Hypothetical overcarbed keg

Let's say, hypothetically of course, that strong propenent of the set it and forget method for force carbonation had some company coming over and needed some beer carbed, so he connected his kegs at 25 PSI, shook the crap out of them, and left them overnight at about 38*F. The next day after work he found that both his beers (a bass clone and an irish dry stout) were pouring glassfulls of foam. In response, he cuts the gas, pulls the pressure releases on his cornies and lets them degass a bit. After a night of no pressure, he reconnects everything at 11 PSI (which he should have just done in the first place) and the stout pours perfectly, but his bass ale clone still pours glasses of foam. Hyphothetically both beers should have degassed at the same rate, correct? Is there something else that could be leading to his glasses of foam?

This is all hypthetical, of course.

What advice would you offer him?

Matt

No one on this planet has ever done such a thing, so any answer anybody gives would be pure speculation.

I would bet that both beers would be seriously overcarbed and would still be that way. If this theoretical person would return to the two kegs now, I would bet that both would pour foam again.

In theory it would take as long for the excess CO2 to come back out as it would to put to it there in the first place.

Burping a keg once is not enough to get rid of that much excess CO2. Different beers will always react differently when poured, but I'd say burp them twice a day for three days and then put them back on pressure.

I'd say that he should have dropped the pressure inside the keg first, and then poured his glass. Pouring at that psi is going to give you foam, plain and simple.
This is, of course, all hypothetical.

Oh, yes, maybe it wasn't clear, first I released all pressure, dropped the regulator to 11 PSI, then served. All foam, so I closed off the regulator and opened the release valve and left it open (i.e. kegs at atmospheric pressure) overnight. After that, 1 was OK, the other was was still overcarbed.

clayof2day said:

Oh, yes, maybe it wasn't clear, first I released all pressure, dropped the regulator to 11 PSI, then served. All foam, so I closed off the regulator and opened the release valve and left it open (i.e. kegs at atmospheric pressure) overnight. After that, 1 was OK, was was still overcarbed.

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...hypothetically...

That's still too high. I have to drop my kegs down to about 1 or 2 psi to serve. This is with 4 feet of 3/16 ID hose and cobra tap.

Well, its been fine for all my other kegged brews, about 5 of them thus far, with 6 feet of 3/16" beer line. Its balanced, so its just the carbonation issue this time.

Ol' Grog said:

That's still too high. I have to drop my kegs down to about 1 or 2 psi to serve. This is with 4 feet of 3/16 ID hose and cobra tap.

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Grog, you know you've been having problems in carbonating and balancing your system, as has been discussed with you in other threads.

I've always kegged around 12 to 13 PSI, and never monkey around with pressure. I set it at the 12 PSI, give it about a week to carb, then just leave the pressure alone and never pour glasses of foam. Why?

Because I'm patient. I figure out how many volumes of CO2 I need to get the desired carb level I want, then consult the charts to figure out what I need to set my regulator at to get that level based on temperature. Then I set the regulator, hook everything up and leave it for a week. Then I pour wonderful glasses of perfectly carbed beer without worrying about glasses of foam, as I have taken the effort to properly balance my system.

Patience is really the key to this hobby.

Well, its OK now. The kegs have equilibrated and are on 11-12 PSI. Safe to say, I won't be using the quick-carb method again, I think I'll stick with set it and forget it.

Bike, you got THAT right! Not really problems, but more of not knowing. I was just giving the brethren the benefit of knowledge based on my experiences. That's what were all here for, right?

clayof2day said:

Safe to say, I won't be using the quick-carb method again, I think I'll stick with set it and forget it.

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Yay, another convert!!!