Im pissed my kegged beer is foamy

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Southern_Junior

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Alright, so I kegged my first beer. 5 gal in a ball lock corny keg. Carbonated it perfectly, bled the keg and then set my pressure to roughly 11 psi. Yet my beer still comes out ALL foam. What am I doing wrong? Crappy regulator? Too high? Low? Or is this karma for shaving my brewer's beard?
 
It's possible you have a bum regulator. Happened to me when I first started kegging. However, post up how you carbonated.
 
Well, as per my LHBS said, I force carbed at 40 psi for 18-24 hours. My beer was already cold. I didn't mean to say that I did it perfectly, but the beer tastes nicely carbed once you get through the foam.
 
Did you bleed the pressure out of your keg when you dialed your regulator back down to 11? If not, your keg is still pressurized to around 40psi, contributing to your foaming issues.
 
you either over carbed, or your lines are too short. what's your system like? (line length, kegerator or keezer, etc), and what are your temperatures?
 
I have had a number of 'overfoam' issues when I try to force carb at high pressure too. I have just decided to simply be patient for a few days and let the beer pressurize at 12 or so psi, then bleed it and move the pressure to 8. I try to have a few beers set aside for the few days I'm waiting for the beer to carb slowly. It seems every time I try to 'speed carb' my beer it just gets too foamy. I haven't found I have to wait a full 10 days to get decent carbonation. 4 or 5 is usually sufficient for me. I also don't start carbing until the beer is cold.
 
How many have you pulled?

Just tapped my first keg last night as well on a very similar setup and I noticed the first... 4-5? ish.. glasses had a lot of foam. As I worked through the next 2-3 it settled down to normal for me.
 
See the thing that is weird is on Saturday, it took about four beers and then it settled down. Then I went to pull a beer on Monday night and the foam was back!
 
yeah, you just pushed too much CO2 in at 40 psi. I would turn off the gas, purge your keg then purge it a couple of more times over the next 12-24 hours. Then re-apply about 12psi and let it sit.
 
So I tried everything y'all suggested. The only thing I can figure is that I have a bum reg. I set the reg to one setting and it refused to hold a consistent pressure in hose. So I'm hoping that the new regulator will be what I nee to fix the issue.
 
Southern_Junior said:
So I tried everything y'all suggested. The only thing I can figure is that I have a bum reg. I set the reg to one setting and it refused to hold a consistent pressure in hose. So I'm hoping that the new regulator will be what I nee to fix the issue.

The reg is fine. It wont hold pressure because you overcarbed it initially. Read the keg carbing illustrated thread that is stickied. Dont ask the lhbs for kegging advice anymore.
 
See the thing that is weird is on Saturday, it took about four beers and then it settled down. Then I went to pull a beer on Monday night and the foam was back!

This means that either the carbonation level is still higher than the level corresponding to your serving pressure, or the lines and faucet are significantly warmer than the beer. My guess, based on how you carbed it, is the first one.

And +1 to not getting any more kegging advice from that LHBS.
 
I second that it isn't your regulator - highly improbable unless you remember banging the hell out of it recently. Try increasing your liquid line to 12 feet of 3/16" ID. Keeping your pint glass in the freezer also helps reduce C02 escaping solution when it hits your glass.
 
I agree that a long serving line would reduce the symptoms but it's likely more highly carbed than you'd really want. I'd turn the gas off or disconnect that keg and pull the vent a couple times over the course of a few hours. THEN set the reg to 10psi, hook it up and give it a try. Pour an ounce and knock it back, then fill a pint.
 
I agree that a long serving line would reduce the symptoms but it's likely more highly carbed than you'd really want. I'd turn the gas off or disconnect that keg and pull the vent a couple times over the course of a few hours. THEN set the reg to 10psi, hook it up and give it a try. Pour an ounce and knock it back, then fill a pint.

I agree. 40 psi for 24 hours overcarbed the keg, and it's still foamy because it's trying to equalize. To solve, turn off the gas and pull the pressure relief all the time. Then, the next morning set the psi at 10-11 psi and let it sit.

It's a pain to fix an overcarbed keg, so it's easier to carb with "set it and forget it" methods- like set it at 11 psi and walk away for a week. But in huge hurry, I've had good luck with setting it at 30 psi for 36 hours (for a warm keg that is stuck into the kegerator) or for 24 hours (for an already cold keg) and then pulling the pressure relief valve and setting it at 12 psi. It's not perfect, but it's the only way I've found that won't overcarb the beer.
 
Well, as per my LHBS said, I force carbed at 40 psi for 18-24 hours. My beer was already cold. I didn't mean to say that I did it perfectly, but the beer tastes nicely carbed once you get through the foam.

Next time set it at serving PSI and walk away for two weeks. You'll never have a problem with over-carbonation, and foaming problems should be non-existent assuming you are using enough hose. The two weeks at serving PSI in the fridge also serves as a great way to cold crash your beer and carbonate it at the same time.
 
Right, one of the other reasons why a burst carbed beer tends to foam more is that all the superfine particulates, like yeast for example, have not fully settled out. These remain as nucleation points for the CO2 to attach to and start forming bubbles.
 
Alright, I'm kegging a Belgian trippel tonight. So I will chill it and then try setting and forgetting method. Y'all think 11 psi is the right pressure?
 
40 deg, 11 psi, and 6' should be ok for set/forget, as long as your tap is higher than your keg
 
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