Could use some advice...reducing foam

[Nelrock]

Started kegging a few months ago. When we initially setup, didn't catch that the hose length was important to getting a good pour. We started with a 5' hose...and...the pours were a little on the foamy side when first started, but not bad once it ran for a few seconds.
Wanting to improve, started doing some web searching and reading, and came across some various calculators for determining hose length.
We wound up upping our hose length to 11' based on the calculators...and much to our dismay...the foam is substantially worse. So much so...we're contemplating going back to our original setup.

We converted a refrigerator. The taps sit...maybe 6" below the tops of the kegs.
Been suspicious that that may have something to do with it. Have debated removing the drawers the kegs sit on to net maybe a level or even a below tap setup.

Any help/tips would be much appreciated...thanks!

 

[Pkrd]

What diameter and type of tubing, and what pressure are you running?

 

[Nelrock]

3/16 tubing.
Pressure...we've tried varying it. Unfortunately with little to no success. Started around 12 PSI and lowered it gradually trying to improve things...but it never really did.

 

[Pkrd]

If it's only foaming on the first pour it's usually because the beer sitting in the lines is too warm, and released the CO2. Are you seeing bubbles in your lines?

 

[PapaO]

3/16 tubing.
Pressure...we've tried varying it. Unfortunately with little to no success. Started around 12 PSI and lowered it gradually trying to improve things...but it never really did.

How did you carb your beer? Lowering the psi would make it foam more because you don’t have enough psi to keep the co2 in solution. Read this to get the proper line length and temperature and pressure.
http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/
PapaO

 

[Nelrock]

That is actually the website/calculator I did use. So I was pretty surprised when we didn't net the expected results.
Carbing wise, we used the color chart from the same site, for the style...lately a lot of hefe's and wits...have one milk stout.
Anyhow, like I said, we were using the chart, then checking it after a few days. Once it was tasting like we were expecting, we lowered it to a serving pressure...10-12 psi or so.
All the lines are contained inside the fridge...so...I don't "think" they're getting warm. Usually the door stays closed unless we're swapping a keg.
The first pour I mentioned, was actually back with the shorter, 5' lines. Since stepping up to the longer lines, every pour is pretty foamy. The beer itself tastes great, so...just a bit of an annoyance that I'd love to figure out and remove.

 

[Yooper]

That is actually the website/calculator I did use. So I was pretty surprised when we didn't net the expected results.
Carbing wise, we used the color chart from the same site, for the style...lately a lot of hefe's and wits...have one milk stout.
Anyhow, like I said, we were using the chart, then checking it after a few days. Once it was tasting like we were expecting, we lowered it to a serving pressure...10-12 psi or so.
All the lines are contained inside the fridge...so...I don't "think" they're getting warm. Usually the door stays closed unless we're swapping a keg.
The first pour I mentioned, was actually back with the shorter, 5' lines. Since stepping up to the longer lines, every pour is pretty foamy. The beer itself tastes great, so...just a bit of an annoyance that I'd love to figure out and remove.

You shouldn't carb at one pressure and serve at another. If your fridge is about 40 degrees, 12 psi is about where it should be all the time. I have 15' lines for my 12 psi kegerator with a similar set up to yours, but I don't have highly carbonated things on it, just beer at 2.47 volumes. http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

As you can see, if you want a wit at a higher pressure, you'd be using 18 psi or so, and needing much longer lines (estimate 1 foot per every psi on the regulator).

By carbing at a higher pressure, then turning it down, c02 will come out of solution, causing foaming.

 

[Nelrock]

Whelp...that explains a lot.
Appreciate the info...we'll make the adjustments and give it a shot.