Too much head retention?

I've got an IPA kegged that I just tapped about a week ago. It was force kegged at 30psi for 3 days, turned regulator back down and dispensing at 12-14. It discharges through 1/4" beer line over a 5ft distance to the tap.

This is the first time I've had this issue. I'm new at brewing and kegging but this is my third kegged brew.

My glass is empty and there's about 1" of thick foam at the bottom of the cup with a heavy ring around the top and lacing top to bottom on the glass. Don't have a camera handy or I'd take a picture.

Did I do something wrong on the brewing side? Kegging side? Or just dont worry about it?

When I pour a glass it's impossible to avoid a thick head despite using clean wet tapered glass poured on an angle. The dispense rate from the keg is normal, not forceful and the carbonation "profile" is unremarkable.

Other than this extremely thick (think canned whip cream) head the beer is perfect, my best to date.

Sounds like what alot of people are trying to achieve.

Congratulations, you made what most people would consider great beer.

Try turning down your pressure to 5-8 psi range and it'll likely comes out as you would like it.

Haha

And I thought I was doing something wrong. I've never had head retention like this, commercial or homebrew.

Took a pic just now.

If you're using 1/4" line and getting good pours, that's great but not common. You may find that you get more and more head and form as time goes on. 3/16" line is better for shorter runs.

Yooper said:

If you're using 1/4" line and getting good pours, that's great but not common. You may find that you get more and more head and form as time goes on. 3/16" line is better for shorter runs.

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I had 3/16" line but couldn't squeeze it onto my barbed pinlock connectors with 1/4" barb despite heat and lube so I shortened the length of the hose when I went to 1/4" hoping to try to counter some of that issue.

Haven't had any real pour issues except for excessive foam on this one.

I don't keg and it seems like you have a good thing going for you. My first few batches had little head retention. I'm on my 10th batch now and it seems like my head retention is getting better. I have no clue how this happened....it just did.

Yooper said:

If you're using 1/4" line and getting good pours, that's great but not common. You may find that you get more and more head and form as time goes on. 3/16" line is better for shorter runs.

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To much head??

unionrdr said:

The pic shows about one finger head. Was it more than that? I love keeping a head around that thickness down to near bottom. Check out my gallery for some great head!

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Now I'm afraid to look at those pics in the gallery!

danmdevries said:

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Absolutely nothing at all wrong with that right there. The perfect amount of head to take to the bottom of the glass in my opinion.

Too much head sounds like an oximoron