Excess Foaming

[usastman]

Guys,

I have read the extended threads on carbonation.

I have recently got back into brewing after aquiring all the equipment for kegging.

I tried some forced carbonation methods - but feared over carbonating. I then after reading infop in articles - worked out the CO2 volume and temp of beer - hooked up my keg an left for several days.

When I went to pour my beers - got sh*t load of foam.

Is excess foaming due to over carbonation or something wrong with my set up - e.g. leakage somewhere.

I tend to think that the beer is not over carbonated - I know there is a lot of foam but the actual beer has little carbonation.

I have a Wheat Erdinger clone, a Hoegarden clone and fernenting a pale ale with some cacade hoping - I want to enjoy me new brews but getting pretty annoyed at not being able to pour a decent beer.

I have a Kegerator - duel tap - came with hoses about 2m long - have also tried to dispense with a gun - with line about 3m long.

From topics I have read if you set the correct pressure at the right temp for the CO volmue you should not be able to over carbonate.

Please help me enjoy my beer.

 

[thanme]

What pressure are you dispensing at? And what temp are your kegs at?
I know there are a bunch of other "check list" type items, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

 

[usastman]

My kegs are at 4 deg.

I worked at my volumes of CO2 and was gassing them at 22psi - I had forced car a bit before hand - then connected at 22psi and left for about 5 days.

I was dispensing at 8-10 psi

 

[glaab]

Carbing at a higher pressure then trying to serve at a lower pressure never worked for me. I just hook up at 12psi and leave for min of 2weeks and she pours perfect everytime. I found that gassing at higher pressure [in a hurry] and then trying to serve at 12psi I just got foamy flat crap. You want 12psi for 2.5volumes @ 4C. I'd turn gas off, shake and burp a few time to reduce carbonation then set to 12psi and leave a few days. Cheers

ps, check all connections for leaks with a spray bottle of soapy water

 

[usastman]

Carbing at a higher pressure then trying to serve at a lower pressure never worked for me. I just hook up at 12psi and leave for min of 2weeks and she pours perfect everytime. I found that gassing at higher pressure [in a hurry] and then trying to serve at 12psi I just got foamy flat crap. You want 12psi for 2.5volumes @ 4C. I'd turn gas off, shake and burp a few time to reduce carbonation then set to 12psi and leave a few days. Cheers

ps, check all connections for leaks with a spray bottle of soapy water

Thanks - understand the 2.5 volumes.

I have two wheat beers that suggest a higher CO2 volume (4.0) - working on the chart at 4deg - suggests carbing at 27psi.

I always assumed that serving pressure should be about 8-10psi - If you have a beer with higher Co2 volumes - should it be dispensed at a higher pressure. Or as you are suggesting that having a high carb pressure and dispensing at a lower pressure cause major issues.

 

[buttersd70]

Thanks - understand the 2.5 volumes.

I have two wheat beers that suggest a higher CO2 volume (4.0) - working on the chart at 4deg - suggests carbing at 27psi.

I always assumed that serving pressure should be about 8-10psi - If you have a beer with higher Co2 volumes - should it be dispensed at a higher pressure. Or as you are suggesting that having a high carb pressure and dispensing at a lower pressure cause major issues.

The beer should be dispensed at whatever pressure is required to give you the carbonation needed.....so in the case of 2.5vol at 4C (and not looking it up myself, but assuming that glaabs figure is correct) for 2.5vol, you carb at 12psi and serve at 12psi, with enough line to balance 12psi.

4vol is way OTT, even for a wheat IMO....but if you require 27psi to achieve that carb, then you need to have enough beerline available to be able to serve at the same pressure.

I would reccomend 3vol for a wheat, myself.....

the end result, though, is that you have beer that is overcarbonated for the length of line that you have (not even knowing the type of line, theres no way that 3m would be enough for that kind of pressure).

 

[AndrewQLD]

The beer should be dispensed at whatever pressure is required to give you the carbonation needed.....so in the case of 2.5vol at 4C (and not looking it up myself, but assuming that glaabs figure is correct) for 2.5vol, you carb at 12psi and serve at 12psi, with enough line to balance 12psi.

4vol is way OTT, even for a wheat IMO....but if you require 27psi to achieve that carb, then you need to have enough beerline available to be able to serve at the same pressure.

I would reccomend 3vol for a wheat, myself.....

the end result, though, is that you have beer that is overcarbonated for the length of line that you have (not even knowing the type of line, theres no way that 3m would be enough for that kind of pressure).

Butters has hit the nail on the head with the above highlighted quote, just how long is your beer line?

Andrew

 

[krusty_oz]

I found the wheat beer to be tricky to pour without too much foam - it just foams up so easily (compared to a pils I had carbed at the same pressure). Pouring technique is important as one of my mates foamed up his glass every time he filled it, yet the rest of us had no problems getting the perfectly poured wheat.

I use an Andale pluto gun on 3m of 4mm line.
A few tricks I found that helped included;
-Don't use headmaster glasses (wheat volcano!!)
-Rinsing the glass with cold water and pouring the beer into it while it was still wet
-Angle between gun and glass (initially - almost parallel to minimise turbulance in beer flowing into glass)
-When there is enough beer in the glass, hold end of gun in the beer

 

[katzke]

Make sure you vent the keg. A good regulator will have a check valve in the gas out so just turning down the regulator will not reduce the gas pressure in the keg.

If all the suggestions do not help check your regulator to make sure it is correct. Mine was way off from being dropped. I had perfect beer at about 2 pounds on the defective gauge.

It also takes patience when you make adjustments. They are not intant.

 

[usastman]

Thanks for the input.

I have a Wit beer that is major foaming - tried my Wiess Beer with a bit more success - this was from a Pluto Gun with a 3m line - nit sure if it is 3 or 4 mm.

My plan is to vent both kegs - shake a few times - vent - then connect gas at 12psi and leave for a week. This should give me about 2.5 Volumes.

Cross my fingures and hope that beer is OK. If is OK but still needs more volumes may crank up a touch and leave for a another week. I will be kegging a pale ale over the weekend - will just aplly 12psi and leave for a week.

I have Kegerator that can with two lines - with about 2m lines. Thought I may look at extending these a bit.

 

[katzke]

My plan is to vent both kegs - shake a few times - vent - then connect gas at 12psi and leave for a week. This should give me about 2.5 Volumes.

Once I figured out my pressure was too high I have not had any problems with foaming. At our club meetings it seems like about every beer foams bad. I think it is because it is shaken in transport the day of the event.

I would not shake your beer. If you vent it till it slows way down you will be surprised how much pressure is on it in the morning. It should not take a week to get it to pour well. Once it is pouring the way you want, then I would hook up the gas and start from 0 and turn it up just until you hear the gas start to flow. That is the pressure you want to serve at.

You mention 3 meters of line. I am using much less then that with a cobra or picnic tap and do not have any trouble. My line is 3/16 inch and with out converting that I think it is 5 to 6 mm.

If you want to slow carb your beer make sure it is cold when you start and shake it upside down. You will be surprised how long the gas will flow when you are shaking it. Just having gas on the beer would take quite some time.

 

[KGB]

It can seem odd but over carbonated beer often appears flat in the glass - all the gas rushes out when you pour, creating the foam, and then there's bugger all left by the time it settles enough to drink.