Old Keg Producing Foam and Flat Beer

[NateBro]

Hey guys! New brewer, and probably jumped in over my head with kegging. (pun intended)

I recently bought a 1/2Barrel (15.5gal) Sankey keg that was full of Green Flash Passionfruit Kicker off a gentleman on CraigsList. He claimed it had been sitting in a warehouse for a year and then his side yard for a few weeks. Its old, but untapped and it was only $40. Brought it home to my new kegging system I bought and let it sit in the fridge a couple days to cool off to about 40* then tapped. The beer is producing all head from the 5ft of 3/16ths vinyl tubing. When the head is finally beer its flat.

I pressurized the keg to 20psi and let it sit 3-4 days. Then I vented, set at 12PSI and tried again. The same issue of pouring almost all foam and flat beer. POSSIBLY a bit less foamy and a bit more carbonation, but my roommate doesn't think so. Might just be my hopeful spirit.

What would you guys recommend to get carbonation into the beer and for it to flow properly?

Thanks! -Nathaniel

 

[bracconiere]

I pressurized the keg to 20psi and let it sit 3-4 days. Then I vented, set at 12PSI and tried again.

if it's over carbed you don't want to carb it more? unless i'm missing something?

 

[NateBro]

if it's over carbed you don't want to carb it more? unless i'm missing something?

Well the beer itself seems flat though. All head, no carbonation in the beer itself. Or maybe its releasing all its carbonation creating the head? Idk, I've never used kegs before. I've tried searching, but usually the results talk about line lengths and mine seems to be correct for the formulas I've seen.

 

[bracconiere]

Well the beer itself seems flat though. All head, no carbonation in the beer itself. Or maybe its releasing all its carbonation creating the head? Idk, I've never used kegs before. I've tried searching, but usually the results talk about line lengths and mine seems to be correct for the formulas I've seen.

line temp matters too. and yeah, if it comes out foamy it's degassing in the line somehow, i believe? not enough resistance or sudden temp change will do it.

 

[NateBro]

All the line and the keg are in the fridge. Shouldn't be more than a degree or 2 difference.

 

[tripeland]

The excess head means CO2 is escaping the already carbonated liquid when being poured, resulting in flat beer in your glass. Definitely stop carbonating it further. If you are confident it’s not length or temperature related, I would check your connections and faucet for any blockages, such as hop or clumped yeast particulates, or damaged o-rings. They can introduce turbulence in the line resulting in excess foam.

 

[Kickass]

Goodness, that would have been an easy pass. A year in a warehouse then a few weeks in someone’s yard. I guess that’s neither here nor there and not helpful though so I’ll move on.

Commercial kegs are already pressurized. Meaning that you likely over pressurized it with 3-4 days at 20psi. I haven’t run the hose length math but I’d bet you only need 7 or 8 psi to push the beer maybe less. You’re not trying to carbonate it, just move it from the keg to your glass.

As far as it being flat after the foam has settled, I don’t have a ton of troubleshooting experience so I won’t try to answer that.

Aside from flat, how’s it taste? I cringed and shuttered reading how old and poorly stored it was.

 

[bracconiere]

Aside from flat, how’s it taste? I cringed and shuttered reading how old and poorly stored it was.

man, it was only a $40 dollar 15 gallon keg. full even! lol, still could make a good boil kettle! (at least from what i've read)

 

[Kickass]

man, it was only a $40 dollar 15 gallon keg. full even! lol, still could make a good boil kettle! (at least from what i've read)

That’s a fair point. @NateBro, invite your swill drinking buddies and @bracconiere over “treat” them to 15 gallons of beer then get out the cutting torch and make yourself a new kettle. After that, every time you’re out drinking with them you can remind them of that time you got them liquored up on fancy SD microbrew. They’d be inclined to buy you a couple rounds. I take back my previous comment above.

 

[bracconiere]

your swill drinking buddies

i'll drink them under the table! or make it seem like it, anyway.

Green Flash Passionfruit Kicker

I wouldn't even care i wouldn't know what i was drinking! lol, wouoldn't kick a 15 gallon keg, but put a dent in it at least!

 

[NateBro]

Goodness, that would have been an easy pass. A year in a warehouse then a few weeks in someone’s yard. I guess that’s neither here nor there and not helpful though so I’ll move on.

Commercial kegs are already pressurized. Meaning that you likely over pressurized it with 3-4 days at 20psi. I haven’t run the hose length math but I’d bet you only need 7 or 8 psi to push the beer maybe less. You’re not trying to carbonate it, just move it from the keg to your glass.

As far as it being flat after the foam has settled, I don’t have a ton of troubleshooting experience so I won’t try to answer that.

Aside from flat, how’s it taste? I cringed and shuttered reading how old and poorly stored it was.

Well we didn't carb it to 20 until after trying to pour it at 10 and getting foam. Now its just sitting at 10-12. Taste is definitely down in flavor, but no off flavors!

man, it was only a $40 dollar 15 gallon keg. full even! lol, still could make a good boil kettle! (at least from what i've read)

And yeah right?? We will either use as a kettle or maybe a still with an electric heating element....

 

[bracconiere]

And yeah right?? We will either use as a kettle or maybe a still with an electric heating element....

you know, i have no idea how to take that! sarcastic or serious.....

 

[9Kegs]

The excess head means CO2 is escaping the already carbonated liquid when being poured, resulting in flat beer in your glass. Definitely stop carbonating it further. If you are confident it’s not length or temperature related, I would check your connections and faucet for any blockages, such as hop or clumped yeast particulates, or damaged o-rings. They can introduce turbulence in the line resulting in excess foam.

I had same problem on a couple corny kegs and the fix was replacing the O-ring on the liquid out post. Inspect and replace whatever O-ring that correlates to your Sankey set up.

 

[jddevinn]

How do you know it was untapped? I'd call the beer a loss and say you paid the money for an empty keg.

 

[NateBro]

I had same problem on a couple corny kegs and the fix was replacing the O-ring on the liquid out post. Inspect and replace whatever O-ring that correlates to your Sankey set up.

I've been considering this. Just trying out other options first since I don't think I'll be reusing this as a keg in the future and would rather not just throw parts at it and see if it works.

How do you know it was untapped? I'd call the beer a loss and say you paid the money for an empty keg.

Well it was 170lbs or so and after working around kegs at a restaurant I can tell you that's about the weight of a full keg. (Also we are getting beer out of it)