mschoenn
Member
I'm having foaming problems with my keezer, and I couldn't find a thread on this site that addressed my specific issue. The description below is lengthy, but I wanted to include all information to help identify the problem and develop a solution.
I built a keezer out of a GE 7.0 cu. ft. freezer and have 2 faucets right now that are 2 ft above the center of pin lock kegs. I kept the temp probe for the controller just hanging in the ambient air in the keezer positioned about halfway down the keg. I brewed a Sculpin IPA clone, kegged it, purged it, brought up to 12.5 psi over a couple days at 38F with a 0.5 micron diffusion stone. Used 10' of Bevlex 1/4" tubing, Perlick faucet with flow control. Had no flow. Transferred to another keg through cheese cloth to remove hop trub. Dispensed without diffusion stone. Had no flow or foam problems after filtering. This beer is now out.
I brewed a dunkelweizen a week after the IPA. Kegged it, purged it, brought up to 27 psi over several days at 38F with a 0.5 micron diffusion stone (was shooting for 4.0 volumes of CO2). Used 10' of Bevlex 1/4" tubing, Perlick faucet with flow control. I couldn't get a good pour rate and would get half a glass of foam. The beer tasted correctly carbonated though out of the glass. I filled up a growler and got about 3/4 foam. Capped it and went to friend's house. The beer tasted a little flat when I drank it a couple hours after capping and being in a fridge. I messed with the pressure over the next few days and during this time the pressure gauge read anywhere between 22 to 30 psi after I tried adjusting it.
Last Monday, I poured 2 pints and had no foam issue while pouring very slowly. Had some friends over and this progressed into half glasses of foam to full glasses of foam. I noticed bubbling in the beer line and at the disconnect. I put 3 glasses of water in the keezer overnight: glass at floor of keezer was 33F when measured with Thermapen, glass on hump was 33F, glass in wire basket near top of keezer under the shanks was 44F. I scoured this site and thought my issue was one, two or all of these 3 things: 10' beer line is too short, beer line is too warm, beer got overcarbed and set pressure is too low allowing CO2 gas to come out at disconnect.
I bought a 23 CFM fan, 45' of Bevlex 1/4" ID tubing, and shut the gas off to keg and bled pressure down to nothing over a few days.
I cleaned the new 45' line with PBW and flushed it with water, and switched out the old 10' line with the new 45' line. I put the fan in the keezer on top of the homebrew keg. I turned the gas back on and brought pressure up slowly to 25 psi over 2 days.
Christmas night, took temp of glasses of water: glass at floor of keezer was 35F, glass in wire basket near top of keezer under the shanks was 39F. I poured a glass of beer with no foam issues. It tasted flat - I assume this is because all of the beer in the line didn't get carbed. Poured a second glass and got about 1/4 foam and beer tasted correctly carbed. Tried to pour 2 more glasses and got half full of foam.
Saturday I decided to zip tie the temp probe to a full 16oz can of beer sitting on the hump. I also picked up a commercial pony keg and some foam insulation boards. I put the foam insulation boards up against the wood collar on the inside front and sides. Did not put insulation on back. Did not glue, just friction fit. I had to have the lid open for a while doing the insulation and trying to get the pony keg in. I had to pull the 45' of liquid full dunkelweizen line out of the keezer to rearrange and fit everything. Later that night I poured a pint of half foam at 51F, then 2nd and 3rd pours with 3/4 foam and 48F. At this point I thought I just didn't give the keezer enough time to get cold again. I left the lid closed until Monday night.
Monday night, I poured 2 pints of half foam. On the 3rd pour, it filled the first half of the glass perfectly and then burped foam and poured the rest of the glass foam. 4th pint all foam. Temp range was 40F to 43F for these pours. I left water glasses in the keezer last night and this morning got: glass at floor 32F, glass on hump 37F, glass in wire basket near top under the shanks was 43F. I have the fan resting on top of the commercial pony keg directed at the shanks.
At this point, I don't know where to go from here. The beer lines appear liquid full and there are no bubbles at the disconnect anymore. I noticed a couple of bubbles travel through the line to the shank while pouring those 3rd and 4th pints mentioned above. I haven't tapped the commercial pony keg yet. I'm hoping to have all this resolved before a party on 31-Dec. Has anyone seen these issues before? A lot of issues I've seen people have is that the 1st pint is foamy and the rest are fine. My 1st pour isn't terrible but the foaming gets worse on the 2nd, 3rd, etc.
Pictures of current setup below.
I built a keezer out of a GE 7.0 cu. ft. freezer and have 2 faucets right now that are 2 ft above the center of pin lock kegs. I kept the temp probe for the controller just hanging in the ambient air in the keezer positioned about halfway down the keg. I brewed a Sculpin IPA clone, kegged it, purged it, brought up to 12.5 psi over a couple days at 38F with a 0.5 micron diffusion stone. Used 10' of Bevlex 1/4" tubing, Perlick faucet with flow control. Had no flow. Transferred to another keg through cheese cloth to remove hop trub. Dispensed without diffusion stone. Had no flow or foam problems after filtering. This beer is now out.
I brewed a dunkelweizen a week after the IPA. Kegged it, purged it, brought up to 27 psi over several days at 38F with a 0.5 micron diffusion stone (was shooting for 4.0 volumes of CO2). Used 10' of Bevlex 1/4" tubing, Perlick faucet with flow control. I couldn't get a good pour rate and would get half a glass of foam. The beer tasted correctly carbonated though out of the glass. I filled up a growler and got about 3/4 foam. Capped it and went to friend's house. The beer tasted a little flat when I drank it a couple hours after capping and being in a fridge. I messed with the pressure over the next few days and during this time the pressure gauge read anywhere between 22 to 30 psi after I tried adjusting it.
Last Monday, I poured 2 pints and had no foam issue while pouring very slowly. Had some friends over and this progressed into half glasses of foam to full glasses of foam. I noticed bubbling in the beer line and at the disconnect. I put 3 glasses of water in the keezer overnight: glass at floor of keezer was 33F when measured with Thermapen, glass on hump was 33F, glass in wire basket near top of keezer under the shanks was 44F. I scoured this site and thought my issue was one, two or all of these 3 things: 10' beer line is too short, beer line is too warm, beer got overcarbed and set pressure is too low allowing CO2 gas to come out at disconnect.
I bought a 23 CFM fan, 45' of Bevlex 1/4" ID tubing, and shut the gas off to keg and bled pressure down to nothing over a few days.
I cleaned the new 45' line with PBW and flushed it with water, and switched out the old 10' line with the new 45' line. I put the fan in the keezer on top of the homebrew keg. I turned the gas back on and brought pressure up slowly to 25 psi over 2 days.
Christmas night, took temp of glasses of water: glass at floor of keezer was 35F, glass in wire basket near top of keezer under the shanks was 39F. I poured a glass of beer with no foam issues. It tasted flat - I assume this is because all of the beer in the line didn't get carbed. Poured a second glass and got about 1/4 foam and beer tasted correctly carbed. Tried to pour 2 more glasses and got half full of foam.
Saturday I decided to zip tie the temp probe to a full 16oz can of beer sitting on the hump. I also picked up a commercial pony keg and some foam insulation boards. I put the foam insulation boards up against the wood collar on the inside front and sides. Did not put insulation on back. Did not glue, just friction fit. I had to have the lid open for a while doing the insulation and trying to get the pony keg in. I had to pull the 45' of liquid full dunkelweizen line out of the keezer to rearrange and fit everything. Later that night I poured a pint of half foam at 51F, then 2nd and 3rd pours with 3/4 foam and 48F. At this point I thought I just didn't give the keezer enough time to get cold again. I left the lid closed until Monday night.
Monday night, I poured 2 pints of half foam. On the 3rd pour, it filled the first half of the glass perfectly and then burped foam and poured the rest of the glass foam. 4th pint all foam. Temp range was 40F to 43F for these pours. I left water glasses in the keezer last night and this morning got: glass at floor 32F, glass on hump 37F, glass in wire basket near top under the shanks was 43F. I have the fan resting on top of the commercial pony keg directed at the shanks.
At this point, I don't know where to go from here. The beer lines appear liquid full and there are no bubbles at the disconnect anymore. I noticed a couple of bubbles travel through the line to the shank while pouring those 3rd and 4th pints mentioned above. I haven't tapped the commercial pony keg yet. I'm hoping to have all this resolved before a party on 31-Dec. Has anyone seen these issues before? A lot of issues I've seen people have is that the 1st pint is foamy and the rest are fine. My 1st pour isn't terrible but the foaming gets worse on the 2nd, 3rd, etc.
Pictures of current setup below.
