only at the same pressure. By adding a "wye" to an outlet you double the lines you run (again at the same press). Only if you step up to secondary regulators (more expensive) can you regulate pressure downstream from your primary. Be aware of the extra effort to have multiple pressures . . . they certainly serve a purpose (I use multiples) but some more hardware/expense is required.

Don't let all these options spook you . . . for the most part all options have generic connections and can be added/deleted. Example: a single stage primary can have a second primary outlet added (making it dual stage), you can add a wye to an outlet giving you two outlets. I know Keg Connection will custom assemble any type options you need, if it's in their inventory they will put it together for you.

My first action would be determine interior dimensions of kegerator and figure how many kegs it can hold, plus, is the tank going to be inside or out. Your unit may not have room for a 20 lb tank (?), or, maybe you want it outside. This will drive your tank selection. Check your area for "commercial gas distributors" and "fire extinguisher outlets". They will either have tanks or can give you directions to someone who has. Many posters here report buying a brand new tank from Amazon and the first thing they do is "exchange" it for a 30 year old tank. So learn if you'll be exchanging or refilling and what size you will be dealing with. Craigslist can be very helpful here.

Most important is to not tell anyone you're getting a kegerator until it is setup and balanced. Many posters here have a unit delivered on Fri, their keg delivered Sat, and they ask how to have it ready for a Super Bowl party on Sun. With complete knowledge of the process and no snags along the way it should take about a week to get it balanced.

 

If it is a decent tower, the tubing will be quality. It will be the exact same as what you buy separately. The most common brand is Accuflex. BevLex series 200 is specifically for this use.
Another brand is Kuriyama. 3/16" ID and 7/16" OD. Cant miss. Avoid "Watts" branded, that's the stuff they sell at HD or Lowes, and it varies. Not always food grade. You want vinyl

You will need some extra tubing, because you eventually replace the lines. Beer is food, and no matter how diligent you're cleaning it will need to be replaced eventually. You're going to love that part.

Progress.

 

You do know with a dual body regulator mounted outside the kegerator you will have to run two lines into the unit to the two kegs. That'll work, but my guess is your kegerator isn't set up for this (that really is a guess).

Now for the nitpicking: You don't need shank tailpieces, your tower-shanks have a tailpiece built in. Have never used ultra barrier beer line, looks like it is 3 times the price of Bevlux . . . will let @billandsuz address this. Not familiar with the faucet you choose, but with Perlicks at the same price it would be an easy decision for me. I'm a homebrewer, so don't know difference in a Sanke coupler from a Sanka cup of coffee, but there are others here who can chime in.

Philosophically speaking: You need to decide if you want your gas/beer connections to be made to "barbs" or to "male flare" (MFL) fittings. To attach a hose to a barb you heat the hose and slide it over the barb, when it cools it is attached. For liquids you are done, for gas you need a hose clamp. To remove you must cut it off (PITA). Advantage for barb is simpler . . . until you remove it. With a MFL fitting you will attach your hose to a swivel nut barb (1/4" for liquid, 5/16" for gas) by the same heat/shrink method, then simply screw the nut onto the threaded fitting. Very easy to attach/remove. But you have to buy the swivel nuts and a tiny teflon washer to make the seal. Some people use barbs for gas (it's rarely changed) and MFL for liquid. Or all barbs or all MFL . . . there is no perfect answer other than you don't want a mixed bag. Most of these fittings are interchangeable, you can swap anything out. But ideally you'd like to get it right the first time.

Don't get too bogged down in the ordering process, I know Keg Connection will adapt any of their fittings or accessories to your order. They deal with new customers regularly, so don't be afraid to tell 'em what you want and let them massage any bumps in the shopping cart.

 

One add - no need to change out gas lines. 32’ is waaaay over kill.

 

I didn't go to far into the order but still I can tell this much.

Barrier tubing is not the same as choker. Choker is vinyl and it is meant to add resistance. Barrier tubing is poly and it is meant to have little resistance. The barrier in barrier tubing is there to limit (eliminate) oxygen permeation into the liquid. There is no such thing as barrier choker. Choker is just thick vinyl, and it should be FDA. Meaning it wont leach plasticizer. SO... just get beverage line choker... aka 3/16" ID x 7/16" OD vinyl choker that is beverage line. There is no other choker and there is no other product that does the job. Every system requires resistance and every system has a length of choker. Vinyl choker is required in every system, always. (Barrier is what is used to get beer to the choker, and it is replaced every dozen years or so).

Can't go wrong with Perlick Perls. The creamer option is not needed. You wont see it at your local or really any bar, anywhere, but if you like he idea go for it. It's not a bad thing.

Stainless is a luxury but a pretty cheap upgrade, and as a general rule anything stainless is built much better too.

You will never need to change gas line. 5 or 6 feet is plenty. Just enough to get the cylinder and regulator on the floor to change. Too much and you have to stuff it into the kegerator.

That True kegerator might have 2 knock outs for gas line. At least one but maybe two.

Nice set up. If we had a customer who wanted a dual faucet pro set up, this would be an option.
Cheers.

 

Dual secondaries in the kegerator will certainly work, that's what I do. There may be some difficulty with mounting, you can't "drill" into sides . . . will probably require some head-scratching. If you want to go "poor man" initially you can get this part for 'bout three bucks and it will comfortably feed two kegs:

This is as good as twin secondary regulators with the exception of single pressure only. It will be simpler, cheaper, and not a bad way to start. Just make sure it's 5/16" OD. Easy to replace with the nicer hardware if you think you need it.

This is confusing . . . until you see it. I go all MFL, others are happy with barbs . . . it just depends. With a MFL fitting you do still have to attach to barb, but then the nut goes on the threaded fitting easily with a simple turn of the pliers. When you swap out lines you "unscrew" the nut and remove the hose. Yes, you still have to cut the hose off the barb, but you can carry it to your work bench where it's much easier and less likely of stabbing your fingers. MFLs are more parts . . . to me it's worth it. You'll need a teflon washer(and a few spares) for the metal nut to seal against the "male flare" outlet. With liquid you don't even need a hose clamp (no leaks at these low pressures), with gas you can use worms or an oetiker:

Here's a video: (If you use hot water to "expand" the line it is much easier, also visualize doing this procedure "inside" your kegerator when swapping out line attached to barb fittings)

Philosophically (again): Don't be afraid of making connections. There is no such thing as a Kegerator Repairman you can call. When something goes wrong you get your tools and fix it. Building your own lines are a part of it . . . yes, the first time or two it may leak, but you'll learn. You will become a leak expert or end up selling your unit on Craigslist. Just about everyone who does this is self-taught so no need to worry. I would not even buy the 5' beer lines, high probability they will be too short and you've just wasted money. Get your 30' and experiment with your first line . . . it'll probably be in the 6 - 8' range. Same with gas line, get 10+ feet and make your own connections. You can search this Forum for "leaks" and get some good troubleshooting techniques.

Regarding type of lines: I stick with the vinyl (Bevlux is the brand at KC) and have been pleased. At 50¢/ft that's a bargain. But @billandsuz installs this professionally so will always defer to his knowledge.

At the risk of over-whelming, you need to start thinking about balancing your system. Here are two pretty good threads:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/foaming.193492/
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/help-with-balancing-my-system.248243/

Still recommend you tell no one what you are doing till it's pouring smoothly.

 

Choker is just vinyl tubing, and you do want PVC free. It is called Beverage Line. I like Bevlex 200, or Kuriyama. It is fairly generic and cheap. Regular vinyl tubing is the clear stuff you see at any hardware store with the big difference that the vinyl made for beverages is PVC free and the stuff at Lowes may or may not be. Lowes sells "Watts" brand, sometimes it is PVC free. I don't understand either.

It is called choker for a reason.

Example A*-
Fully turn on the spigot outside your home and the water blasts out with force. OK.
Now add 100' of garden hose to the spigot. Same spigot, same household pressure at the spigot but the flow rate at the end of the garden hose is greatly reduce. The hose adds resistance. It is a choker of sorts.

Example B-
Replace the 100' garden hose with 100' of Teflon, er PTFE, lined tubing. Same diameter.
The pressure and flow rate is substantially greater. Less resistance. (PTFE is PFA in fact).

* In your mind. Fully turn it on in your mind man.

Barrier tubing is the opposite of choker. Barrier is made from poly and meant to add little resistance.

Just about every draft system in the world uses a length of Choker to get the flow rate corrected. In a kegerator, it is really all you need to use. About 6' is a good length.

Leave the Barrier Tubing alone. It is only needed when the kegs are distant from the faucet, and eliminating as much system resistance as possible is required.

Makes sense?

Cheers.

Also, I am going to suggest you don't hang the CO2.
1, it will fall off the wall and your regulator will break.
2, a 5# tank of CO2 gas is a rocket ship. Or a missile. It is definitely a 5# projectile with the aid of 800 psi of compressed gas. You get the idea.