Tips for serving beer at Homebrew Events

[Savage06]

I am pouring at a non BJCP event in a few weeks from a 5 gal corny keg. In the past while pouring for friends at events I have had to fight foaming issues quite a bit.

I am pouring a couple of sasons I am going to carb to 2.5-2.8 vols. I am tossing them in the fridge and setting the psi to 14 and leaving them for about a week. At the event I am leaving the keg in a plastic garbage pail or bucket filled with ice to keep it cold as possible. I don't have the luxury of a jockey box so I am serving on picnic taps.

Would the easiest route be to simply pick up 15ft of 3/8 bev line and serve at like 8-10 psi? Leaving the majority of the line coiled up in the ice to circumvent the foaming issues?

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Just take your shirt off. Then nobody will care about your beer.

Better yet... find someone female to do it instead. Your beer will be the hit of the party!!!

 

[LandoLincoln]

Yes, that's probably your best bet.

As the kegs lose beer, they're going to want to float, so think about ways of keeping them down in the ice. Bungie cord or some kind of weight on the top would help a lot.

 

[broadbill]

Just take your shirt off. Then nobody will care about your beer.

Better yet... find someone female to do it instead. Your beer will be the hit of the party!!!

um ok....looks like someone has an admirer....

#creeperadvice

 

[Savage06]

Thanks....?

Just take your shirt off. Then nobody will care about your beer.

Better yet... find someone female to do it instead. Your beer will be the hit of the party!!!

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Thanks....?

I really have to stop drinking in the morning... well... maybe just cut back a bit.

 

[Phunhog]

I usually just put out a can with a few bucks in it....people know what to do

 

[Hello]

Solid advice at least from one guy. Bungee the keg so it doesn't float. I think your method sounds good. You could do a trial run first.

I usually just put out a can with a few bucks in it....people know what to do

Curious how this combats foam.

 

[broadbill]

To add some real advice....start with 20 feet. You can always cut down, kinda hard to add on .

The other advantage of 20 feet is you can snake some down into the ice and still have enough length to comfortably work the tap.

 

[pedimac]

Curious how this combats foam.

The title is "tips for serving beer."

 

[Savage06]

I did double check and made sure I didn't write "Tips for serving beer at a strip club"

The title is "tips for serving beer."

 

[Hello]

The title is "tips for serving beer."

Even still, how does the can help anything? Read the post and not just the title. He is dealing with foam issues as well.

I must be the only one who is completely unsure how "I usually just put out a can with a few bucks in it....people know what to do" combats foam AND also provides any ideas on how to effectively serve beer at an event. Rest assured, I am served a substantial amount of beer at events and never once saw a can with money in it.

 

[barnaclebob]

Why not just serve at like 5psi or lower and skip the huge bail of line. Start at a low pressure and dial it up until the foaming becomes to much.

 

[Clonefan94]

Why not just serve at like 5psi or lower and skip the huge bail of line. Start at a low pressure and dial it up until the foaming becomes to much.

This is probably what I would do. When I take my 2.5 gallon kegs to parties or on the road I just use one of those CO2 bulb attachments and a faucet, hooked directly to a quick disconnect. I'm probably serving at less than 5 psi most of the time, just give it enough to get the beer flowing and leave a little head.

 

[Savage06]

My concern there would be that it would take too long to pour samples if there are multiple people waiting

This is probably what I would do. When I take my 2.5 gallon kegs to parties or on the road I just use one of those CO2 bulb attachments and a faucet, hooked directly to a quick disconnect. I'm probably serving at less than 5 psi most of the time, just give it enough to get the beer flowing and leave a little head.

 

[barnaclebob]

My concern there would be that it would take too long to pour samples if there are multiple people waiting

Increasing your line length will also reduce the speed at which beer is dispensed and you wont have the option to increase the speed without cutting the line.

If I understand dispensing beer correctly what matters for the most part is the pressure drop seen across the tap. Since atmospheric pressure is constant for the most part to reduce foaming you have to reduce the pressure of the flowing beer at the tap. You can do this by increasing line length which increases the friction on the beer or by dropping keg pressure. The end result will be the same.

People use long lines in their kegerators so that they can keep the beer at carb pressure and still have little foaming. Since you are going to be emptying the keg in a few hours you can reduce the keg pressure with little fear of changing the carb level.

Start at a low pressure and dial it up a little each time. When it foams too much turn it back down a little. The beer will dispense at the approximately the same rate as a properly tuned beer line.

 

[chocotaco]

Even still, how does the can help anything? Read the post and not just the title. He is dealing with foam issues as well.

I must be the only one who is completely unsure how "I usually just put out a can with a few bucks in it....people know what to do" combats foam AND also provides any ideas on how to effectively serve beer at an event. Rest assured, I am served a substantial amount of beer at events and never once saw a can with money in it.

Tips. For serving beer.

Think about it Pretty sure it was intentionally dense. That's the joke.

 

[rocketsan]

Even still, how does the can help anything? Read the post and not just the title. He is dealing with foam issues as well.



I must be the only one who is completely unsure how "I usually just put out a can with a few bucks in it....people know what to do" combats foam AND also provides any ideas on how to effectively serve beer at an event. Rest assured, I am served a substantial amount of beer at events and never once saw a can with money in it.

Who brought Captain Bringdown?


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[rocketsan]

Just take your shirt off. Then nobody will care about your beer.

Better yet... find someone female to do it instead. Your beer will be the hit of the party!!!

Funniest thing I have read on here in a while lol


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[pedimac]

Tips. For serving beer.



Think about it Pretty sure it was intentionally dense. That's the joke.

Thank you.

 

[PasbitinusBluinusRibbinus]

This thread is awesome.

Increasing your line length will also reduce the speed at which beer is dispensed and you wont have the option to increase the speed without cutting the line.

If I understand dispensing beer correctly what matters for the most part is the pressure drop seen across the tap. Since atmospheric pressure is constant for the most part to reduce foaming you have to reduce the pressure of the flowing beer at the tap. You can do this by increasing line length which increases the friction on the beer or by dropping keg pressure. The end result will be the same.

People use long lines in their kegerators so that they can keep the beer at carb pressure and still have little foaming. Since you are going to be emptying the keg in a few hours you can reduce the keg pressure with little fear of changing the carb level.

Start at a low pressure and dial it up a little each time. When it foams too much turn it back down a little. The beer will dispense at the approximately the same rate as a properly tuned beer line.

Nailed it, and explained perfectly (with science!) on exactly why you don't even need an inch of beer line if you don't want it.

 

[BigFloyd]

You mentioned using 3/8" line. That stuff is for long line runs at restaurants and pubs. It doesn't provide enough flow resistance for our uses. The result = excess foam.

You'll need 10ft of 3/16" line. You can always trim back a foot or two if needed.

A very useful method of serving at an event is to fill a couple of pitchers from the tap and pour into peoples' glasses with those. Been there, done that, works great.

 

[Hello]

Who brought Captain Bringdown?


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Got it. Relax turbo.

 

[Savage06]

Got it. Relax turbo.

Look, if it will help keep the peace I'll take off my shirt already...