Keg foams halfway in - HELP!

[boicutt]

Hi! I'm onto my third keg, two are currently plugged on my dual regulator. One hefe at 14PSI and the other id a Black IPA at 12. 6' beer lines.

I get perfect pours on all 3 kegs until I reach the halfway mark. Then one day to the next its absolute foam, nothing else, nothing is changed... help me

 

[zachattack]

This is the case for all 3 kegs? Or just one?

 

[boicutt]

This is the case for all 3 kegs? Or just one?

Happened twice to the Hefe (this one has been kegged twice) and now got half way into my Black IPA, it was pouring perfect, until last night. Had one Saturday, perfect, come sunday, nothing but thick foam. Last night it was even struggling to come out at all...

 

[boicutt]

All i can find over the internet is to get 10-12 feet lines...

I do get seperation in my beer lines.

 

[boicutt]

Im gonna cry Just got home with two beers on tap and cant pour any.... nothing but foam now, and spurts...

 

[WayFrae]

Im gonna cry Just got home with two beers on tap and cant pour any.... nothing but foam now, and spurts...

Maybe check your o-rings. If it is spitting then that could mean CO2 is getting injected into the liquid lines. It seems a little strange for it to be happening on all your kegs though.

 

[spikolas_WestMI]

Is the beer dip tube on the gas side? IE once the level gets lower its sucking foam from the short gas dip tube?

 

[helterscelter]

Could be a hole or crack in the diptube.

 

[ButcherBoy]

Check the beer out post, poppet and dip tube for clogs. You might be getting trub up in the post or trapped in the poppet spring that would cause this. I had this on a beer I dry hopped.

Also had foaming problems with 1/4" ID beer lines, changed to 3/16" ID lines 10-12' long and they work great. Set the regulator to 11-12lbs and chill, nice pours to the end of the keg.

 

[chickypad]

This is happening on all your kegs? They're not frozen are they? What temp and pressure are you using? Just wondering if they were taking a while to get to equilibrium and now they are overcarbed.

 

[zachattack]

This is happening on all your kegs? They're not frozen are they? What temp and pressure are you using? Just wondering if they were taking a while to get to equilibrium and now they are overcarbed.

That's what I was thinking. If it were just one keg I would suspect a bad tip tube or poppet or something similar, but with all of them acting like this it's gotta be something else. How long has the keg been in there? I know you drank half of it, but was that over 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years?

 

[DrunkleJon]

It is possible that it is temperature stratification too.

How do you carbonate the kegs? Naturally (Sugar?), Quick force (30 psi for a day or so/possibly shake method), or the set and forget?
How long after kegging do you start serving?
What temperature is your kegerator/keezer? Is this an upright or chest style? Do you notice that it is just the first pour or two that is all foam, or are all pours foamy after this halfway point?
Do you find that your taps are cool or warm to the touch?

If it is temperature stratification and being warmer up top which is causing the breakout in the lines (you will notice that your taps are warmer and the first pour or two will be all foam with less/no foam on subsequent pours) putting a fan in the kegerator will even out the temperatures and can help alleviate this.

 

[boicutt]

Thanks for all the tips! I'm leaning towards a mix of temp and beer line. I'm almost at sea level, 100ft. My beer lines are 6'~ I will up them to 10 or 12ft, what would you recommend? I will get a temp controller for this fridge, with all the information given/found I suspect temp swings are effin' with my carbonation because I do get seperation in the lines. I get the lines full as I pour and eventually spaces/bubbles will form.

I think this is a good start to fixing it. I have a Danby dar125sldd that I have converted with dual taps. 2 copper tubes for each Bevlex 3/16" tube. There is some variation from the tubes and the keg, but I don't think it's enough to cause full glass foam pours. If it was just the first, I'd lean towards that but it isn't.

What do you guys think on this approach? How do you monitor your temps with a probe? Do you do like the fermentor and tape it to the side?

Thanks for all the help <3 Much appreciated!

 

[DrunkleJon]

Thanks for all the tips! I'm leaning towards a mix of temp and beer line. I'm almost at sea level, 100ft. My beer lines are 6'~ I will up them to 10 or 12ft, what would you recommend? I will get a temp controller for this fridge, with all the information given/found I suspect temp swings are effin' with my carbonation because I do get seperation in the lines. I get the lines full as I pour and eventually spaces/bubbles will form.

I think this is a good start to fixing it. I have a Danby dar125sldd that I have converted with dual taps. 2 copper tubes for each Bevlex 3/16" tube. There is some variation from the tubes and the keg, but I don't think it's enough to cause full glass foam pours. If it was just the first, I'd lean towards that but it isn't.

What do you guys think on this approach? How do you monitor your temps with a probe? Do you do like the fermentor and tape it to the side?

Thanks for all the help <3 Much appreciated!

If you are getting CO2 breaking out of solution in the lines the line length is not going to do much. That is most often due to a differential between how many volumes of carbonation your beer is compared to the serving pressure (lower). Is there the potential that you have some unfermented sugars in your beer that is taking a little while to ferment out and up the carb level? Temp swings can definitely cause this. How often does your compressor come on?

Where in your keg fridge do you keep your temp probe? Is it free hanging? Submerged in a can of water? Taped or insulated to a keg(I do this, works great for me)? The more thermal mass you have it hooked up to the less your fridge will cycle and the longer it will survive. A small fan in the fridge will even out temps as well. Worth a try.

 

[boicutt]

If you are getting CO2 breaking out of solution in the lines the line length is not going to do much. That is most often due to a differential between how many volumes of carbonation your beer is compared to the serving pressure (lower). Is there the potential that you have some unfermented sugars in your beer that is taking a little while to ferment out and up the carb level? Temp swings can definitely cause this. How often does your compressor come on?

Where in your keg fridge do you keep your temp probe? Is it free hanging? Submerged in a can of water? Taped or insulated to a keg(I do this, works great for me)? The more thermal mass you have it hooked up to the less your fridge will cycle and the longer it will survive. A small fan in the fridge will even out temps as well. Worth a try.

Don't have a temp controller for kegerator yet, only fermentation fridge. That's why I suspect the temp being a culprit, due to what you just said. I don't touch the PSI once I set it. I think that when the keg is full, it's enough liquid to keep the beer temp reasonably stable, enough not to foam up. Less liquid, more unbalancing in the temps. Doesn't hold the same temp as long.

I get 4-6 second pours, to me this is way too fast with the 6' line. If I could get around the 10 second mark, I think that's reasonable and gives me more control on head once the system is balanced.

I'll start with the temp controller. One of my kegs is almost empty and I have a stout waiting to be kegged. I'll wait for the temp controller before I try and update as I go!

 

[DrunkleJon]

Good on the set and forget method. I think you nailed it. With steadier temps you will get far less foaming. CO2 dissolves much more easily in colder liquids, and when its warmer it will break out of solution. The repeating cycle of that can definitely cause overcarbonation for the serving pressure when its warmer. Let us know.

 

[boicutt]

Hey guys just wanted to update this thread as promised. So here is what's happening. I have leaked the kegs and shut off the C02 for 3 days now. I have leaked them morning and night. Seems barely anything was coming out when I got home today so I'm assuming the most C02 it could hold at the current temp is being held in the beer.

So, I wanted to see where we were at. The Wheat beer that was at 14PSI was set to 10PSI and the IPA that was set to 12 PSI is now at 8. They were both perfect pours. Long, but perfect, for the time being.

After a full glass pour I estimated the temp to be at 31-32F more or less (probably more around 30F as I had a room temp glass). So, I was probably getting overcarbed beers and didn't notice till about half, as I was drinking the beers before they were ready. As soon as it's carbed I like to see the evolution of the carbing process and seeing the flavors appear/dissapear. I'm going with this logic for now.

I will leave the PSIs at 8 and 10 respectively and will not touch the fridge's temp and will updated in a few days to see where it's at!

Edit: Just saw the carbonation chart, I went for 6 and 8 to be safe instead of 8-10. Got to estimate that my glass is at 60ish F*, so if I'm getting 31-32 im really 30F or a bit less.