Trouble pouring a pint from plastic keg?

Hello all. I am just finishing my first brew - kegged up into a pressure resistant plastic 5 gallon keg 2 1/2 weeks ago to condition/carbonate. Brew tastes quite nice but still a bit cloudy - should this clear over more time?

My biggest problem is pouring a ruddy pint! Not sure if anyone has experience with these kegs? There is a tap on the bottom to pour from but not sure if I am missing something. Unless I turn the tap on a very small amount so that the beer trickles out and takes an age to fill a pint glass, the beer comes out very foamy and if I turn the tap anywhere near full open it explodes out at me. As carefully as I try I have to fill/remove foam three or four times to pour a full pint. The beer isn't over carbonated as it seems just right to me - it is an English ale and when drunk has a nice creamy head and is only slightly carbonated :rockin: . A friend suggested unscrewing the top of the keg slightly to reduce the pressure inside but I wonder if either a) the ruddy thing will explode or b) the beer will be completely flat in a few days?

Firgman

I haven't seen one of these kegs, do you have a vendor/manufactures link? I might be able to come up with a reasonable wild guess if I had more information.

Thanks Camiller. Don't think that would be much help, I am in the UK and bought the keg from a 'general' superstore Wilkinsons. I think that brand name is Coopers? It is a straight forward rigid plastic keg - the beer is poured in through the top which has a screw on top with rubber to seal all gas in. There is then a plastic tap right at the bottom of the keg so even if the beer wasn't carbonated, gravity would still pour it out when the tap is turned on. I have poured three pints now. Perhaps things will improve after a few more pints when space increases at the top of the kek and some of the gas leaks out of the beer? This will be a shame though, as in my original post it is very lightly cafrbonated already as it is an ale.

Firgman

If it's a Coopers' or a King Keg, you can vent off a little pressure by unscrewing the top, but you are correct in thinking that the pressure will decrease as you pour a few more pints. Since it is an ale, lowering the pressure now won't hurt. If you talk to the folks at CAMRA, you would vent all of the pressure off reducing the CO2 level to what it will hold at atmospheric pressure.

what temperature are you trying to serve it at?

Thats great thanks David. I will try venting a little at first and see how that imrpoves things, cheers

Firgman