help... foam

[afss]

I have two kegs in a fridge, two types of beer. I carbonated them at 12-13 psi for a few weeks. At first they seemed under carbonated, then they came ok, now im not sure. I was told by a local brew shop to run my serviing pressure at 5psi or so. seemed to work at first. Now when i serve i get a lot of foam, like 75 % or better foam. I have 7 feet of line give or take, both kegs foam, both seem flat/flatish quickly. What do i need to do to fix this? what information do you need?

19 liter kegs, estimated 3/4 full of beer at the moment. in a fridge, temp is likely 36-38 F, 6-7 feet of line. one is a corona knock off, the other is a honey brown.

Thanks

 

[d3track]

What are you using for taps

 

[hunter_le five]

For best results, serve your beer at the same pressure at which you carbonate, and consider replacing your beer lines with longer ones (~12 feet).

What kind of taps are you using? Picnic/cobra, Perlick, etc.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

A not-so quick fix to this is disconnect the keg, take it out of the fridge, release the pressure, then every hour or so for the rest of the day agitate the keg and release the pressure. CO2 can leave liquid the same way it went in.

The lazy method...drink foam.

 

[poptarts]

Servering pressure and carbonation pressure should always be the same. get longer lines or chill it down more

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

There are online charts that dictate the psi needed depending on the what's in the keg/serving temp. At 36 degrees, 12-13 psi is definitely on the high end of almost all styles if you consult these tables. For example:

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

In at nutshell the psi of the beer will always reach an equilibrium with the serving psi (unless you have a nitrogen rig) so your 5psi serving rate is evening out with the 13 psi that you originally put into the kegs. If time is not an issue I would pull the keg pin, drain the extra pressure and set the regulator to the correct psi based on one of the tables. You may need to drain the pressure a few times over the next few days, but eventually you'll get to a good serving pressure.

 

[afss]

just picnic taps for now.
hose is coiled inside and ontop of the kegs.
as soon as i open the tap i can see the beer in the lines start to foam up so i have to figure its a balance thing of some sort????

 

[day_trippr]

- 13 psi at 37° would eventually equalize at ~ 2.7 volumes of CO2, a bit on the high side for the average ale, but hardly cause to start degassing the keg.

- The only beer line length calculator worth using would have you use ~11 foot lengths of 3/16" ID beer line to pour properly at that pressure.

- a positive temperature difference between the bottom of the kegs (where the dip tubes doth draw) and the beer lines can cause CO2 breakout, as warm beer won't hold the same volume of CO2 as cold beer. A stirring fan to keep the temperatures even can be helpful...

Cheers!

 

[afss]

ok, i thought on the charts at 36 12psui was good

and i thought for head pressure with a 3/16 line it should have been ballanced at less than 6 feet?

Im willing to try anythingb but i thought i had followed those parts right.

What pressure should i carbonate to? time is not an issue

 

[afss]

so for now then, bleed the kegs a few times with no pressure on them, then set the serving pressure to 10psi or so and lengthen the lines?

 

[hunter_le five]

Regarding the picnic taps: make sure when you are serving that you are opening the tap full-throttle. Any attempt to slow the flow by opening the tap only part-way will create a lot of foam.

 

[Yooper]

so for now then, bleed the kegs a few times with no pressure on them, then set the serving pressure to 10psi or so and lengthen the lines?

I would NOT bleed the pressure, unless you want the beer to be less carbonated.

Go with 12-15' foot lines, and make sure that the fridge is actually uniform in temperature. If it's warmer at the tap than the bottom of the keg, for example, it will create some foaming. Dont' guess at the temperature- put a cheap thermometer in there, at the bottom first, and then at the top, to see what the temperature actually is.

When you open the tap, push the handle down firmly as if you don't open it fully, it will work like pinching a garden hose and cause foaming and a speedy dispense. You want more restriction (longer lines) to balance the system.

 

[afss]

i have one in there, digital with a thermometer probe, probe at bottom unit at top. Not sure i trust it as it changes so much. not a huge varience from top to bottom but large when you look different times.

 

[Yooper]

i have one in there, digital with a thermometer probe, probe at bottom unit at top. Not sure i trust it as it changes so much. not a huge varience from top to bottom but large when you look different times.

Hmmm. Great temperature fluctuations will contribute to foaming. Do you have a regular fridge, or are you using a temperature controller?

 

[afss]

Just a regular fridge, full-size, probably 8 or 9 years old