New Kegerator

[TipsyDragon]

a friend got a new kegerator for Christmas. luck bastard. we have it all set up with a nice keg inside. we have the CO2 set to 12psi. when we try to pour a beer it comes out almost all head. what are we missing?

 

[Wade E]

I bet it has a 3-4' hose on it for dispensing! Yank that off and replace it with 10-12'of 3/16"!

 

[Zen_Brew]

It's hard to say without more information. Like does the unit have a tower for the taps? If so, Is the tower cooled? If you tap two beers in a row do they both come out mostly foam, or only the first? What temp is the beer coming out of the tap at?

There are many things that can cause excessive foaming. Too short of a beer line is definitely one of them. There are formulas to help size the length correctly but somewhere in the 7-10 ft range is common.

Also if the beer is not cold, or most of the line is not cold you will get a lot of foam. Thry to keep the keg and the line refrigerated.

 

[TipsyDragon]

it has more than 3-4' dispensing lines. it has a tower for the taps. i think the tower is cooled. it is connected to the top of the kegerator and it is open to the inside of the kegerator. there is only 1 tap. no idea what the temp the beer is coming out. don't have my thermometer handy. its probably not cold enough. the lines are most definitely shorter than 7 feet. also from what my friend said the keg may of gotten shook up during transport.

 

[Shooter]

You can probably turn down the pressure temporarily to serve it, but that's probably only a short term solution. Also, the air inside that tower may be significantly warmer than the refrigerated section as the warmer air will be up in the tower area. I believe some people use a fan to help stir the air from the lower area and force it up into the tower.

 

[wildwest450]

#1, the tower MUST be cooled, or it will foam. #2 Let the beer settle at least over night, then see if it's still a problem. Short lines are NOT always the cause of foaming. Be patient.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

we have the CO2 set to 12psi.

That is one piece of the puzzle.

What I find works best is to know the volumes of co2 that the beer should be served ad stored at. Then determine the temperature of the beer by drawing a beer, chugging it or dumping it out and drawing a second beer immediately. Measure the beer temperature with a calibrated thermometer. Now use a carbonation chart to determine where to set your regulator. You set the regulator to maintain carbonation, not control dispense speed. A lot of people throw their elevation above sea level into the mix but unless you live in the Rockies you can get by without that IMHO.

And plus one on the tower cooler. If you have a tower, the beer can warm up enough in it to allow the co2 to come out of solution. This contributes to foam and once you have foam in the glass, pouring beer through it will make more foam.

Something else new kegerator owners do is try to slowly or partially open the faucet. It is important to snap the faucet open and closed quickly and fully to avoid turbulence. Grasping the faucet handle at the base and opening it there aids in this quick snap opening.

 

[HI_SALENITY]

I keep mine set at 6-7# if I turn it up to 12 All I;d get is foam .
My hose is only about 3-4 foot long .

 

[ruffdeezy]

I solved my foaming issues with these two things

http://cgi.ebay.com/Danby-kegerator...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439c12c555

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

That contraption on ebay should work. Just keep in mind that it likely isn't a blower as advertised and it can be put together for not much more than what he wants for shipping (12 bucks). Look around on Micro Matics forums for tower coolers, they are easier to build than a mash tun or immersion chiller.