1 keg foaming - others are fine

[wy_jimr]

I have 1 keg that dispenses nothing but foam, while my other kegs are fine. I've tried a number of things but I can't figure out the cause.

I brewed 10 gallons that I put into 2 kegs and force carbonated. When I first tapped this one it dispensed foam. I was taking beer to an event and in a hurry and just switched the tap to the other keg and it dispensed fine. The first keg is gone and I tapped this one again and it is still dispensing foam. I have 3 other kegs on the same regulator that are all fine.

When I pull the handle, the beer line fills with foam on its way to the tap. I thought maybe it's a pickup tube or poppet valve problem, so I swapped them from a known good keg that was recently emptied with no change. I changed to a different tap also with the same result. So I have changed everything in the dispensing line from the bottom on the keg to the glass and the problem persists.

I'm dispensing at 12 psi through 5 feet of 3/16" tubing to a Perlick faucet. This setup works for my other kegs with minimal foam. The foam appearing directly out of the keg I think is the key, but I don't know what to do about it.

Any ideas on what the cause might be? Did I do something with force carbonating this keg that is sticking around to cause this? I've been kegging for years and while I won't claim to be an expert, I've never had this problem before. I have a second regulator for carbonating and I force carbonate at a higher pressure and may have been distracted by drinking other beers and left this one on longer, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[VikeMan]

Any ideas on what the cause might be? Did I do something with force carbonating this keg that is sticking around to cause this? I've been kegging for years and while I won't claim to be an expert, I've never had this problem before. I have a second regulator for carbonating and I force carbonate at a higher pressure and may have been distracted by drinking other beers and left this one on longer, but I'm not sure. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Well, the symptoms sound like over carbonation. And since you fast force carbonated and aren't sure for how long, that would point in the same direction.

 

[day_trippr]

Over-carbonation is one good possibility.

Another is the small O-ring under the long dip tube flange is damaged and allowing CO2 from the keg head space to be injected into the beer stream at the Out post. I'd eliminate that possibility first, and if the problem persists, take a look at this thread on how to rapidly fix an over-carbonated keg of beer....

Cheers!

 

[wy_jimr]

Well, the symptoms sound like over carbonation. And since you fast force carbonated and aren't sure for how long, that would point in the same direction.

Thanks VikeMan for the nudge in that direction. I thought it a distinct possibility but wasn't sure and definitely had no idea what to do about it, but over carbonation is the problem indeed.

 

[wy_jimr]

Over-carbonation is one good possibility.

Another is the small O-ring under the long dip tube flange is damaged and allowing CO2 from the keg head space to be injected into the beer stream at the Out post. I'd eliminate that possibility first, and if the problem persists, take a look at this thread on how to rapidly fix an over-carbonated keg of beer....

Cheers!

Thanks day_trippr, you are a lifesaver. I tried replacing the o-ring to no avail. Next was the rapid fix for an over carbonated keg, and I'll be damned if that didn't work. I used a picnic faucet on the out post and stood the keg on it's head a few times to purge some CO2. It's not perfect now, but it dispensed only about half foam and I am drinking it, so cheers!