Foam, Shanks, and...ring?

[XPLSV]

Finished the initial stages of my kegerator last week and was able to put the first keg on tap. I was using 1/4 inch Bev Seal Ultra, so I went long on the beer line knowing that I could have some foam issues. Foam issues I did have...even with 26 feet of line on my keg of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Ordered some inline restrictors and stuck one of those in there...essentially, no difference. Then ordered some 3/16 inch standard beer line so I could make a comparison with that. Well, I hooked it up to shank #2 and pretty much had a decent pour as soon as the lines cooled down...was using about 10 feet at this point, figuring I could always cut down.

With a nice glass of beer in hand, I proceeded to pull apart the components from shank #1 for cleaning. When I got to the point of running a bore brush into that shank, it only went in so far. Tried from the other side, same thing. Held it up to the light and this is what I found:

I'm not so sure that it was the 1/4 inch line causing all the foam problem. To me, it looks like the shank was possibly drilled from both ends and there wasn't quite enough overlap in the middle to complete the proper hole. I'm assuming the drilling from two ends to meet in the middle because 1) looks like the residue that would result from a short drill hole, and 2) I have a similar piece stuck in the middle of a second shank. The other two shanks have nice, full round holes through and through. If anyone is experiencing foam frustration, don't forget to check the shank! That thought had never crossed my mind. I haven't taken the time to hook the 3/16 line up to this shank and verify that this obstruction was causing the CO2 to be knocked out of solution, but might give it a shot this weekend. I found a similar obstruction in another of the four shanks I had ordered during the month of July.

Bernie

 

[gnef]

do you mind sharing where you bought the shanks from, and are they stainless, or chrome plated brass?

 

[XPLSV]

These are 4 1/8" stainless steel shanks I bought from Austin Homebrew Supply. I took the photo at their request and sent that back their way this morning. They are now asking me to try and knock out the obstructing pieces with a screw driver, suggesting that will fix the problem. I can give that a try tonight, but I'm not exactly thrilled about that being the final solution.

 

[gnef]

Hmmmmmmm, that doesn't sound like an ideal solution for you - you want a smooth bore, and knocking it out with a screwdriver will most likely not produce very good results.

I've bought some stainless shanks and tail pieces from northern brewer, and mine have been good, but one of the reviews was similar to yours, but the holes were offset. Looks like it is based on luck at this point with any vendor.

 

[XPLSV]

I'll update the final solution on this once it work through. I'm expecting they will replace these two as I'm going to ask. Out of the four or five places I've ordered from this past month, Austin Home Brew has been the fastest to ship items out every single time. I usually have a tracking number within 24 hours, if not 12 hours, from the time I place my order on the their website. Of course, sometimes the real proof for customer service is in the way they handle the problems. I've read a lot of unhappy comments on this site in regard to problem situations...

 

[XPLSV]

They've sent me two replacement shanks (mine are still enroute to them...they didn't bother to wait for the receipt). I'm satisifed with the fix on this issue.