Too much foam

[asparker]

I've had a kegerator for about year now and been having the same problem. Too much foam. It seems a lot of people have the same problem and I've read quite a few threads about it but nothing so far has been able to fix my problem.

Basically, my beer seems to be fine. I'm running about 6C at 11psi. If I bleed the keg and lower my regulator to 1-2 psi, I get slow but perfect pours. The beer comes out carbonated and delicious. But when I put the pressure back to normal (11 psi), I get about an inch of flat beer and the rest of the pint glass is foam. This happens for the first glass as well as any subsequent glasses no matter how long I've let the system rest. Although lowering the pressure temporarily and bleeding the keg technically works, it's not convenient, it's not the way it's supposed to work, and I waste CO2 every time I purge the keg.

Some info:

• I'd like to keep it at between 5-6C and at about 11psi.
• My taps are mounted on the front of my fridge at about the same height as the top of my kegs.
• I started with 1/4" ID line that had too little resistance and the beer blasted out leaving me with only foam.
• 3/16" ID line helped but didn't solve the problem; it's now at about 85% foam from 99%. I started with a long run (12+ feet) and have hacked away at it gradually without too much of a difference. I'm at just over 6 ft now.
• My glasses are clean. I get the same result no matter what type of glass, the temperature of the glass, or the angle at which I pour the beer.
• I always open the tap fully.
• I clean the system regularly.

So my question is, what else should I try? Should I buy a new regulator? Could the problem be somewhere else? Is it possible that the connections between my tap, my shank and my beer line are bad and causing too much resistance? Any other suggestions?

Thanks to anybody with advice.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

It sounds like there is not enough resistance (the pressure drop at the tap is to great).

I have about the same paramaters 6C 1/4" standard line (not actual beer line) 6' long and after the tap cools down it pours great!

If you have low resistance line I would sugest more line or switching to a higher resistance tube.

 

[dale1038]

Are you pouring off the old beer in the line first? If not, try opening the tap for a few seconds, drinking the foam, and then pouring a full glass. This should help quite a bit.

 

[solbes]

- How did you carbonate? 11 psi for set and forget? higher psi? Natural carb?
- You could have a bad regulator, although unlikely. If it was bad it would certainly explain why 11 psi might be over-pressure with great pours at 1-2.
- You want longer line in 3/16, not shorter so stop cutting it shorter
- Do you always open the tap fully while its pouring? When I first started out I thought going 50-60% open would help with foam, but it makes it much worse.
- Doesn't sound like its a temperature delta issue (warm tap, cold beer), as the pours would improve after everything was the same temp.

 

[day_trippr]

Aside from the classic causes: a hole in your beer dip tube, or the beer QD isn't opening the poppet all the way...

Cheers!

 

[asparker]

I've done the set and forget as well as shaking it up. I could be wrong but I don't think that I'm overcarbonated because each keg is the same and when I do pour a glass at 1-2 psi it seems perfect.

I started with around 12 ft thinking that would be way too much and started cutting from there. Maybe I was wrong. Is it possible that I would need 14-15+ ft? I think I've got some extra line laying around. I'll try a super extended run at some point just to see what happens.

I always open the tap fully and I don't think it's a temperature difference issue either. It's a small fridge and the line is all inside. Water is constantly condensing on the outside of the tap because it's so cold.

I'm going to try and replace some of the rubber o-rings and gaskets where the shank connects to my line and the shank connects to the tap. I'm wondering if something there is loose and causing too much friction.

Thanks again for all the advice. I'll post a solution if I ever find one.

 

[Yooper]

Hmmm- you know what this sounds like? Since your faucet is sweating, it sounds like your lines are warmer than the beer in the keg. Is there some way to insulate or chill the beerline inside the tower/through the door? Or blow a fan up there?

Cold beer going through warmer lines = foaming.

 

[FirefightingBrewer]

I was having a similar issue with nearly an identical set-up. Guy at the LHBS told me to back down the PSI between 5-8 PSI for serving and have not had a problem since. I currently serve at 7 PSI, down from the previous 13 PSI and could not be happier.

 

[JRems]

Throw one or two of the epoxy mixers down the beer dip tube( search for thread about them). If you instantly have nice pours your line resistance is not enough. How long does it take to pour a pint at the lower psi when it doesn't foam? Are you sure you have 3/16" line? And is it beer line or is it from the hardware store?

 

[zimman]

You need to purchase some of these from mcmaster carr. Item number 74695A58.

Bayonet Mixer Nozzle, 5.3" L, 1/4" Blunt Tip

Put one of these in your kegs liquid out tube and you will be set. It adds resistance. Def worth a try since nothing else ha been working. This is what I personally use and I get nice slow pours with 6ft BEV line at 12 psi.

Hope it helps

Cheers,

 

[Magnanamous]

I'm having a similar problem, however, I believe its because I left one keg on at 25-30 to force carb. (I did this of course after engaging my APA a little too ethusiastically). Last night I turned down the pressure to around 7 psi but had great frothing mugs of foam despite all of the usual interventions. So my diagnosis is that the beer is overcarbonated...what is the treatment? I suspect as with all things beer related, the answer is time. I'm hopeful that it can be fixed some other way...otherwise I'll just pop the top and siphon directly into my gob tonight.

Thanks

 

[Yooper]

I'm having a similar problem, however, I believe its because I left one keg on at 25-30 to force carb. (I did this of course after engaging my APA a little too ethusiastically). Last night I turned down the pressure to around 7 psi but had great frothing mugs of foam despite all of the usual interventions. So my diagnosis is that the beer is overcarbonated...what is the treatment? I suspect as with all things beer related, the answer is time. I'm hopeful that it can be fixed some other way...otherwise I'll just pop the top and siphon directly into my gob tonight.

Thanks

Turn off the gas, and pull the pressure relief valve as often as you think about it. That's the best way to fix overcarbonation in a keg. Just keep venting the keg 10 times a day (or more) for a day or two.

 

[Magnanamous]

Thanks Yooper! It worked after releasing it and going out to dinner. Second draft was perfect.

 

[dbrewski]

You need to purchase some of these from mcmaster carr. Item number 74695A58.

Bayonet Mixer Nozzle, 5.3" L, 1/4" Blunt Tip

Put one of these in your kegs liquid out tube and you will be set. It adds resistance. Def worth a try since nothing else ha been working. This is what I personally use and I get nice slow pours with 6ft BEV line at 12 psi.

As a kegging noob with the same problem, I am trying to understand this issue a little better. I have no problem plugging in a piece from mcmaster - thanks for this tip - but I'm not sure what problem I'm fixing. The resistance of the tubing is too low?

I just bought 8 ft. of 1/4" beer tube from my lhbs based on input from a friend who said you need the length for resistance. But the beer is flying out way to fast. Like the original poster, I need to bleed the corny to get a good pour. As a long term fix, should I get different tubing with more resistance or just stick with these mixer things? How do you identify the resistance of tubing? Just seems strange since the basics of these corny setups are similar.

 

[Yooper]

As a kegging noob with the same problem, I am trying to understand this issue a little better. I have no problem plugging in a piece from mcmaster - thanks for this tip - but I'm not sure what problem I'm fixing. The resistance of the tubing is too low?

I just bought 8 ft. of 1/4" beer tube from my lhbs based on input from a friend who said you need the length for resistance. But the beer is flying out way to fast. Like the original poster, I need to bleed the corny to get a good pour. As a long term fix, should I get different tubing with more resistance or just stick with these mixer things? How do you identify the resistance of tubing? Just seems strange since the basics of these corny setups are similar.

1/4" tubing is WAY too big in diameter! That's what they would use for a bar with a 25 foot run. You need 3/16" line, about 8 feet.

 

[dbrewski]

Perfect, this worked for me, thanks yooper! There were a few too many variables running around in my head to figure it out.