Agghhhh, too much foam

[MikeInCtown]

Well, I've used every beer line length calculation I can find and I am getting a lot of foam. My regulator (MM Premium) is set at 12psi. According to all charts I can find, if I use 3/16" beer line I should have no problems between 4ft and 5ft. Trouble is, I am at 5 ft and I get a ton of foam. I can pour a glass and get a half inch of beer and the rest foam (evens out to about half a glass of somewhat flat beer by the time it balances out.)

I have the line hooked up to a picnic tap right now. I have an extra 6ft line that I can try, but I'm afraid that may not do a thing. Should I just try and get a 10ft piece of line and try that, or am I just doing something wrong?

 

[Yooper]

Well, I've used every beer line length calculation I can find and I am getting a lot of foam. My regulator (MM Premium) is set at 12psi. According to all charts I can find, if I use 3/16" beer line I should have no problems between 4ft and 5ft. Trouble is, I am at 5 ft and I get a ton of foam. I can pour a glass and get a half inch of beer and the rest foam (evens out to about half a glass of somewhat flat beer by the time it balances out.)

I have the line hooked up to a picnic tap right now. I have an extra 6ft line that I can try, but I'm afraid that may not do a thing. Should I just try and get a 10ft piece of line and try that, or am I just doing something wrong?

I have about 8 feet of line at 12 psi with a temperature of 40 degrees, and it works fine. I think you need longer line.

 

[kirscp]

Did you force carb your beer? If so, did you release the pressure?

You should be fine with 5 feet and 12lbs. I have 6 feet of 3/16 with picnic taps and run 10-14lbs with no problems.

Your best bet at purchasing beer line is McMaster Carr, I believe the stuff I got was .18 / ft.

 

[kirscp]

Actually the tubing was $0.17 per foot. Item # 5231K159

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

Could your beer be over carbed?

I had too much CO2 in my Dunkel Weiss. I like it fizzy, but I had to purge it a few times before I could get the foam down.

 

[MikeInCtown]

I've had it at this pressure now for over a month and have probably tapped each of two kegs for maybe a gallon each already. I just kept putting off my problems. I reduced the pressure to 6psi last night before I poured a few mug fulls and got what I consider a nice pour. It's obvious to me that I don't have long enough lines.

I'll stop at Lowe's this morning and get 20 feet so I have plenty to try.

 

[hammer one]

I found your problem you are buying your hose at Lowes. You need to buy 3/16 foam free beer line for your system.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

I like micromatic lines, because it has nice thick walls and stays flexible even when cold. Have you cleaned your tap lately? Are you opening it the WHOLE way when you pour? (just covering the basics)...

+1 on slightly longer lines; Glad I upped mine to 10ft

 

[kip]

close the regulator, release pressure from the keg, re - pressurize the keg at 9 lbs and try..... if that still foams repeat and go lower on the pressure.

 

[MikeInCtown]

Well, I put 10 feet of line on it and still get foam. Instead of only 1/4 glass and the rest foam I now get a bit over a half glass and then foam. I did notice that I had the pressure set at almost 14 so I lowered it to 12 where I thought I set it the other day. Will try again in 15 minutes when the next pour is needed.

Also, I'm using the Bevflex tubing from Leeners
Of course I can get a perfect pour if I go down on the pressure, but then I need to keep moving the regulator back and forth every time I want a mug full. I want to set it and forget it.

 

[Yooper]

Well, I put 10 feet of line on it and still get foam. Instead of only 1/4 glass and the rest foam I now get a bit over a half glass and then foam. I did notice that I had the pressure set at almost 14 so I lowered it to 12 where I thought I set it the other day. Will try again in 15 minutes when the next pour is needed.

Also, I'm using the Bevflex tubing from Leeners
Of course I can get a perfect pour if I go down on the pressure, but then I need to keep moving the regulator back and forth every time I want a mug full. I want to set it and forget it.

Did you try pulling the pressure relief valve, and then letting it reset back up to 12 psi? I wonder if the beer is over carbed, and you may have to do that a few times today.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

It could also be kinks in your line, or hot tower (although with hot tower typically the beggining of your pour would be foamy). How's a second pour come out soon after?

 

[MikeInCtown]

It could also be kinks in your line, or hot tower (although with hot tower typically the beggining of your pour would be foamy). How's a second pour come out soon after?

I moved the pressure as close to 12 as I could and the glasses after that came out perfect and well carbed. I may have to keep playing with the system though as the tables all show correct carb levels need about 14 psi at my temps. Hopefully everything will work a bit better once I install a tower and get rid of the picnic taps.

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

If you just set it to 12, it doesn't mean your beer is carbed at 12, since you had it at 14. There is still plenty of CO2 in dissolved in the beer; hopefully 12 will be good- if it is and starts to go flat, bump it up a tad and let it sit to see how it does. It's hard to balance a system, especially with serving different beers. Luckily, my last few have been stout/dark heavy beers on the left tap, and lager/lighter brews on the right. You'd almost think I planned it!

 

[ombre42]

I'm kind of in the same spot as Mike. Using 5' lines with perlicks in a collar though.
I've had no problem with foam if I vent the kegs, but I went through a 5# tank of CO2 in 3 kegs (I force carb).
Venting the kegs from 14 PSI down to 5 ish when the keg is 10% full is a HUGE waste of CO2 (matters with such a small tank). I'm going to switch my lines out very soon.
I'm surprised there isn't an inline adjustable flow restrictor on the market, but I guess either home kegging is too small a market or its not a feasible product.

 

[golfnmotorcycles]

Seems to be a lot more focus on beer size/length and not as much on dispensing temperature. Warm beer = FOAM, regardless of line length. Make sure the beer temperature is what it's supposed to be, all the way to the glass.

I may be new to homebrewing but I spent about six months dialing in a kegerator and the biggest source of foam problems, from what I've seen, heard, and read, is due to beer being warmer that you (and your system) think it is. At temps near 38, I found 12 psi to be pretty close to perfect on anything from a light lager to a bock or a wheat beer. The cooler the beer gets (from 38) the less pressure you'll need.

You can also expect foam if you set your pressure too low, allowing the CO2 to break out of solution. A good indication of this is large bubbles and gaps in the beer line between the keg and the faucet.

Good luck.

 

[holjim]

I have about 8 feet of line at 12 psi with a temperature of 40 degrees, and it works fine. I think you need longer line.

Yooper: Are you running that 8 ft just in a kegerator? I admit I am not a numbers friendly guy and I've been trying to figure out this line length thing. I have a new kegerator with a 5 ft line to the tap. I'm having lots of foam issues that I've tried to resolve with the various info on the site here and elsewhere.

This page (from the various faqs here) makes it sound like for a typical kegerator system, under 4 ft of 3/16 line should be fine if you are doing ales in the 2.5ish volume range.

Draft system line balancing

Does that make sense or should I be somewhere in that 8 ft range? I'm so confused! ;-)

Thanks!

Jim

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

It's hard to balance a system, especially with serving different beers.

I posted it before, offered other suggestions, and was reminded again- warm beer sitting in your line/tower will be foamy; what about the second pour? Adding a fan with ducting from the bottom of fridge will probably help.

The balancing chart/calculator is normally pretty good (but again you need consistent temp with no kinks in your lines). It took me awhile to get mine going well, and even then I occasionally over carb and need a day or two of bleeding the CO2, till the reg starts chirping and bring it down, to get a good pour... (5# tank on 3 kegs doing this sounds like a leak ombre42, which could also cause foaming- mix a starsan solution and check for leaks).

They do have plastic clamp/restrictors for lines; a proper balanced system doesn't need them in my books (there is also a newer thread on here about adding restriction in keg- lin on dip tube/coiled in keg).

 

[ombre42]

I may have had a leak. The pressure relief valve on one of my kegs seems to need some help sometimes getting a seal after I vent. Maybe one time the leak was too slow for me to notice. Wouldn't be a problem if I had a balanced system. Going to buy some beer line with my next order.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper: Are you running that 8 ft just in a kegerator? I admit I am not a numbers friendly guy and I've been trying to figure out this line length thing. I have a new kegerator with a 5 ft line to the tap. I'm having lots of foam issues that I've tried to resolve with the various info on the site here and elsewhere.

This page (from the various faqs here) makes it sound like for a typical kegerator system, under 4 ft of 3/16 line should be fine if you are doing ales in the 2.5ish volume range.

Draft system line balancing

Does that make sense or should I be somewhere in that 8 ft range? I'm so confused! ;-)

Thanks!

Jim

I am running the 8 feet just in the kegerator. I had shorter lines, but if I kept it at carbing pressure (12 psi for my temperature), then I got some foam. Lenthening the lines made the difference. If I use a shorter line (one of the older leftovers), then sometimes I have to reset my serving pressure to 9 psi to minimize foam.

 

[holjim]

I am running the 8 feet just in the kegerator. I had shorter lines, but if I kept it at carbing pressure (12 psi for my temperature), then I got some foam. Lenthening the lines made the difference. If I use a shorter line (one of the older leftovers), then sometimes I have to reset my serving pressure to 9 psi to minimize foam.

Thanks so much. I'll give it a try on my next keg!

Jim