Keg Problem ... Foam Foam and More Foam!

[BrewTech117]

Ok Guys and girls,

I'm sure this is a often asked question. And yes I have done my home work, I have even called KeggConnection.com where i purchased 2 Corni Kegs, 5 Gallon, Ball Lock Set up with a Tapright Regulator and 5 pound CO2 Tank. I have been using this thing for about 6 months now but have had the same problem the whole time. FOAM!

I have Checked temps, Line Length, Etc. Let me give yall some background.

I brew 5 Gallon IPA batches often.

Right now i have a West coast style IPA i force carbonated in the keg, I did this by:
Cleaning and Sanitizing keg and lines,
Adding Beer,
Hook up the Gas Side and charge to 40 pounds CO2
Roll / Rock Keg for about 20 minutes
Leave on 40 PSI for 2 days
Drop psi down to serving pressure @ 4 pounds (Have tried anything from 1 to 12)
Pour a glass and get 3/4 foam 1/4 beer.... 2nd glass after dumping and rising glass 1/2 foam 1/2 beer. Wait for foam to settle and drink 1/2 glass of beer .... Repeat 3/4 foam ETC...... cant do this any more about to switch back to bottling.

Please ask away on questions ill answer and provide as many details as possible. Our Irish red did the same but balanced out at about half a keg we were able to get a pretty full glass of beer with a decent head (A bit more than we would like but the best pour we got) it was force carb'd the same way.

 

[EcuPirate07]

Did you purge the keg before setting the lower pressure after your 2 day sit at 40 psi?

 

[bob1852]

40psi for 2 days is too long and too high pressure in my opinion.

Have tried the set it and forget it method? (~12psi for 2-3 weeks)

Also, how long are your lines? If they're 5 feet (which keg connection usually sells with kits, it may not be long enough...)

Finally, are you dispensing through a tower? Warm lines that go up into a tower can cause excessive foaming....

 

[Double_D]

40psi for 2 days is too long and too high pressure in my opinion.

Have tried the set it and forget it method? (~12psi for 2-3 weeks)

Also, how long are your lines? If they're 5 feet (which keg connection usually sells with kits, it may not be long enough...)

Finally, are you dispensing through a tower? Warm lines that go up into a tower can cause excessive foaming....

I second all of this.

 

[BrewTech117]

OK so Maybe 40 PSI is too much - that id maybe agree with - id prefer not the set it and forget it due to the fact that im trying to save time from bottling.

Pick nick Taps are what we have at this point - No tower yet

Yes we purged the keg (also purged O2 Out when adding CO2 which i forgot to mention)

Line Length is indeed 5 FT (Both of them) running 2 Kegs One Soda, One IPA

 

[day_trippr]

[...]
Hook up the Gas Side and charge to 40 pounds CO2
Roll / Rock Keg for about 20 minutes
Leave on 40 PSI for 2 days
Drop psi down to serving pressure @ 4 pounds (Have tried anything from 1 to 12)
[...]

Holy cow!

It was "Game Ovah" with that 20 minutes of rocking at 40 psi.
The 40PSI for another 2 days was just the cherry on a craptastic carbonation job.

Find whomever recommended this procedure and kick him square in the nuts...

Cheers!

 

[Double_D]

Holy cow!

It was "Game Ovah" with that 20 minutes of rocking at 40 psi.
The 40PSI for another 2 days was just the cherry on a craptastic carbonation job.

Find whomever recommended this procedure and kick him square in the nuts...

Cheers!

Send Billy klubb

 

[doug293cz]

Holy cow!

It was "Game Ovah" with that 20 minutes of rocking at 40 psi.
The 40PSI for another 2 days was just the cherry on a craptastic carbonation job.

Find whomever recommended this procedure and kick him square in the nuts...

Cheers!

Absolutely, this is serious beer abuse.

Learn how to do it correctly, and quit being in such a damn hurry. You got what you deserved.

30 psi for 48 hours max, no shaking. 40 psi for 24 hours max, no shaking. Vent the headspace and set the psi according to this chart for the carb level you want:



Also, you need about 1 foot of line for each psi of serving/storage pressure. Visit here for the only line length calculator that gets the science right (and maybe learn something about why this is important.) This has been proven to work over and over. Feel free to ignore the established, successful methods, but then you own the results (how's that working out for you?).

Brew on

 

[raouliii]

I agree with most of what's been posted. My additional two cents:

Establish desired serving psi per table and beer style/preference. Equate the carbonation psi to the serving psi. Establish beer line length, using line length calculator linked above, based on carbonation psi.

If you're in a hurry and feel that you must shake, only do it at the carbonation psi. Over-carbing will not be an issue.

Don't worry about line lengths a bit longer than the tables and calculators require. Pour time will just be a little slower and a head may have to be created by throttling the tap back towards the end.

 

[Yooper]

Adding Beer,
Hook up the Gas Side and charge to 40 pounds CO2
Roll / Rock Keg for about 20 minutes
Leave on 40 PSI for 2 days
Drop psi down to serving pressure @ 4 pounds (Have tried anything from 1 to 12)

You already got your answers, but I just wanted to reiterate that shaking at 40 psi is already going to overcarb the beer if it's cold and then putting it on 40 psi for 2 days is going to really really overcarb it.

My procedure:

Put warm beer in the keg, and in the kegerator (which is 40 degrees)
Put on 30 psi for 36 hours (24 if the beer is already cold, but it's not usually)
Purge, reset to 12 psi.

Holding it at 30 psi for 36 hours burst carbs it enough that it's not overcarbed, but still has a little way to go. By day 3, it's drinkable and pretty well carbed, though!


And.............at least 1 foot of 3/16" beer line for every psi on the regulator. At 12 psi, that's 12', not 5. You need the restriction to get a good pour. Turning the regulator up and down creates foaming as the pressure tries to equalize (laws of physics in play here), so turning it down to serve doesn't really work very well.

 

[doug293cz]

I agree with most of what's been posted. My additional two cents:

Establish desired serving psi per table and beer style/preference. Equate the carbonation psi to the serving psi. Establish beer line length, using line length calculator linked above, based on carbonation psi.

If you're in a hurry and feel that you must shake, only do it at the carbonation psi. Over-carbing will not be an issue.

Don't worry about line lengths a bit longer than the tables and calculators require. Pour time will just be a little slower and a head may have to be created by throttling the tap back towards the end.

Also good and correct information.

Brew on

 

[Double_D]

You already got your answers, but I just wanted to reiterate that shaking at 40 psi is already going to overcarb the beer if it's old and then putting it on 40 psi for 2 days is going to really really overcarb it.

My procedure:

Put warm beer in the keg, and in the kegerator (which is 40 degrees)
Put on 30 psi for 36 hours (24 if the beer is already cold, but it's not usually)
Purge, reset to 12 psi.

Holding it at 30 psi for 36 hours burst carbs it enough that it's not overcarbed, but still has a little way to go. By day 3, it's drinkable and pretty well carbed, though!


And.............at least 1 foot of 3/16" beer line for every psi on the regulator. At 12 psi, that's 12', not 5. You need the restriction to get a good pour. Turning the regulator up and down creates foaming as the pressure tries to equalize (laws of physics in play here), so turning it down to serve doesn't really work very well.

My procedure is identical.