I've built a very efficient foam machine

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Hello all,
So I gave it a day at 12psi and it's still all foam. What is my best next step? Maybe I underestimated how much CO2 had to come out, but I'm not sure.

Thanks!

I'm kind of at a loss......Your temp is a bit warmer than I would prefer but that shouldn't be causing the issues you're having. I would try to get my temps closer to 38F and see if that makes a difference. But for the length of lines you have I wouldn't think 6F would make that much of a difference, but I have been known to be wrong on more than one occasion. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will spot something the rest of us have overlooked. Provided your beer was degassed enough before resetting the PSI to 12 you should not be pouring foam. It sounds to me like you were still carbed higher than the regulator is set for, But that is purely speculation as you are the only one with the keg to verify one way or the other.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Here is a bunch of questions to maybe give us a better idea.

How are you pouring? Are you opening the tap only partially to slow the pour or are you following proper pouring procedure and opening the tap(s) fully when pouring.
How fast does the beer come out of the faucet? Is it shooting out or is it a nice leisurely pour?
I got a little lazy re-reading the thread, but are the foamy pours happening with all pours, or if you were to pour into a pitcher or two glasses is the second one much better?
Looking through your lines is the foam coming out inside the lines or just after the tap?
How do you clean your glassware? Have you tried a different glass? Or are you using a red solo cup? (I always find those foam far more than any other type of cup/glass)

I am still leaning towards overcarbonation though. It takes a lot of venting to decarb a beer. You almost want to have it nearly flat before putting it back on pressure.

 

[Imix500]

Hey all,

Temp is at 38F.
I am fully operating the faucet handle. The faucet is getting pretty sticky in operation but is not leaking when closed. I assume this is related to the quality of the faucet which will be upgraded eventually.
Pint glasses are washed in the dishwasher then rinsed before use or frozen. I have tried two different glasses both from the freezer and room temp.

Overcarbination is still a possibility in my mind as well, though I'm just learning this.

Thanks!!

The pint glass fills up pretty quickly with foam. It then keeps expanding so I only pour about 3/4 a glass.
Liquid line has liquid and I don't see evidence of bubbles flowing along.

 

[masonsjax]

It's probably still overcarbed. Just unhook the gas and vent every couple hours until theres nothing coming out.

 

[Imix500]

Will do.

Any benefit to shaking/rolling then venting or should I just let it happen naturally?

Thanks!

 

[DrunkleJon]

When I uncarbonate I release all the pressure I can (you said pin lock without PRV so you probably have to do it through the gas poppit) and then do it again whenever I pass by (every hour, couple hours) until I do not get much of a hiss when I release pressure (usually a couple days). During this time since the pressure is lower go ahead and keep pouring yourself pints. It will help remove pressure as well.

Only then reapply pressure and let it slowly carb back up. You want it to seem undercarbed before you put pressure back on. Probably not a bad idea to take apart and clean out the posts after this keg kicks too.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Hey all,

Temp is at 38F.
I am fully operating the faucet handle. The faucet is getting pretty sticky in operation but is not leaking when closed. I assume this is related to the quality of the faucet which will be upgraded eventually.
Pint glasses are washed in the dishwasher then rinsed before use or frozen. I have tried two different glasses both from the freezer and room temp.

Overcarbination is still a possibility in my mind as well, though I'm just learning this.

Thanks!!

The pint glass fills up pretty quickly with foam. It then keeps expanding so I only pour about 3/4 a glass.
Liquid line has liquid and I don't see evidence of bubbles flowing along.

Think about this. You have bled gas off the keg over and over. Everytime you do it, more gas escapes. You said "I believe I have let enough gas come out of solution as I can release pressure in the morning and have just have 4 seconds or so of relase 8 hours or so later.".....but think about that. 4 seconds of gas release 8 hours later. It's still overcarbed. You'll know when it's not overcarbed because you WON'T have that 4 seconds of gas release anymore.

Nobody has suggested it yet, but when I have overcarbed a keg, I take it out of the kegerator and let it warm to room temperature. C02 dissolves into cold beer better then warm beer. Thus the temperature/pressure charts you've seen. Burp it every hour as it warms. This is going to be painful but if you want a solution it will work. Burp it at room temp until after an hour you get NO C02 release. Then it's flat. Put it back in the kegerator, set it per your temp/pressure chart, and leave it alone. It will take 5-7 days before it carbs back up correctly, but you'll have a lot of time to contemplate your overcarbing mistake and the negative experience will prevent you from making it again.

PS, I came here because I love the thread title. Kudos.

 

[Imix500]

Hello all,

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going to aggressively release it today every hour or so and see what happens for tomorrow. (Was planning on serving tomorrow from the beginning, but if I've messed it up beyond that being a possibility, so be it)
I did not realize how much gas is still in solution even when not much has built in the headspace after a length of time- but it's a learning experience.

The next time should be easier for a number if reasons, but the most obvious will be to just crash carb it as I am too impatient to try sugar priming with a keg which was the issue from the start with the gas leak. The temptation is just too much to consume what is right there is just too much!

Thanks!

 

[DrunkleJon]

Why dont you try just purging the crap out of it all day today and then serving it without outside pressure tomorrow until you need to give it a little kick. Are you planning on serving it to many people or just a couple? You may be able to get away with non pressurized serving and it being a touch foamy.

 

[Imix500]

Hmm, I hadn't considered that. So to just help it along do I use a reduced pressure?

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Take the gas pressure off.
If you want to serve it tomorrow,keep it cold,and go by the keg and burp it every hour.
After course of today, with this regimen, check your pour, with the gas still disconnected.
Getting better?
No?, keep burping.
Get up in the morning and try one for breakfast, after burping.

How is it now?
Can you live with it?
Determine whether you are going to start serving with "residual carbonation", and then make the call whether or when to hook it back up @ serving pressure.

I got faith in ya', ya' Ridge Runner.............You'll be sippin' tomorrow!