Pouring 100% foam from tap

[kyle187]

I am new to kegging, got a kegerator and replaced the tower with a dual tap tower with perlick 650ss flow control faucets. Kegged my first beer (pumpkin ale) about a month ago and force carbed it with the set and forget method (12 psi at high 38 for temp)

Everything worked fine, pours were great until tonight, when I have poured about 4 glasses of complete foam! I even shut off the co2 and purged the pressure on the keg down to almost nothing, still got about 95% foam.

I have removed the faucet disassembled it cleaned it and re sanitized and connected the lines and still get all foam!

Is this a partially clogged tube in the keg? Something else? Any help will be great!

 

[rekoob]

How long are your beer lines?
A longer line is better but you should still be able to get less foam with less pressure.
After you turned down the co2 did you vent the keg?
Try to vent the keg then slowly turn up co2 for the right pour.
Make sure you check your lid seal with some starsan for leaks.

 

[fivepointslow]

I had that issue with my first keg. It was over carbed. Bleed off all the co2 every once and a while until it isn't foamy anymore. Took me 3 days bleeding the pressure off 3-4 times a day.

 

[b-boy]

Is the keg getting ready to kick? That's usually how I can tell I'm almost done with a keg. I start getting a lot of foam for the last 5-6 beers.

12PSI shouldn't give you a lot of foam, unless your beer lines are too short. I think 10ft is about perfect for most systems at 10-12PSI serving pressure.

 

[kyle187]

How long are your beer lines?
A longer line is better but you should still be able to get less foam with less pressure.
After you turned down the co2 did you vent the keg?
Try to vent the keg then slowly turn up co2 for the right pour.
Make sure you check your lid seal with some starsan for leaks.

Beer lines are 5ft, which I know is on the short side, but I have the flow control taps and its been on tap for a month. It poured fine on Sunday, today all I got was foam. If it poured foam from the beginning then I would definitely say its the line length, but it just started.

I shut the co2 off, purged the keg down to almost nothing, and the trickle out of the tap was still foam.

No leaks on the seal either.

The foam is really thick/creamy too, almost like a nitro pour and it cascades down the sides of the glass too eventually resulting in a small amount of flat beer.

 

[Otis1031]

Foaming usually results from your tap being too warm. Do you have a fan circulating your cool air into the tower itself?

 

[kyle187]

Is the keg getting ready to kick? That's usually how I can tell I'm almost done with a keg. I start getting a lot of foam for the last 5-6 beers.

12PSI shouldn't give you a lot of foam, unless your beer lines are too short. I think 10ft is about perfect for most systems at 10-12PSI serving pressure.

Just pulled the keg out to see how light it was, guessing at least 1/3 full still.

Lines are 5ft of 3/16 tube. It worked fine until today. I went with the five ft lines (standard that came with the tower) and the flow control valves after seeing a post on here where someone actually reviewed and posted pics of pours from all different faucets, line lengths and pressures.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=483561

 

[kyle187]

Foaming usually results from your tap being too warm. Do you have a fan circulating your cool air into the tower itself?

I do not, thought about adding one, but its a new problem, it was pouring fine until tonight (last time I used it was for 2 glasses Sunday and it was fine)

 

[Yooper]

Just pulled the keg out to see how light it was, guessing at least 1/3 full still.

Lines are 5ft of 3/16 tube. It worked fine until today. I went with the five ft lines (standard that came with the tower) and the flow control valves after seeing a post on here where someone actually reviewed and posted pics of pours from all different faucets, line lengths and pressures.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=483561

Weird that you got good pours until now, then. That's about 5' too short. I'd replace with 12' lines in the future. I don't know about flow control valves, though. If those are working, and working well, then I'm at a loss. I only have simple faucets and simple beerline.

 

[kyle187]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Could it be the tube in the keg? Something partially blocking it and forcing the co2 out of the beer causing foam?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Could it be the tube in the keg? Something partially blocking it and forcing the co2 out of the beer causing foam?

Yes, that is definitely worth a try.

In the back of my mind, I am thinking that the beer is finally carbed up enough, and the lines are too short, so that is why, but I hope I'm wrong!

 

[kyle187]

Yes, that is definitely worth a try.

In the back of my mind, I am thinking that the beer is finally carbed up enough, and the lines are too short, so that is why, but I hope I'm wrong!

Sounds like I will pull out the tube and check when I get a chance.

Could it have taken over 3 weeks to carb up? And could Sunday to today have made that big of a difference (3weeks vs 3.5 weeks). It has seemed nicely carbed for the past two weeks.

I am going to order longer lines too so I can change them out. It can only help.

 

[brewguyver]

This is a post from another person with Perlick flow control issues. It might give you another thing to try. While you're doing everything else, try putting a thermometer at the top and bottom of your kegorator. The overall temp could be too high, there could be a big temp differential (as previously called out), or your faucets themselves could be too warm.

Finally, double check your connections again - if your hose is loose (or dirty/scratched) it may be enough to get those nucleation points and foam city.


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/perlick-flow-control-issues-help-401902/

 

[fivepointslow]

I have like 3' of line to my tap. It came that way as a kit and I have no foam at all. It's basically the same hose used for co2.

 

[kyle187]

Turns out the connection to the quick connect wasn't tightened all the way and the nylon washer in the flare fitting came unseated and was causing the turbulence and foam in the line. Re seated it and tightened everything up good, pours are back to normal. Thanks for all the troubleshooting tips everyone!

 

[emsroth]

I am having a similar issue. A keg was pouring fine. I added dry hops in a nylon bag (unweighted). Purged the headspace w/ 30psi and disconnected the gas.

In the meantime i disassembled the faucets and cleaned my draft system. After 3 days, I wanted to see the progress of the dry-hopping. Foam foam foam. Nothing but. The lines look like beer but it comes out foam. I have never had this issue on this kegerator with over a year of service.

A few ideas after reading many forums.

1. Temperature - the kegerator was set to the coldest setting. I brought it up warmer to serve, so it's too warm for the beer. Solution - chill beer and try again.

2. Tubing level - making sure the level of the tubing is above the level of the beer. Solution - keep tubing up.

3. Over-carbonation - with the kegerator on cold and the copious gas used to purge, the beer is over-carbonated. Purge beer every day for a week.

4. Leak - I may not have properly re-constructed the faucet. The beer in the line is perfect, but comes out foam. Solution - check all washers, tighten all nuts with wrench.

As an intermediate diagnosis, I will attach my keg-top tap (faucet attached to disconnect).

 

[Ashevillain]

I am having a similar issue. A keg was pouring fine. I added dry hops in a nylon bag (unweighted). Purged the headspace w/ 30psi and disconnected the gas.

In the meantime i disassembled the faucets and cleaned my draft system. After 3 days, I wanted to see the progress of the dry-hopping. Foam foam foam. Nothing but. The lines look like beer but it comes out foam. I have never had this issue on this kegerator with over a year of service.

A few ideas after reading many forums.

1. Temperature - the kegerator was set to the coldest setting. I brought it up warmer to serve, so it's too warm for the beer. Solution - chill beer and try again.

2. Tubing level - making sure the level of the tubing is above the level of the beer. Solution - keep tubing up.

3. Over-carbonation - with the kegerator on cold and the copious gas used to purge, the beer is over-carbonated. Purge beer every day for a week.

4. Leak - I may not have properly re-constructed the faucet. The beer in the line is perfect, but comes out foam. Solution - check all washers, tighten all nuts with wrench.

As an intermediate diagnosis, I will attach my keg-top tap (faucet attached to disconnect).

I'd be interested to hear what happens when you attach a 5' picnic faucet. Its what I always use with no issue. Could be a good way of compartmentalizing the problem area.

PS if you find that you overcarbed your beer, the best way decarb IMO is to put it on 5-7# pressure and attach gas disconnect to liquid post and vent every 20-30 secs for 2-3 mins, this aggitates a lot of co2 out of solution quickly. It doesn't stir up too much sediment but if you are serving in a keg with lots of sediment beware it may get a little stirred up.

 

[emsroth]

My picnic tap was poorly maintained and was the cause of an infection a while back. What I have now is a beer faucet (like in a kegerator) attached directly to a ball lock disconnect. I haven't had the chance to use it for serving, but it seems like a nice device for parties. Perhaps a pain to balance?

Using this I will be able to rule out the draft system

 

[emsroth]

Got home from work, checked my fermenters - farmhouse IPA at 75F, dark mild at a fruity 70F, grabbed my party tap, and jumped to the kegerator.

I'm happy to report its definitely over carbed. I purged, tapped, and poured only to fill with half foam. A minute later the same thing and got 80% beer. Upon tasting it has carbonic bite. Something happened and it went overboard.

I'll be purging over the next few days and likely re-dry hopping.

 

[c673986]

Assuming this is a corny keg, clean your poppet valve out on the serving side post. these can get some trub or hop debris stuck in them and they it will totally aerate the pour. If there's quite a bit of debris in the keg, leave the poppet out, then make a pour, which should clear the rest from the keg, then re-install. don't disturb the keg again.

 

[doug293cz]

Assuming this is a corny keg, clean your poppet valve out on the serving side post. these can get some trub or hop debris stuck in them and they it will totally aerate the pour. If there's quite a bit of debris in the keg, leave the poppet out, then make a pour, which should clear the rest from the keg, then re-install. don't disturb the keg again.

Be sure to vent the pressure from the headspace before you try to pull out the poppet on the out post.

Brew on