First time kegging. Nothing but foam

[gotbags-10]

So just tapped my first keg. It's been a couple of hours since the first pour and still nothing but foam. I mean it shoots out with some serious force from the tap. I've even turned off the gas to see if it would settle. I force Carbed at 30psi for 2 days then to 12psi for the last five. My beer line is 5 feet. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[k1ngl1ves]

1/4" or 3/16" tubing...? Makes a world of a difference.

I balanced my last system with 12' of 3/16" line at 12psi, then cut the tubing back until I had a great pour. I think I ended up with about 9.5' of tubing. Can't remember precisely. That's probably your main issue.


You could be over-carbed a bit too, depending on the beer temp.

Try this for psi/temp:

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

 

[gotbags-10]

So the fridge is at 39 degrees with 12 psi and I have 3/16 tubing

 

[scm81]

I run my kegs at 40 degrees and found that 10 feet of 3/16 line worked the best for me. I started with 5 feet and got nothing but foam.

 

[Yooper]

When you had it at 30 psi for those two days, you didn't shake it or anything did you? Was the keg warm or cold then?

 

[gotbags-10]

It's funny because that's what I was seeing here that people were using 10feet of tubing. So I wet to to get some at my LHBS and the guy said I was crazy to use that length. He said no more than 5. So I guess I need to go back.

 

[gotbags-10]

I did not shake at all and it was at the same temp

 

[AfroHopster]

what i did was turn the pressure all the way down to like 1 then vent the keg. also you canturn the temp up make sure irs not to cold.

 

[wardens355]

It's funny because that's what I was seeing here that people were using 10feet of tubing. So I wet to to get some at my LHBS and the guy said I was crazy to use that length. He said no more than 5. So I guess I need to go back.

Maybe he likes to tap the Rockies at 33F, so he only needs 6 psi for 2.2 volumes or so and can get away with 5 foot lines.

 

[Roadie]

It's funny because that's what I was seeing here that people were using 10feet of tubing. So I wet to to get some at my LHBS and the guy said I was crazy to use that length. He said no more than 5. So I guess I need to go back.

5' of beer line is not enough. Definitely go to 10' and see if that cures your issue.

 

[Yooper]

I did not shake at all and it was at the same temp

What is the current temperature? I assume fridge temps, but it makes a big difference going from 33 degrees to, say, 41 degrees, in the carb level.

 

[gotbags-10]

Just poured another sample. Temp was 39 degrees with my thermapen. Again all foam.

 

[wardens355]

Just poured another sample. Temp was 39 degrees with my thermapen. Again all foam.

Proper Hose Length

Plugged in your 39F and 12 psi, got 10.1 feet. I have found this calculator pretty reliable.

 

[Yooper]

Just poured another sample. Temp was 39 degrees with my thermapen. Again all foam.

It's probably related to the short lines, but I don't know if that's 100% of it.

Try this. Pour a small amount of beer, and then wait less than a minute and pour another. Is it better the second time? I'm wondering about if the taps/faucets are warmer than the beer, causing foaming on the first pour until the faucet is warm and also wondering if the kegerator is colder at the bottom, and the lines are warmer. Can you check into that, to see if that is also an issue?

 

[gotbags-10]

Right now it's just a picnic tap that is inside the fridge with the keg so it's the same temp as the beer. I will go buy 10ft of tubing tomm and report back.

 

[Yooper]

Right now it's just a picnic tap that is inside the fridge with the keg so it's the same temp as the beer. I will go buy 10ft of tubing tomm and report back.

If you're buying tubing anyway, consider going with 12' or so- 1 foot for every psi that you'd like to use. It works better than going too short!

 

[Toy4Rick]

I was having all foam from a keg that I borrowed from a friend, found the dip tubes were swapped. I was trying to dispense beer from the gas in line, nothing but foam

I also used to run 1.5 foot beer lines with epoxy mixer sticks in the beer out dip tube and had perfect pours at 12psi. There are ways to deal with short lines

Good luck
Rick

 

[gotbags-10]

Alright so I finally got my new line today. 10feet tubing and still nothing but foam!! I have no leaks and pressure is constant at 12 every time I check on it. I've even vented it a couple of times. Clueless

 

[gotbags-10]

Alrightt so I vented and turned down to 7 psi. It pours pretty good there. But is that to low to maintain carbonation?

 

[ndinh]

Try lowering the pressure and let that sit at the lower pressure for a day or so then pour. With my kegerators, the faucets are usually either fully open or closed, no inbetween or I'll get mostly foam.

 

[gotbags-10]

Would the fact that it's a picnic tap have anything to do with it? I'm betting they don't open as much as a beer faucet

 

[k1ngl1ves]

I'm assuming you had multiple issues. First was the short lines. Second was an over-carbed beer. Take the keg off the gas. Vent the keg every half hour or so. Hook your gas back up when it's getting flat.

You can also try the "gassing through the out post" trick. Works surprisingly quickly.


You could also have an issue with dip tube gaskets...

 

[gotbags-10]

I'm not sure the beer was ever over carbed don't know for sure but I set my psi at 30 for about 20 hours and then at 12 for the last week. No shaking. I have also vented it a bunch playing with different pressures as well. Right now I can actually pour at 7 psi and the carbonation actually seems a little flat. But it's pouring without foam at least. Oh and brand new gaskets as well.

 

[gotbags-10]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1418861266.359016.jpg
Food for thought. Should I see bubbles in the beer line like this?

 

[Arty76]

Shouldn't have air in lines, I recently had a problem with one of my kegs where i got a lot of foam and i messed around with the pressure and line lengths, it turned out the poppit spring in the out post was not compressing enough to allow a good flow, i clipped one coil off the bottom of the spring and it got a lot better.

Is it hard to push the connector on ?
I put new poppits in another keg and the connector is easy to push on and the beer flows great