My first glass of beer from my kegged batch... all foam. The second? all foam. 3rd?

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nerdlogic

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All foam.

The line to the spigot is not foam.

Heres how this came about...

Kegged & hooked to co2, set to 30psi.
left in fridge at that pressure, hooked up to co2, for 2 days.

unhooked, released pressure, reconnected at 12psi in the fridge.

waited 1 day.

served up these foam glasses.

will this dissipate, any ideas, insights?

the beer is delicious and carbonated enough for an oatmeal stout, awesome batch in fact, but i need to wait 5 min for the foam to go down.
 
1 foot long bev line. whatever the standard size is for a plastic spigot... something like 1/4" i think
 
my old bev line was 3 feet, and then i read online that having it that long just makes it more likely to get caught on stuff or under the keg. it matters how long the line is? this doesn't make physical sense.
 
Your system needs to be balanced-- the rapid decrease in pressure over a one foot length means that a lot of CO2 will come out of solution. Longer lines are needed to provide enough restriction to balance the pressure inside the keg and in your beer.

If you lower the pressure in the keg, I bet your beer will pour a lot better with the short line.

Also, it's possible you are overcarbonated with 30psi on the beer at refrigerator temps for two days.

-Steve
 
1 foot long bev line. whatever the standard size is for a plastic spigot... something like 1/4" i think

my old bev line was 3 feet, and then i read online that having it that long just makes it more likely to get caught on stuff or under the keg. it matters how long the line is? this doesn't make physical sense.

Most line is 3/16". It makes sense how long the line is when you think about it- the short lines cause foaming. It's all physics- the amount of resistance vs. the amount of pressure.

To test our theory of your short line being the problem, try this:

Purge the keg. Reset at 1-2 psi, just enough to push the beer out. See if there is any foam.

Here's some good info: Draft system line balancing
 
5' minimum, 8' recommended by me 3/16" ID beer line otherwise foam city, 1/4" ID line will be foam city as well, unless you dispense like Yooper said at a couple PSI. But that's a PITA to be bleeding and wasting CO2 all the time, just get longer lines or look up cure for your short hose troubles where some people have added resistance inside the keg.
 
5' minimum, 8' recommended by me 3/16" ID beer line otherwise foam city, 1/4" ID line will be foam city as well, unless you dispense like Yooper said at a couple PSI. But that's a PITA to be bleeding and wasting CO2 all the time, just get longer lines or look up cure for your short hose troubles where some people have added resistance inside the keg.

I don't agree about 1/4" ID being foam city. I only use 3' of 1/4" line and I've never had a problem with foam. I wouldn't recommend much less than 3' though. I don't force at 30psi either, and I've never had a good experience when I did. I usually just set it between 15-20 psi depending on temp and beer and let it sit for a week. After that, drop pressure to around 6psi and dispense. Works like a charm every time.
 
But, my beer would be pretty flat at 6 psi. I need to keep it at about 12 psi to be carbonated. That's why I needed longer lines, and 3/16th line. I don't think many people keep their pressure set as low as 6 psi, except for maybe some "flat" type English beers.
 
I had similar problem, I had my temp set at 38-40 degrees becuase that's where I like it

I turned temp down to 34 degrees and no more foam problems
 
But, my beer would be pretty flat at 6 psi. I need to keep it at about 12 psi to be carbonated. That's why I needed longer lines, and 3/16th line. I don't think many people keep their pressure set as low as 6 psi, except for maybe some "flat" type English beers.

Maybe I don't quite understand my kegging system as much as I thought I did then. It was my understanding that once my beer is carbonated (after the week at 15-20psi), all I need to do it keep it pressurized and turn up the CO2 enough to push beer out. That's why I keep it at 6. I've never had issues with beer going flat, but maybe I'll try to leave it at 10-15 to see if it does anything for it. I always get a perfect head and it tastes great throughout the keg.
 
Maybe I don't quite understand my kegging system as much as I thought I did then. It was my understanding that once my beer is carbonated (after the week at 15-20psi), all I need to do it keep it pressurized and turn up the CO2 enough to push beer out. That's why I keep it at 6. I've never had issues with beer going flat, but maybe I'll try to leave it at 10-15 to see if it does anything for it. I always get a perfect head and it tastes great throughout the keg.

Well, yes, and no. If you just want to push the beer, 6 psi will do it. But I have several kegs on tap, and sometimes one will sit longer than a couple of weeks. At 6 psi, the beer will go flat. I keep my kegerator at 12 psi all the time (unless I have a reason to change it- like quick force carbing, etc) for two of my kegs, but I do have another regulator for other beers that should be carbed higher or lower. It's a pain to have different pressures for carbing, quick carbing, and dispensing.

In a "balanced" system, you can set one pressure and not ever have to change it. My beer carbs up at 12 psi, and is served at 12 psi. Because I have 8 foot lines, there is always a perfect pour. Occasionally, I have something I want carbed up a bit more and I just turn that regulator up a bit and still get a perfect pour each time.

If you have one keg, and don't mind changing the pressure, then that will work just fine.
 
I fixed mine last night. I bought some 3/16 to replace one of my 1/4 lines and couldnt' figure out why I was getting faom! Turns out I never installed the 3/16 line! Put it in last night and my IPA was back to normal. Actually might be a bit too long now.
 
I don't agree about 1/4" ID being foam city. I only use 3' of 1/4" line and I've never had a problem with foam. I wouldn't recommend much less than 3' though. I don't force at 30psi either, and I've never had a good experience when I did. I usually just set it between 15-20 psi depending on temp and beer and let it sit for a week. After that, drop pressure to around 6psi and dispense. Works like a charm every time.

You're simply in the camp of people who either don't mind a slow decrease in carbonation or float a keg in only a week or two. With 5 kegs tapped, some of my beers sit around for 6 months. I need to keep the regulators running at maintenance pressure which is the pressure you find on the charts for the amount of volumes you want. If you do that, and have foam problems, your serving lines are unbalanced.

If you carbed 43F beer to 2.5 volumes using 14 psi and then turned the pressure down to 6spi for "serving", over the course of 2 weeks or so, you'll settle in at around 1.8 volumes. You probably won't notice because it's gradual. 3/16" ID tubing is a few cents a foot. Why screw around?

img134.jpg
 
i turned my pressure down to 1psi, just enough to squirt the beer out. brilliance. Its delicious and i can fill a full glass without too much foam head.
 
You're simply in the camp of people who either don't mind a slow decrease in carbonation or float a keg in only a week or two. With 5 kegs tapped, some of my beers sit around for 6 months. I need to keep the regulators running at maintenance pressure which is the pressure you find on the charts for the amount of volumes you want. If you do that, and have foam problems, your serving lines are unbalanced.

If you carbed 43F beer to 2.5 volumes using 14 psi and then turned the pressure down to 6spi for "serving", over the course of 2 weeks or so, you'll settle in at around 1.8 volumes. You probably won't notice because it's gradual. 3/16" ID tubing is a few cents a foot. Why screw around?

I've actually got the same chart plastered to my fridge.

As for my beer lines... I went with 1/4" because that's what my faucet shank hose barb was. I usually go through a keg about once a month. I have two on tap at a time, but I tend to have friends over who drink me beer alot.
 
i turned my pressure down to 1psi, just enough to squirt the beer out. brilliance. Its delicious and i can fill a full glass without too much foam head.

That's good news! If you dont mind turning down to serve, then you're all set. I'd get 6-8 feet of 3/16th line and keep the pressure at the 10 psi area (or according to the chart). For my small kegerator, with the picnic taps, I just use a ziptie to tie up the extra line so it doesn't get messed up by my fellow drinkers. I actually keep the taps lying in the door, so when you open the fridge, they're right there. So far, no spills!
 
For 3/16" line with 1/4" barbs, heat up a cup of water, like you're going to make tea, dip the end of the line in the water to heat it up, and it will slip right on the 1/4" barb and not usually even need a clamp.
Suthrncomfrt1884, I used to do the same thing, carb up and then drop the pressure to serve with a short 1/4" line. It works but your dissolved co2 will balance back out to the pressure you're serving at. Once I got a more permanent setup and I went to 8' L 3/16" ID lines, my pours are perfect, repeatable, and consistent.
 
Well, after reading this thread I think I need to switch over to 3/16" line. I am using 1/4" right now and had to use 14' to get it balanced at 12 PSI. Of course, I have 14', it is tie-wrapped in a neat loop and out of the way, and is dispensing fine.... Hmmm, maybe I should just leave well enough alone.
Never mind. As you were.
 
I think I've been talked into building a new kegerator. My fridge is pretty old, and I planned on upgrading to a keezer soon anyway, so I think I'll start collecting a few extra taps and some 3/16" line so I can get started.
 
Your lines are way to short you have some killer pressure going from the keg to your tap.

I posted this several months ago and I redid my line to 8 to 10ft of hose, that will create resistence, causing less foam.

Also set your co2 level to 12psi when dispensing, not sure of you mentioned this earlier,:mug:
 
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