Upgrading Danby Kegerator - Need Advice/Help

Discussion in 'Home Bar' started by DontTazeMeBroski, Jun 26, 2017.

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  1. DontTazeMeBroski

    DontTazeMeBroski Initiate (0) Jun 26, 2017

    Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum as well as to owning a kegerator. I have a Danby 2 tap system (model# DKC052BSL2DB) and a local company assembled, delivered and set everything up for me. Included was the standard system.

    Well, being a newb, one of my tap handles kept getting stuck and not knowing why or really researching the issue, I broke the faucet. Beer started pouring out and it would not seal on back at all. Further research I found out a lot. That it's just a lot more than pouring beer lol.

    So, I understand now that I should have unhooked the line from the keg, turned off the CO2 and removed the faucet and cleaned it. Hind sight is 20/20. So, I decided that I wanted to go with a forward sealing faucet. But before I do that, if I'm going to upgrade, I might as well just go ahead and do it right.

    So, when I removed the broken faucet, it's spring loaded, big spring sticking out of the back where it connects to the tower. I know that Perlick faucets and others are not spring loaded. My question is, which is the best forward sealing faucets to replace the standard with?

    Also, how do I remove that spring, it seems to be really stuck in there? And will removing the spring and connecting a new forward sealing faucet work? Or do I need to do anything else or upgrade any other parts?

    I've been wanting to upgrade one of the taps so I can start having Guinness and other European beers on tap. I know that requires a special keg coupler, special faucet and the mixed gas (Nitrogen/CO2 blend). Will the special faucet work with the standard towers too? Or will I need to upgrade the tower all together?
     
    #1 DontTazeMeBroski, Jun 26, 2017
  2. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Looks like you have a lot going on here.

    Spring removal. Good luck with that. Spring loaded faucets are a gimmick, it's just one more thing to break. Not sure what you have here, but if the spring is stuck inside the shank it sounds pretty messed up. If it is stuck in the faucet that's perfect, because you are throwing the faucet and the spring away. Don't be seen with that.

    Forward Sealing Faucet. Perlick Perl is the industry standard, and except for some very good but very hard to come by alternate brands Perlick is pretty much your only choice. They come 2 ways. Chrome and Stainless. Get Stainless if you have $45. But chrome is fine too.

    Nitro faucet, Will fit a standard shank. Just get a domestic threaded faucet for your domestic threaded shank. No problem. No, you cannot easily use a stout faucet for regular dispense and vise versa. You have a faucet wrench, you'll need one.

    Gas. You need beer gas aka G Gas. It should be 75% N and 25% CO2. Your supplier is going to try and sell you what they have available but you want 75/25. Again, the sales guy will tell you 90/10 is fine. Or whatever they have on the dock. You want 75/25. If they don't have it find a place that does.

    Regulator. Nitro is typically but not always packaged in a cylinder with a female threaded union. Opposite of CO2. And you will need a Nitro regulator. But get the gas first, then verify the threaded connection. There are adapters. You'll definitely need a Nitro regulator, it is slightly different from a CO2 regulator even though they look similar.

    One thing to note. Guinness couplers are unique to Guinness and few other beers. European beers can have a number of other designs. German, English, Belgian etc. not much is standardized. Even within the same country.
    Cheers
     
    #2 billandsuz, Jun 27, 2017
    DontTazeMeBroski likes this.
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