Carbonation question

I have been brewing for a while and the one thing I can never get right is my keg system carbonation. I force carb my beer then lower the set psi and when I go to pour a pint the first few beers are always filled with foam. I keep my regulator set at around 6 psi. Advice?

Assuming you have everything else figured out (cold lines/tower, balanced system), chances are the foaming is because CO2 is coming out of solution in the lines. This is because 6 psi probably isn't enough pressure to maintain the carbonation level in the beer, so gas is coming out to try to re-balance things.

I'd suggest using a carbonation table or calculator to find the proper pressure for your beer, then leaving it there until the keg is kicked. It'll take about 2 weeks to carbonate but the beer won't lose carbonation as you go through the keg. If your system can't handle the 10-14 psi (or whatever the table tells you) without foaming, you probably just need a longer line to balance the pressure.

Ok interesting. Thank you

Exactly what Zach said!!! Perfect advice!!

Like many people, I have my "serving pressure" at 12 psi at 40 degrees. I would suggest that having two (or more) different pressures- one as a "carbing" pressure and one as a "serving" pressure is the problem.

"Force carbing" means not using priming sugar and naturally carbing a keg. It doesn't mean turning up the gas and shaking, or turning up the gas and turning it down- that is usually called "burst carbing".

So I think you mean you "burst carbed" the beer, and then set it to a lower pressure ("serving pressure") and as zach said, that doesn't work very well because the beer is overcarbed and will come out of solution as foam.

What did you carbonate at, and what is the keg at now (psi-wise), and what are the temperatures of the kegs? If you still have it at 6 psi, the beer will start to lose carbonation.

I like to carb and serve at around the same pressure. I find that I get the best product when I carbonate at 13psi@40degrees and then keep it there for the duration of the keg.

Used to do the burst method, but I got sick of losing a bunch of beer.

Ok good info. I "forced carb" at 25 psi for 24 hours then drop it to 6 psi to serve. From what you have said it sounds like this is incorrect. How long do you all force carb the keg for? Or do you just carb it to 14 psi and leave it alone?

LiquidLunch5211 said:

Ok good info. I "forced carb" at 25 psi for 24 hours then drop it to 6 psi to serve. From what you have said it sounds like this is incorrect. How long do you all force carb the keg for? Or do you just carb it to 14 psi and leave it alone?

Click to expand...

O yeah I also set the temp to 36 degrees.

I usually do 14psi for 4 days and then leave it like that while I'm serving it. Helps keep an even level of carbonation.

If you're at 36 degrees, 14 psi is a bit high. Like I said, use a carbonation table or calculator. Here's one:

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

I'd go with 10 psi at 36 degrees.

zachattack said:

If you're at 36 degrees, 14 psi is a bit high. Like I said, use a carbonation table or calculator. Here's one:

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

I'd go with 10 psi at 36 degrees.

Click to expand...

10 psi to carb and to serve?

LiquidLunch5211 said:

10 psi to carb and to serve?

Click to expand...

Yeah. Best way. Set it at 10-11psi, walk away for two weeks. Come back, pull the first pint full of sediment, chuck it. Pull a pint. Cheers

This is what happened again. I don't get it the first few days after carbonation it was pouring amazing then I get home tonight and this is what I get.

Also I let it carb in the kegarator should I be carbonating it at room temp?

No, carb in your kegerator. Are you serving through a tower? How long are your lines?

Yes a tower. The line comes off the regulator about 24inches then goes to a tee another 24 inches to the keg. The liquid lines are about 3 feet long to the tower

LiquidLunch5211 said:

Yes a tower. The line comes off the regulator about 24inches then goes to a tee another 24 inches to the keg. The liquid lines are about 3 feet long to the tower

Click to expand...

There's the problem. 3 foot beverage lines are waaaay too short. Buy some 10' lines.

Really? That's what came with the tower. I don't know where I would run 2 10 ft lines

Most of us just coil them up. I use barrier tubing and have 20 feet of line per tap! 10 feet of standard 3/16" ID beer line should be plenty for you. The extra length will reduce the pressure in the line and slow down the pour, which will prevent the foaming you're seeing.

zachattack said:

Most of us just coil them up. I use barrier tubing and have 20 feet of line per tap! 10 feet of standard 3/16" ID beer line should be plenty for you. The extra length will reduce the pressure in the line and slow down the pour, which will prevent the foaming you're seeing.

Click to expand...

+1 on 10 ft lines. I started with 5 ft lines and noticed much improvement on pours with a longer line.

I understand what your saying with longer lines the co2 will not come out of solution. But why are the pours perfect for the first few days?
Any help appreciated

It's probably still (relatively) flat the first few days.