Kegerator Foam issue

Hey everyone.
I know that posts like this are dime a dozen but I really would appreciate any advice on my issue. I have a keg of Fat Tire that I just can't get to stop foaming.

First off my setup:
-5 feet of 3/16'' of vinyl tubing.
-tower tap with copper tubing going a foot into the kegerator to try to ensure equal cooling
-kegerator set at 37 degrees and 12psi

So the first pour is almost entirely foam. The second pour is usually regular, but if I wait 5 minutes until the next pour I'll get the foam again.

I've messed around with the psi a bunch and the only time I've gotten it with minimal foam is at a 6psi but the beer tasted a little flat after a while.

I realize it sounds like a tower cooling issue, but I honestly think its something else. How low of a psi can I use without it going flat? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Also- I can see bubbles in the tubing right outside of the keg before it goes up the tower.

You're right that's probably not a tower cooling issue. Your lines are too short. Look up how to balance your draft system- you'll probably have to go to at least 10ft lines. All of my lines are 10ft and never foam. Your pours may be a little slower but you need the resistance of the lines to keep the CO2 in your beer- short lines = no resistance = foam.

I think it's the tower, and the short lines aren't helping.

The second glass pours ok, because the tower and lines are cooled by the first pour. That tells me it's a tower issue.

But because 5' of line is pretty short, I'd also consider longer lines.

Yooper said:

I think it's the tower, and the short lines aren't helping.

The second glass pours ok, because the tower and lines are cooled by the first pour. That tells me it's a tower issue.

But because 5' of line is pretty short, I'd also consider longer lines.

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Ah yes- I missed that it was just the first pour- that means the first pour is cooling your lines and that's why the second pour is less foamy. You should probably fix both.

Yooper said:

I think it's the tower, and the short lines aren't helping.

The second glass pours ok, because the tower and lines are cooled by the first pour. That tells me it's a tower issue.

But because 5' of line is pretty short, I'd also consider longer lines.

Click to expand...

It could still be the line length. Before I had 10 foot lines, I had the exact same issue in a picnic tap. Since the tap was always in the fridge, it didn't have any cooling issues.

When you pour the first glass, the pressure inside the keg drops. The regulator hasn't been able to fully recover by the time the second glass is poured. This means that the second pour happens more slowly. However, five minutes later, the regulator is able to raise the pressure in the keg again. Most co2 regulators take some time to recover the previous pressure.

rubikcube said:

When you pour the first glass, the pressure inside the keg drops. The regulator hasn't been able to fully recover by the time the second glass is poured. This means that the second pour happens more slowly. However, five minutes later, the regulator is able to raise the pressure in the keg again. Most co2 regulators take some time to recover the previous pressure.

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A typical CO2 regulator should be able to continuously supply 30+ psi at a pretty hefty flow rate, it doesn't "take some time to recover." The keg will be back at your set pressure almost instantly after pouring, 1 second at the most. The amount of CO2 you'd need to inject to maintain, for example, 12 psi in the 12-20 ounces of beer you just pulled out is tiny. If your regulator and tank take minutes to pressurize a small vessel, something's very wrong.

OP, it might also help to find out how many volumes of CO2 New Belgium carbonates the keg at, and try to maintain the proper pressure at your system's temperature. If you're applying less pressure than you need to to maintain the carb level, CO2 can be slowly coming out of solution in the line to equalize the pressure. So if you don't pour for a few minutes, you can get bubbles building up in the serving line.

Yooper said:

I think it's the tower, and the short lines aren't helping.

The second glass pours ok, because the tower and lines are cooled by the first pour. That tells me it's a tower issue.

But because 5' of line is pretty short, I'd also consider longer lines.

Click to expand...

Possibly, but the fact that he can see bubbles forming in the line just past the coupler suggests that there are additional issues.

zachattack said:

OP, it might also help to find out how many volumes of CO2 New Belgium carbonates the keg at, and try to maintain the proper pressure at your system's temperature. If you're applying less pressure than you need to to maintain the carb level, CO2 can be slowly coming out of solution in the line to equalize the pressure. So if you don't pour for a few minutes, you can get bubbles building up in the serving line.

Click to expand...

That's my guess too, especially since he said he can see the bubbles forming in the line.

OP, if you don't get a quick answer from New Belgium, you could try increasing the pressure 1 psi at a time until you no longer see the bubbles forming in the line. The problem you have is that increasing the serving pressure may end up being too much for your short serving line, so after correcting the one problem, you'll be faced with another. Another option would be to degas the keg until the carbonation level matches your serving pressure and temp.

Edit: According to the googles, Fat Tire is carbed to 2.5 vol, which means the pressure should be fine, assuming the temp is accurate. How/where are you measuring the temp? Can you check to see what the temp difference is between the bottom of the kegerator and the spot up high where the bubbles are forming in the line?