Another foamy keg thread

[bmbigda]

i started with 5 feet at everywhere from 8-12 PSI and it was nothing but foam, when i added the additional length that balanced it out much better. no it doesnt get better with additional glasses, it pours well for a second or two, then a quick spurt of foam, then good beer again.

I have some experience with your issue. I started this thread in Dec 2010.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/pouring-glass-keg-beer-foam-beer-161109/

When I started that thread, I was relatively new to kegging, and have sinced filled and emptied many more kegs. I never had that problem again.

I use homebrew kegs, but the possibilities remain the same regardless. I don't agree that a blockage or leak could cause this, because you would see it throughout the duration of the pour.

You mentioned that this is not only happening with the first pour, but also all subsequent pours. That tells me it is not a beer line or kegorater temperature issue. If it was a temp issue, the first couple pours would run through the lines and faucet and bring everything to a relatively similar temperature. So if you pour 3 beers one after the other, and you still see this issue - I highly doubt it is a temperature problem.

That leads to my suggestion for your problem - overcarbonated beer. While I admit I couldn't explain why overcarbonated beer causes the "beer-foam-beer" pour, I do know that once I became anal retentive about my temperature, pressure, and keg handling, I never had that problem again.

Take a look at this chart if you haven't see it yet: http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

You said you were at 12 PSI and 38 degrees. As I'm sure you know, that's going to be a perfect carbonation level and should not cause a problem. That being said, is it possible that while trying to solve your foaming issue, you may have had the keg hooked up to a higher pressure for several days? Also worth asking if you know to purge the pressure in the keg prior to lowering the regulator's pressure? It seems obvious but is worth asking, some people think simply lowering the regulator will lower the pressure, but as long as the keg is sealed shut and the carbonation is in solution, the pressure will not lower unless you purge it out.

The best way to solve this problem is to off gas the keg for a few days, hook it up to a lower pressure (maybe like 8 PSI) and see if the problem persists. Also trying a different keg would help.

 

[bmbigda]

A few more thoughts...

12 ft of 3/16 beer line will hold a little over 2oz of liquid. If you think the "foam spurt" begins right around 2 oz, then that means the foam is the first amount of beer coming out of the keg.

 

[TBaGZ]

"so I am not a home brewer " .... Probably a Sanke keg.

 

[ejericson]

"so I am not a home brewer " .... Probably a Sanke keg.

correct i get sierra nevada from my local distributor in sanke kegs.

and it could be about two ounces until the foam spurt happens. i wondering if there is a blockage coming from the coupler... when i got the kegerator it had an old coupler that i replaced because it was nasty and stank of old stale beer. the new coupler has a ball float in the center tube that the old one didnt have, is this a normal thing? it could possibly be the ball in the down position interupting the pour as soon as it is forced into the up position....

and as far as the chart goes i have seen it before and that is why i chose 12 PSI because sierra nevada told me the aim for 2.55 volume to volume.

 

[ejericson]

!!!update!!!

so i got a new keg from a local craft brewery (ninkasi)) and i still have the same porblem.. beer, foam, beer pour. i am really starting to think that it is the beer in the line in the tower warming up then the cold beer turning to foam until the line cools. because i have noticed that since the ambient temperatures have risen the foam has gotten worse. and if i pour another beer very shortly after the first that is is a normal pour.

anybody have experience with this same warm line problem, and how bad has it been for you?

and how hard is it to run the faucet through the door?

 

[ejericson]

bump... anybody???

 

[mappler]

I'd start with disassembling everything, cleaning it all, and checking for a blockage of some form. I can't think of anything else that would cause a mid-pour foam.

 

[1KD1]

bump... anybody???

If you think it could possibly be the tower, shove some of those freezer gel packs (that you use in lunch boxes or on black eyes ) in the tower. Use duct tape or something to hold the cold packs in there. Maybe even ziplock bags with ice cubes? Anyway, you should be able to cool the tower down and see if that helps your issues. If so, you can add fans or reconfigure your kegerator

 

[jCOSbrew]

Try pouring 1 glass of beer/foam and waiting a minute. This should give the cold beer from the bottom of the keg time to cool off the lines and tap. If the second pour and 3rd, etc. are perfect then it is a tower temp issue.

Many have been successful in keeping the tower cool by adding a fan or copper pipes and insulation.

 

[ejericson]

So im still at a loss. after being certain that it was a tower warming issues i drilled a hole through my door and ran the faucet out the front to keep all the lines inside the fridge. and this still didnt solve the problem. I dont think it is over carbed because when i do get good beer after the foam, it is perfect. any chance it could be the coupler? it was new two months ago but it was cheap...

 

[cccoker]

Yes it could be the coupler. It could be a bad seal on the bottom, inner O-ring causing gas to push pass and go directly to the beer line. I would try the following in this order:
1) attach and reattach coupler to try to get a better seal.
2) disassemble and clean well, paying attention to O-rings. Also check the ball in the beer out to make sure it is clean and rolls up and down easily.
3) replace the bottom two O-rings. Perhaps try keg lube.
4) try a new coupler. A better brand?

Good luck.