Foam and slightly flat beer

[JonClayton]

Hi fellow brewers, I am having a few issues with my first keg attempt. I have been reading through the past threads and trying to self resolve, but would appreciate some input.

Beer: Nut brown ale

Fridge: for the first 10 days or so was running between 28-34 degrees, I adjusted it and it seems to be fairly stable in the 34-36 degree range now. (i realize that i need to get a controller for the fridge)

PSI: Used set and forget @ 12 psi

Line: 5 feet of 3/16ID

Faucet: Picnic

Time: has been kegged for 18 days at this point.

The issue is that it is pouring a lot of foam and little beer. When the foam dies down, the beer taste pretty good but it is on the flat side. it's not nasty flat, just very little carbonation.

First Fix: Replaced line with 10' of 3/16ID, tested over the next day or so and it did not seem to reduce foam.

Second Fix: Decided I may have over carbed the keg, so I closed off the regulator, opened up the purge valve until it stopped hissing, and then reset the regulator at 10psi.

it has been in this configuration for a couple of days now, the foam may be slightly better, and if this makes sense the foam seems to dissapate faster than the foam at 12psi, but the beer still seems flat. If i flash light the side of the glass there are a few c02 bubbles in the beer, but not much.

What should be my next step?

 

[DustinHickey]

34 degrees at 12 PSI is a bit high on the carb chart. Thats almost 2.9 volumes. I leave my fridge around 38 or to 40. I am going to assume that most people would say that it takes more than 10 days to carb the beer at that pressure but it may be all right by now. If you did over cab the beer it would take more than releasing all the pressure and re-setting the reg at 10 to de-carb it. I overcarbed my first beer and it took about 3 days with no pressure at all to get it back to near normal. Your original hose length seems about right if you assume only a few feet from mid keg to tap faucet however others will tell you that 10 feet is fine too (you just get a slower pour). Based on the little experience I have I would assume you either overcarbed it because of the extremely low temperatures or there is something jammed in your quick disconnect line or dip tube (less likely but it's happened before). The easiest thing to try without being extra carefull to infect the beer is to decarb it until it stops foaming.

Thats just me - get some other opinions before you do it though.

-Dustin Hickey

 

[JonClayton]

Thank you dustin. Is it possible to be over carbed and still have flat beer? Sunday is 3 weeks in the keg.

Thanks

 

[DustinHickey]

Yea, if it is coming out as foam all of the carbonation is being released in the line instead of slowl in your glass.

 

[malkore]

Dustin nailed it. Fridge is a little on the cold side so 12psi is a little over carbed. 5 feet of beer line also is a little on the short side...probably (everyone's draft system is unique).

I'd start by getting the fridge to the right temp and bleed off a little pressure. If that doesn't help, increase your tap line length, or search the forums here for the 'short keg line' fix...probably the best search term to find that thread is "epoxy nozzle".

Basically you will probably still need to add some resistance to slow down the pour, so it doesn't knock CO2 out of solution (foamy pour)...either by adding line length, or sliding the epoxy nozzle into the dip tube.

 

[kmk1012]

Sounds like my first couple attempts! Good luck, these guys helped me out a great deal.