Dispensing High Carb Beers

[tonydav]

When I carbonate some of my beers (e.g. my wheat beer), I tend to carbonate it at a rate of about 3x. No probs with the carbonation but then when I come to pour I have a horrible time getting more than foam to come out. Eventually I'll end up with a beer but it tends to waste a lot of beer and I need the dispensing rate set very low.

It's particularly bad with my Andale tap but still nothing brilliant with the more standard taps (can't remember the brand but the ones included with most setups).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

tony

 

[normell]

When I carbonate some of my beers (e.g. my wheat beer), I tend to carbonate it at a rate of about 3x. No probs with the carbonation but then when I come to pour I have a horrible time getting more than foam to come out. Eventually I'll end up with a beer but it tends to waste a lot of beer and I need the dispensing rate set very low.

It's particularly bad with my Andale tap but still nothing brilliant with the more standard taps (can't remember the brand but the ones included with most setups).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

tony

[post="47902"][/post]​

WHY do you OVER carbonate ???????

 

[tonydav]

I don't. If you didn't realise Wheat Beers are traditionally carbonated at a lot higher rate that a lot of other beers. Whilst I carbonate most of my ales at about 2-2.5x I carbonate my wheat beer at around 2.8-3x. FWIW some german wheat beers are cabonated at over 4x.

So having gone through this fairly basic explanation of different carbonation levels do you have any assistance to offer?

tony\

 

[Trev]

Tony,

If yur beers pour well at lower carbonation levels then I would think that you have your balancing done pat. By this I mean that your line length etc properly compensates for the keg pressure, at least for normally carbonated ones.

If you up your carbonation level by simply increasing pressure, compared to your other batches, then your pour will not work, effectively the beer will exit the tap at too high a pressure.

Perhaps just backing off on the serving pressure may work. Alternatively you can make up either a longer or thinner line for your beers that have higher carbonation.

Ther are a couple of good references in Palmers book about this (Palmer).

I tend to keep all my beers (yes - even the hefe's) at about the same carbonation for this reason.

Trev

 

[Darren]

Hi Tonydav,
A few months back Roach did a bulk buy of compensator valves. The idea was that you could have as much pressure as you like in the keg but adjust the pour pressure with the valve. I still haven't had time to put mine on my system. Anyone else tried theirs? Did it work?
cheers
Darren

 

[Gout]

I added mine to 1m of beer line (party keg) it worked a treat! but i also tried one on my bar and it produced a heap of foam from the outlet of it.

I am sure it can be made work as it was working well in the party setup.

 

[Doc]

Hi Tonydav,
A few months back Roach did a bulk buy of compensator valves. The idea was that you could have as much pressure as you like in the keg but adjust the pour pressure with the valve. I still haven't had time to put mine on my system. Anyone else tried theirs? Did it work?
cheers
Darren

[post="48081"][/post]​

Yep, mine are installed and working well. Took a while to tune and get right, but haven't had to touch them now for at least 6 weeks.
I have around 80kpa going into the kegs normally and the flow restictors let me pour a perfect beer.
Sot the amount of beer line I have is just enough to go from each keg, to the restrictor, to the font.
The advantage of using the restrictors means I don't have to remember to keep head pressure in the kegs after a drinking session. I was getting to the end of a keg and the beer would be almost flat. Not anymore.

Beers,
Doc

 

[big d]

hi doc
outta curiosity where abouts in the line did you install your compensators.?
ive placed mine just before the line hits the tap shank.not sure if this is the best place but it seems to be working a treat.

:beer:
big d

 

[Doc]

Mine are placed just before the beer lines leave the chest freezer via the wooden collar at the back. The beer line would go probably another meter past this point before hitting the glass out of the font taps.

Beers,
Doc