Air in Beer Lines
- Thread starter diegs
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
5 feet of line is a bit short - I run 10 feet of 3/16 line at about 11-12 PSI. Also, are you pouring with the tap all the way open? Pouring with it only partly open will cause foaming. It also sounds like the beer might be overcarbed - 10 PSI is OK, but did you try to force carb at a higher pressure before setting to 10 PSI? If so, you'll need to reduce the carbonation by venting the pressure several times each day until it gets down to serving pressure. As for the air (actually CO2) in your lines, that could be caused by temperature stratification in your keezer or kegerator. If it's warmer at the top, above the keg, that could cause CO2 to come out of solution in the lines.
dallasdb
Well-Known Member
Sounds like its overcarbed. 5 ft at 10 psi shouldn't be that foamy. 10 ft of line is better but I've used 5 ft without getting a crazy amount of foam.
Purge the pressure multiple times a day for a few days.
Purge the pressure multiple times a day for a few days.
raouliii
Well-Known Member
Did you force carb?
ThreeBrothersBrewery
Well-Known Member
If you have tried everything else pressure related it could be fitting related. The little O ring on the under side of the dip tube could be slightly off which can cause leaks and air the the lines. The other issue we have had is if the swivel locks are not snug to the tubing.
These are both more on the rare side but they can happen.
These are both more on the rare side but they can happen.
if you pour back to back beers, how is the second one? Air in the lines in co2 breaking out of solution. As beer warms it cant hold as much co2. Beer from the bottom of the keg is often colder than beer sitting up higher in the lines. If this is the issue, you can tell by pouring off your glass of mostly foam, then immediately pouring another. If the second glass pours well then you have a temperature stratification issue and need air circulation in your kegerator to equalize the temps. pretty common issue. If the second pour is still foam then its likely overcarbed, for the short lines you are using.
It sounds like it was carbed at a higher pressure than 10 psi, which you're using now. That means co2 will break out of solution in an effort to equalize it, and then air in the beer line (and foaming) results.
This makes more sense. I've had other beers in this fridge before with no stratification issues. I had it at 20psi, hoping to only do it for 2-3 days, however something came up and they stayed there for a week before I realized what I had done. I've been purging 2-3 times a day, keeping the kegs in the fridge. Do I need to take them out and do it more often? My keg of apfelwein isn't having this issue, so I'm thinking it's more of a 'these 2 kegs' issue.
Just keep purging it whenever you think of it, and it should eventually equalize.
Longer lines will help with issues like this, but the real issue is that the beer is overcarbed and is trying to equalize the the "new" pressure.
carlisle_bob
Well-Known Member
Hi
You don't really need to take them out of the fridge to dump the CO2. If that's the only way to get to the pressure relief then sure, do it. Dumping a couple times an hour for a few hours is not out of the range of what's reasonable. You don't want to keep up that rate forever though...
Bob
if its overcarbed, there is a trick i learned here. I know it sounds odd, but I've done it and it works. If you put a product out qd on your gas line and send the 10lbs in through the out side of the keg. Then open the bleeder valve a few times for just about 10 -15 seconds. Something about the co2 bubbling up from the bottom knocks other co2 out of solution. there is a thread here about it somewhere. I don't know the science behind it, but I have done this twice with success.
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
Yep. Lower pressure works a little better and is less likely to result in foam coming out of the pressure relief valve and making a mess. The only downside to this method is that similar to burst carb methods, it's easy to overdo it and end up removing more carbonation than you wanted to.
RI-Brewer
Member
So if I get you right you need long beer lines? I have about 3 feet and I get a mixed bag of what comes out. Meaning sometimes it is fine other time like now it foams all over the place. I do not force carb I let sit for 3 weeks at 12 psi at 36degrees and no matter what no rhyme or reason but it gets foam some times others not? This is only my 4th time legging and changed all gaskets too? So any help for me would be great
JuanMoore
Getting the banned back together
Long lines are good, and help cure a lot of foam issues. The only side effect of long lines is a slightly slower pour. If you're having mixed results using the set and forget method with all other variables the same, it's probably not your lines though. Can you describe the issue in a little more detail? Is it an entire keg that pours foamy and then the next is fine, or is it sometimes foamy for the first few pours of a drinking session, but then pours fine, or some other pattern of foam?
