Gas Bubbles In The Beer Line?

[ozshots]

Guys,

I'm new to the draft systems and I recently put together a kegerator.

I have some pictures here:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...20&start=20

BTW: I hope I done the right thing by starting a new forum topic to discuss a separate issue rater then mixing it all together...


Here is my question:

I have 2 corny kegs attached to the Perlick taps. One works just fine.
The second one has a problem: there are bubbles of gas in the beer line! Every time I pour a beer I get lots of foam. Once the glass if filled, the beer line contains just beer. As soon as I close the tap, I see gas bubbles coming out of corny keg thats not right and thats not happening with the other keg.

I tried to replace quick disconnect but it does not help. Do I need to replace an o-ring again? Can I still do it if my keg is filled with beer?


Another though: I was doing forced carbonation laying my keg on the side. Is it possible this is how the gas gets into the beer line? I imagine it would go out with first 2 glasses of beer

 

[MarkBastard]

How long ago did you force carb?

 

[ozshots]

How long ago did you force carb?

About 3-4 days...

Just a thought, if I would do Ross carbonation and attach gas to the beer post, would I also have bubbles in the beer line?

 

[Rob C]

Ive had this problem before aswell. The carbination of the beer in the keg is more than your pouring pressure. Have a read of this thread to get your system balanced.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=24

Cheers
Rob

 

[cdbrown]

So Keg 1 with tap 1 works fine, but keg 2 with tap 2 gives foam. What happens with keg 1 and tap 2, keg 2 and tap 1?

If you've replaced the o-ring already then it should be fine. Could indicate a small hole towards the top of the dip tube with is allowing the gas in as well as some beer. But more likely sounds over carbed.

Whats the pouring pressure, beer line length and beer line ID?

 

[buttersd70]

lots of head, no bubbles = over carb
lots of head, lots of bubbles = slight over carb
lots of head due to bubbles in the beer line = line too long.
no head, no bubbles = undercarbed.

Bubble in the line, directly behind the tap, and directly behind the out post = underpressure for the length of line. So, it either = undercarb or, more likely, line is too long. As the pressure drops over the length of the line, co2 comes out of solution.....
short term fix = increase pressure. Long term fix = shorten line.

Check crozdogs (? I think) carb chart to confirm.

Although, I always say......to confirm the integrity of a system, do a "let it sit" carb first time around.....then you can guarantee that the length of the line is right, and any future problems are purely related to the amount of carb, not the line legth.....

 

[clay]

I also have this problem and thought it might have something to do with uneven air temp in my fridge. Beer comes from the bottom of the keg and ends up in the line at the top of the fridge. If there is a small increase in temp some of the gas will come out of solution?
I think this is one of the reasons people use a fan in their keg fridges.

 

[ozshots]

Guys,
You nailed it - I overcarbonated my brew.

I tried forced carbonation but felt like I need more carbonation... and I've repeated the process :-(

I will read about balanced systems. For now, I will release pressure for the next couple of days.