Foamy beer from tap still after balancing lines

Situation:
The beer in the line from my keg looks fine, no foam all the way from the keg to the tower. Open the cap at the top of the tower and the line is all foam right there. Somewhere inside the tower the beer turns to foam. All that comes out of the faucet is foam.

Details:
Beer line ID: 3/16"
Beer line length: tried 5ft, 4.5ft, 4ft, and 3.5ft
Distance from center of keg to faucet: 2.5ft
Temperature inside kegerator: 36 degrees
PSI: 10, 14, and 18. Same situation at all pressures.

I had the same problem at first. Looking at your beer line lengths, I think you need to go longer. Second thing that helped me was opening the tap quickly and draining off the first few ounces of beer in the lines (you'll see it clear up) and then closing the tap. After that it pours fine if you open the tap quickly (until the next time it sits). The only disadvantage is you will lose some beer.

Try 7-10 feet of beer line and see what happens.

(Sorry if I rambled a bit, it's late and I'm tired).

I don't know......my kegging experience doesn't always follow expectations.

When I have a keg that won't dispense correctly in terms of TOO MUCH foam/head, I will increase the line to 1/4" of similar length. According to the rules of keg line existence, it shouldn't work......yet it works most times in my world.

I usually have 4 beers on tap most times. I keep 3/16" and 1/4" lines around in 6 foot lengths. If I can't get a beer to flow well with one type of line.......I try the other. And damnit, the other size always works. I keep my PSI static usually. 8 years of kegging and it always works. It's like I'm on Degabah or something.

Either way, I don't argue.

4' of 3/16 at 12 psi STABILIZED (i.e. it is truly at 12 psi not just shaken from 30 to get it down to 12) at 36-38º at 2 foot height increase should be balanced. The 1st beer may have to be poured and set aside to chill the tap and beer lines in the tower. I have a feeling that changing the pressures around so many times is the culprit here.