Foam as far as the eye can see!

[AussieDamo]

Gents,

I've installed a new beer system at work with two counter pressure filling guns to dispense the beer. Pics are attached. Everything is good to go but I have been testing it and all I am getting through either gun is pure foam.

The beer kegs and gas cylinder are situated in a cool room kept at the same constant temperature. Each line is probably only about 3-4 metres long in total so I don't think temperature change over distance should be too much of an issue?

My regulator seems to be working fine and holding pressure well and evenly. I assumed with such foaming that perhaps I was running to high so I've tried it at a vast range of pressures with no change in the foam situation.

I have had to run the lines through the wall of the keg room, up the wall outside and then down the opposite wall... is the rise and fall in gravity and the vertical set up likely to be my problem? My physics is rather week so I apologise if this seems elementary. My flow rate is fine so it's not as though the lines are too long and the pressure isn't sufficient to push the beer at speed. That said, this is all I can think of to be causing my never ending foaming issue.

I'm all out of ideas about what to do.

I would greatly appreciate any help or advice as to what to try next. My boss is breaking my balls about getting this thing finished

Thanks in advance.

 

[kristiismean]

what's the serving pressure at, you should lower it down until it barely moves / dispenses the beer.

 

[AussieDamo]

what's the serving pressure at, you should lower it down until it barely moves / dispenses the beer.

G'day mate,

I've tried running it at anywhere between 70kpa (10ish PSI) to 180kpa (26ish PSI). Still think that's too high? Will pressure rate below 70kpa be able to push around corners and up the vertical?

Cheers

 

[Carlscan26]

Is the line insulated the entire length? I think your issue is that the lines are getting too warm. Unless I misunderstood and they are in the cool space the entire time.

 

[AussieDamo]

Is the line insulated the entire length? I think your issue is that the lines are getting too warm. Unless I misunderstood and they are in the cool space the entire time.

No they aren't insulated. I didn't think a run this short would require it. I still feels quite cold to the touch in the tubing. Is insulation really necessary on such a short run. I can't really afford a glycol system of the like

 

[AussieDamo]

From the photos, does anybody have any ideas as to how I could insulate the tubing considering its length and route? If not, is insulated tubing expensive compared with regular tubing? As I said, I can't afford a glycol system so if I were to run insulated tubing do you think it would hold the temp? There's only about 2.5m of it not situated within the coolroom...

 

[AussieDamo]

Also, this may seem a ridiculous question but what is the point of non-insulated beer tubing if even tiny runs have to be insulated? Is it only used in situations where the filling is done at room temp or wholly within the kegroom? I'm a bit confused I must say haha

 

[kristiismean]

well, longer runs are glycol cooled, which is used in commercial settings.

Yes, 10 psi is to much. you need the temperatures of the bottle, and wand to be close to the temperature of the beer you are dispensing.

Try it at 2 psi, see if it flows, no? then 3, then 4, etc. Low and Slow, low and slow....

and yes, it will be slow. If you want it to be fast, then have everything, including the bottle you are filling at 40 or below...

 

[Carlscan26]

You can just wrap them in pipe insulation - it's like a foam wrap for copper pipes. What's the total length of tubing the beer goes through? I agree with Kristi - go as low as you can pressure wise.

 

[christyle]

Lines need to be insulated or cooled when they go through warm places. Like said above, long runs or when there is a good chance of picking up ambient heat would require insulation or cooling. For kegerators and the like, its all within a cooled area so no issues. I would say that's a decent amount of your issue, but probably that serving pressure as well.

 

[wilserbrewer]

What size inside diameter beer line are you using?

 

[AussieDamo]

Hi gents,

After some tweaking and a lot of cutting and joining I've moved the dispensing guns into the coolroom where the kegs and gas are stored as a temporary fix while I work out how I will go about insulating the lines running outside the room.

It would seem as though you learned blokes were spot on in regards to the temperature difference as it is now pouring beer that isn't simply just foam haha. That said, I am still having smaller foaming issue when filling but nothing at all like before.

I'm still working out the best Kpa/PSI to set it at but it would seem as though the ambient temp change was indeed the issue as you all suggested.

Additionally, what are people's thoughts on say something in this vain to retrofit to insulate the tubing?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AIR-COND...6412708?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6561#rpdCntId

In any case, I just wanted to say thanks for the help. Really do appreciate it.

 

[AussieDamo]

What size inside diameter beer line are you using?

6.5mm mate.