Balancing Keezer

[eabostrom]

I've consulted the forums, online calculators and many "expert" articles and I'm still having trouble getting my system properly balanced and flowing foam free. I seem to get different answers from every source. I've tried many of them and unfortunately have not been successful yet. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. My setup is as follows...

I live south of Denver, CO at 6000 ft.
I'm targeting a middle of the road 2.5 v/v
The keezer is set at 38 degrees Fahrenheit
The shanks in the keezer collar are 1 foot above the top of the keg
I'm using 15 feet of 3/16" beer line
Regulator is at 14 PSI

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Mine is set to13psi and I have 12' 3/16id line going to a picnic tap. Perfect pour. I'd just try different lengths and pressure. Maybe drop the pressure and see if it helps. One psi and a time.

 

[Cyclman]

I use 5' of 3/16" at 10 psi and 40 degrees, and it pours beautifully with great carbonation. Live at 6100 feet in Aurora.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I'm at 7100' in utardia. Might be part of it?

 

[day_trippr]

According to our favorite carbonation table, 14 psi at 38 degrees gets you to 2.75 volumes of CO2. On the high side for the typical pale.

What tubing are you using? If it's truly 3/16" ID then around 14-15 feet should work well at that pressure.
Otoh, if you were using Bev Seal Ultra 235 that doesn't actually come in 3/16" ID (the closest is 1/5") you need over 20 feet to handle that pressure.

Is this a first-pour problem, or do successive pours exhibit too much head?
Do you have a fan keeping the air inside your keezer stirred up and avoiding temperature stratification?

Btw, this is the only beer line length calculator worth using...

Cheers!

 

[chickypad]

oops hit wrong thread

 

[eabostrom]

This problem seems to be an every pour problem. Sometimes better sometimes worse but not just a first pour issue.

Yes, I have fans circulating the air in the keezer.

I will drop to 12 and see if that changes the results.

I've also,moved the temperature probe into a cup of water at the bottom of the keezer as I believe this will more closely match the beer being pulled from the bottom of the keg than the air in the center.

Any chance this is related to fittings of any sort? Any specific things to look for? I don't have any gas or beer leaks so I would think I'm good but thought I would ask.

Thanks for the input!!!

 

[eabostrom]

Hose is bevlex 200 and has 3/16" ID printed on the tubing.

Is it true that additional line over and above the calculator at this point will just result in a slower pour but not foaming?

 

[day_trippr]

Hose is bevlex 200 and has 3/16" ID printed on the tubing.

Is it true that additional line over and above the calculator at this point will just result in a slower pour but not foaming?

Pretty much. A few feet will provide margin against modestly over-carbed beers and/or a moderate temperature rise from keg to faucet, but much more than that is just going to slow the pour.

As for fittings, if your beer lines are uninterrupted between disconnect and tail piece, and you used standard fittings at each end (as opposed to somehow cobbling things together from the Home Depot plumbing department) I doubt there's an issue there.

Finally, the temperature probe thing: many of us strap the controller probe to the side of the fullest keg with some insulating material over it to shield it from the air temperature inside the system...

Cheers!