4ft Beer Lines

I'm having foam issues with my first keg. It's literally all foam. I've tried dispensing at anything from no PSI to 8 PSI and still all foam. It's a single tower with 1 faucet and 3/16 beer lines. Temp is 40F. Lines are 4ft long. Beer is not overcarbed (in fact I'm carbing it a bit longer because it's not quite carbed enough). I'm on the right posts on keg.

I've read alot and many people seem to be using 6-10ft lines, but my question is before I go get new lines, is anyone operating fine with 4ft lines? How are you dispensing? Anything else I can try?

Thanks all!

You should be ok with 4ft lines, as long as they are refrigerated, also keep in mind that optimal beer serving temperature is between 34-38 degrees. In general too much foam can be a result of the following:
1) Beer drawn improperly
2) Creeping regulator
3) Applied pressure is set too high
4) Hot spots in line
5) Use of non-insulated beer line
6) Beer runs are too long for proper cooling
7) Tapped into a warm keg
8) Cooler malfunctioning
9) Kinks, dents, twists or other obstructions in line
10) Faucets in bad, dirty or worn condition

I hope this helps!

what pressure and temp did you carb it? I had a bad regulator that would allow the pressure to slowly creap up and until I relieved the pressure 2 or 3 times to get it back to normal, I'd only get foam even without the co2 attached.

Carbing was interesting. I forgot to reopen my lines after 1 day of set and forget carving at 13 psi 38f. Then I did 30psi and shake method once and put it back in fridge with co2 at 30 for 1 day. Then I purged and lowered to 18 for one night. this morning I purged and set back to 13 psi to stabilize and finish carbing. I tasted the beer and its not overcarbed. I am thinking maybe there is excess co2 in the keg still though. Ill purge again when I get home and test. As for all the conditions the first reply noted, I think im good. The regulator seems stable as I have a lock nut and its holding.

My current keg is the first time kegging. I am using a regulator and 4ft line(s) from KegCowboy.

My keezer collar is not built yet so the Perlick faucet and shank are just laying on top of the keg (think picnic tap).

At 12 PSI I have great serving pressure. It's been at 12 PSI for about two weeks now.

The first pour or two were foamy, the rest however have been good.

Be sure to open your tap fully when pouring; don't restrict the flow.

Ok. Ill try it again tonight and see how it goes after its had some to to settle and ill make sure I open all the way.

My experience is that 4' is just too short, no matter what the calculators say!

I have 8' lines and my kegerator is at 39 degrees and 12 psi. It's perfect!

Yooper I think im with you. Last night I tried again and the only way I was able to get any visible beer (not foam) in the glass was 1-2. Even then it was like only 10% clear beer. I wonder if the people who are running less than 6 ft are using 1/4 inch line. That would explain it. Going to see if I can get to the LHBS on lunch and pick up 10ft and try that. Trim down if needed.

SD-SLIM said:

also keep in mind that optimal beer serving temperature is between 34-38 degrees.

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Nit pick. Decent generalization but this is really style specific. I don't want to pour bitters at less than 45F. You can pour them cold and let it warm a bit, but the lower carbonation will usually dissipate quickly and then you're drinking flat beer by the time it warms.

Keb said:

Carbing was interesting. I forgot to reopen my lines after 1 day of set and forget carving at 13 psi 38f. Then I did 30psi and shake method once and put it back in fridge with co2 at 30 for 1 day. Then I purged and lowered to 18 for one night. this morning I purged and set back to 13 psi to stabilize and finish carbing. I tasted the beer and its not overcarbed. I am thinking maybe there is excess co2 in the keg still though. Ill purge again when I get home and test. As for all the conditions the first reply noted, I think im good. The regulator seems stable as I have a lock nut and its holding.

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You said that the beer isn't overcarbed but then this statement above is contradictory. Essentially, you have no idea what the current state of CO2 is in that beer. It may appear to be undercarbed because the dispense is so violent that it's knocking it all out.

Regardless of where this beer is at right now, I'd recommend doubling the length of your tubing and make sure it's 3/16" ID.

So your saying to could in fact be overcarbed but not taste it? I know ill never be shaking again. Not enough control on results.

After over carbing a keg, I find that 1 or 2 purges generally doesn't cut it, especially on a full keg, the beer will release co2 into the headspace and equalize. For example if your beer is over carbed to 3.5 Vol, and there is little headspace in the keg, it may only equalize to 3.4 after a purge. When you purge you are really setting the headspace back to 1 atmosphere, not the beer.

Ok update:

I replaced the lines with 8ft of 3/16 (instead of 4ft) and it seems to be a bit better. Now when I'm at 12 psi I get about 1/4 actual beer and the rest foam. Before I had to lower it to 1-2psi to get that result which obvious is still not good. So because the beer line is no longer an issue I'm thinking maybe it is overcarbed. I tasted it and it tastes good as far as carbonation (nothing to crazy).

No one answered me on whether or not it would taste extra carbonated when overcarbed so I'm just going to assume it is since everything else is setup properly now. I'm going to start bleeding off the pressure every couple hours then I'll just completely recarb over the next week. How many times should I have to bleed and does anyone else have comments on whether you think it's overcarbed or another issue?

Keb said:

. . . I wonder if the people who are running less than 6 ft are using 1/4 inch line. That would explain it. . .

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Don't larger diameter lines call for even longer length in order to balance?

I still think it's overcarbed. You won't taste it because it's pushing the beer out too quickly and the carbonation is lost by the time you taste it.

Ok im turned off co2 and im starting to bleed every couple hours when I can. Is there a good way to test when its no longer overcarbed other than hooking it up again with co2 and running beer?

Keb said:

Ok im turned off co2 and im starting to bleed every couple hours when I can. Is there a good way to test when its no longer overcarbed other than hooking it up again with co2 and running beer?

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Nope. Turn off CO2. burp a while, then give yourself enough psi to pour a pint, and taste it.

if you still get mostly foam pouring at 4-6psi, its still over carbed.
and wider inner diameter tap lines have to be longer than narrower lines since they don't restrict the flow.

you have to have enough resistance to dispense the beer properly.

I can do 4' tap lines because I have epoxy inserts in my dip tubes.

Ok had multiple problems.

1. Line too short. Switched to 8 foot 3/16.

2. Found out after I switched to new lines that old 4 foot line was actually 1/4. DOH.

3. Beer was overcarbed. Flattened it out with this method https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/overcarbed-keg-heres-instant-solution-127655/ and recarbed to perfection.

Now it's all good except for first pour which apparently is due to temp difference higher in the tower. Thanks all!

Keb said:

Ok had multiple problems.

1. Line too short. Switched to 8 foot 3/16.

2. Found out after I switched to new lines that old 4 foot line was actually 1/4. DOH.

3. Beer was overcarbed. Flattened it out with this method https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/overcarbed-keg-heres-instant-solution-127655/ and recarbed to perfection.

Now it's all good except for first pour which apparently is due to temp difference higher in the tower. Thanks all!

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Glad to hear. Noww all you need is a way to keep the tower cool and you'll be in business.