Giving up trying to get rid of foam!

[jrc64]

Well, I put 30psi on the keg for 24 hours, lowered to 10psi for the last 7 days, put on a 9' line, and the beer STILL foams like a bitch! Don't see much carb bubbles and quite frankley tastes flat.

I'm really not sure ay all what went wrong here, but I'm probably going to dump the keg and start over.

Next time I will try just putting 10psi on the keg and leave it for 5-7 days, and see what happens.

PS - fridge is now at 38 degrees.

PSS - After beer carbs up, do I lower the PSI pressure down to say 5psi for serving?

 

[solbes]

Good God, do not dump the keg! We need more info.

What ID beer line did you put on in 9' length? 3/16"? 1/4"? Any splices or things inline with it?

Was it at 38 degrees the whole time, or just now coming down to 38 degrees? That schedule sounds okay if the beer was cold during the first 24 hours. Give it some more time at 10 psi, like another 3-4 days.

Set and forget at 38 degrees could be fine at 10 psi, but it will take longer than 5-7 days. Probably 1.5-2 weeks. Works everytime though it your plumbing is setup correctly. The serving pressure is dependent on what you carbed to. 5 psi will eventually lead to a med/low to low carb'd beer over time. I use serving pressures between 8 and 13 psi depending on style (I have a long length of 1/4" PET line, probably 18 feet or so)

Kegs typically produce more foam for the first 1/5 or 1/4 pint. I usually shut it off after that, wait 10-15 seconds or so for the faucet to cool down, then complete the pour. The second pour always comes out with less head. Are you seeing foamy pint after foamy pint, or just in the beginning?

 

[jrc64]

Good God, do not dump the keg! We need more info.

What ID beer line did you put on in 9' length? 3/16"? 1/4"? Any splices or things inline with it?

Was it at 38 degrees the whole time, or just now coming down to 38 degrees? That schedule sounds okay if the beer was cold during the first 24 hours. Give it some more time at 10 psi, like another 3-4 days.

Set and forget at 38 degrees could be fine at 10 psi, but it will take longer than 5-7 days. Probably 1.5-2 weeks. Works everytime though it your plumbing is setup correctly. The serving pressure is dependent on what you carbed to. 5 psi will eventually lead to a med/low to low carb'd beer over time. I use serving pressures between 8 and 13 psi depending on style (I have a long length of 1/4" PET line, probably 18 feet or so)

Kegs typically produce more foam for the first 1/5 or 1/4 pint. I usually shut it off after that, wait 10-15 seconds or so for the faucet to cool down, then complete the pour. The second pour always comes out with less head. Are you seeing foamy pint after foamy pint, or just in the beginning?

Line is 1/4" and brand new. I would say the temp fluctuated between 41 and 38 over the last 5 days. It is foamy pint after pint. The foam does eventually settle, but to me, the beer tastes flat. No zip to it.

 

[pjj2ba]

It tastes flat because it foamed like crazy and all of the CO2 left. Switch to 3/16ths. 1/4 is normally used commercially for long beer line runs. Also, people have found sharp defects in taps, and in disconnects, that result in turbulence which results in foaming.

Finally there is pouring technique. I post a sign by my taps when we have our big parties and people are pouring their own beers

Confucius says, half open tap equals glass full of foam

 

[solbes]

Got it, you're beer line is not long enough for 1/4" ID. Either buy a much longer length 1/4" (at least 18 feet, 22-25 feet is better), or better yet get 10 feet 3/16" ID line.

If you have 1/4" barbed fittings, you are setup perfectly for this. Boil a cup or two of water in the microwave, and dip the 3/16" line ends in it for 20 or 30 seconds. This softens it up so you can push it over the barbs. No hose clamps needed!

Also good tip above about fully opening the beer faucet.

Given another few days at 38F on 10 psi and the proper beer line setup, your beer should pour perfect!

 

[LLBeanJ]

You should be using 3/16" ID line at that length, which is what most of us use. Notice that solbes is using 1/4" line and it's almost 2x the length you're using. 1/4" line needs to be longer to have the same resistance as a shorter length of 3/16. Either change over to 3/16 line or reduce the carb level of your beer and the foaming should stop.

To reduce the carb level, turn off the CO2 and open your pressure relieve valve on your keg. Leave it open for 24-48 hours to allow CO2 to escape from solution. Then set your regulator to ~8 psi and you should be good to go.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Wait wait wait, dont dump the keg before you fix the problem!

Can you explain your system a little more? How many kegs do you have? What size beverage line?
Taps out the front or tower on top?

When you dropped the pressure did you bleed the keg?

I had a huge problem with beverage line when i first started. The wider the hose the less pressure is held inside the line.
When that happens co2 is released from suspension and foams in the line, try stepping down to 5/16 or 1/4 and see if that helps.

 

[jrc64]

Wait wait wait, dont dump the keg before you fix the problem!

Can you explain your system a little more? How many kegs do you have? What size beverage line?
Taps out the front or tower on top?

When you dropped the pressure did you bleed the keg?

I had a huge problem with beverage line when i first started. The wider the hose the less pressure is held inside the line.
When that happens co2 is released from suspension and foams in the line, try stepping down to 5/16 or 1/4 and see if that helps.

One keg in fridge on picnic tap.

 

[jrc64]

You should be using 3/16" ID line at that length, which is what most of us use. Notice that solbes is using 1/4" line and it's almost 2x the length you're using. 1/4" line needs to be longer to have the same resistance as a shorter length of 3/16. Either change over to 3/16 line or reduce the carb level of your beer and the foaming should stop.

To reduce the carb level, turn off the CO2 and open your pressure relieve valve on your keg. Leave it open for 24-48 hours to allow CO2 to escape from solution. Then set your regulator to ~8 psi and you should be good to go.

To be honest, I went to the hombrew store yesterday and was asked which size I needed. As I was unsure, the person said that 1/4" was the most common and held up a picnic tap and asked if mine looked like that. He then said, OK, then you need 1/4". Now I'm nor sure id thats the ID or outside diameter, but it is the thick walled tubing and looked exactly like the tubing that came with the keg.

 

[BigFloyd]

Try this-

1) Get 12ft of 3/16" beer line (you can always trim it if you want. mine's still at 12ft)

2) Relieve the pressure from the keg a few times and set it at 11-12psi

3) Let everything sit at 38-39*F for a few days

4) When you open the tap, do so fully. Even with all else set up well, a partially opened tap can cause excessive foaming.

 

[jrc64]

Try this-

1) Get 12ft of 3/16" beer line (you can always trim it if you want. mine's still at 12ft)

2) Relieve the pressure from the keg a few times and set it at 11-12psi

3) Let everything sit at 38-39*F for a few days

4) When you open the tap, do so fully. Even with all else set up well, a partially opened tap can cause excessive foaming.

I'm assumming that 3/16" inside diameter?

 

[LLBeanJ]

To be honest, I went to the hombrew store yesterday and was asked which size I needed. As I was unsure, the person said that 1/4" was the most common and held up a picnic tap and asked if mine looked like that. He then said, OK, then you need 1/4". Now I'm nor sure id thats the ID or outside diameter, but it is the thick walled tubing and looked exactly like the tubing that came with the keg.

It seems that most new kegging systems come standard with a short length (4-6') of 1/4" ID line. Unfortunately, it just work very well and I don't understand why they do this. Trust us when we say that 3/16" ID beer line is what you want. Get yourself 12' of 3/16 and you'll be well on your way to kegging nirvana. If you do this and still get foam, then your beer is likely overcarbonated and that is easily rectified.

You can make your 1/4" line work by decreasing the carb level of your beer as described in above posts, but your potential level of CO2 volume in your beer that you can accommodate without foaming will be considerably less (I.e, your beer can not be carbed as high as most styles require) if you stay with the 1/4" line.

 

[BigFloyd]

I'm assumming that 3/16" inside diameter?

Correct.

 

[jrc64]

Correct.

Well, you'll never belive this. Went home last night and tried pouring a pint with 1/4" hose. This time....I opened tap ALL THE WAY and guess what? Perfect 1" inch head and no foam!! Still seems undercarbed to me, bu that may be because the beer finished at around 3.5% alcohol, so it may be the lack of alcohol thats responsible for the lack of "zip".

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[pjj2ba]

Well, you'll never belive this. Went home last night and tried pouring a pint with 1/4" hose. This time....I opened tap ALL THE WAY and guess what? Perfect 1" inch head and no foam!! Still seems undercarbed to me, bu that may be because the beer finished at around 3.5% alcohol, so it may be the lack of alcohol thats responsible for the lack of "zip".

Thanks for the help!!!

Confucius was a wise man.......

 

[jro238]

Well, you'll never belive this. Went home last night and tried pouring a pint with 1/4" hose. This time....I opened tap ALL THE WAY and guess what? Perfect 1" inch head and no foam!! Still seems undercarbed to me, bu that may be because the beer finished at around 3.5% alcohol, so it may be the lack of alcohol thats responsible for the lack of "zip".

Thanks for the help!!!

great thing about force carbing...if you think the beer tastes flat then turn up the regulator a couple of PSI. Problem solved

 

[Toy4Rick]

10 feet of beer line, how do you deal with it in the kegerator, zip ties, Velcro or duct tape

I roll with 17" (inch) beer lines and add an epoxy mixer stick to the keg beer line. 10-13 psi and every keg, every glass is perfect, carb is spot on

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I roll the linescand loodly tape or zip tie them.

My lines are 12' 3/16" ID. Can hndle most carbonation levelscay various temps.

Btw. ID, length and heigh from the keg all impact flow rate and foaming.

Oh and just so youvshould know. Sometimes the oring between the liquid diptube and the tank can fail. If that happens, gas will psss through into the liquid on every pour. Happened to me twice on some used kegs.

Also, if you upgrade to a tower, blow cold air into it or yjos first pintscwill foam.

 

[WileECoyote]

Well, I put 30psi on the keg for 24 hours, lowered to 10psi for the last 7 days, put on a 9' line, and the beer STILL foams like a bitch! Don't see much carb bubbles and quite frankley tastes flat.

I'm really not sure ay all what went wrong here, but I'm probably going to dump the keg and start over.

Next time I will try just putting 10psi on the keg and leave it for 5-7 days, and see what happens.

PS - fridge is now at 38 degrees.

PSS - After beer carbs up, do I lower the PSI pressure down to say 5psi for serving?

The quick carb methods didn't work for me ether.

I leave my kegs on the gas @ 9 psi for 12 to 14 days before even pulling a pint, This Works. if you try your beer at 5-7 days your setting yourself up, and your going to be disappointed with the results. IMO more time is needed.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

 

[WileECoyote]

Well, you'll never belive this. Went home last night and tried pouring a pint with 1/4" hose. This time....I opened tap ALL THE WAY and guess what? Perfect 1" inch head and no foam!! Still seems undercarbed to me, bu that may be because the beer finished at around 3.5% alcohol, so it may be the lack of alcohol thats responsible for the lack of "zip".

Thanks for the help!!!

Always a quick full pull on the tap handle, with the glass tilted under tap.

Nice to here your beer is coming out better.

Cheers

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Always a quick full pull on the tap handle, with the glass tilted under tap.

Nice to here your beer is coming out better.

Cheers

Pull with authority but not hard enough to rip it off the fridge/tower. I have seen people do the damnest things when attempting to pull a pint for the first time.

The best was a cousin who did the, "slowly pull the handle" method. Beer squirted him in the face. After running to close the tap, I then fell to the floor laughing.