Keg Head Problems

[vertigo]

Hi lads,
I'll welcome myself to the forum. Anyway, I have just started kegging my homebrew's. I'm finding that I get heaps of head on the glass. I have tried cooling the glasses, cooling the feeder line, different pressures, different carb pressures, different brews, longer times at full pressure, different lengths on the feeder line and on the CO2 lines.


I still get a massive amount of head present on every brew. I don't think that I've done anything really very wrong. My head is so big now, that my ego is growing..he he. Ideas to try and help this problem would be great.

PS Too many beer already, oops the wife is going to go nuts...I hope so.

 

[Frank]

Have a read here. If you still have no luck let us know.

 

[vertigo]

Thanks heaps, I'll see what happens next time. Pretty well everything that I wanted to know is in that link, I most likely will blur over some inportant details later on.

NB Nice looking dog. Whats the name you gave the dog? Gender?

 

[vertigo]

Just a quick one. I heard that growing your own hops, could kill dogs! is that true. I'd like to know, because I really love my dogs. Well the cat I don't care to much about.

NB Just one of my dogs kills the cat I'm up in hell for life.

 

[muckey]

definately keep the dog away from the hops. I beleive it causes them to overheat.

 

[FreemanDC]

Give the dog some radiator coolant,.... oh wait.

 

[Frank]

Thanks heaps, I'll see what happens next time. Pretty well everything that I wanted to know is in that link, I most likely will blur over some inportant details later on.
NB Nice looking dog. Whats the name you gave the dog? Gender?

His name is Frank (male), and is a Boston Terrier. Great dog that loves people, very much an indoor apartment type dog.
You are correct that Hops can kill dogs, from my readings it is only the cones though, not leaves or rhizomes. I have not tested the theory, and have no intention to.
Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[simon harley]

cheers boston

i've been having the same probs. as vertigo and was just about to ask the same question
that thread has answered alot of my questions :icon_cheers:

 

[vertigo]

Cool thanks for the information linking Boston. I'm still playing with the tempertures. I usually set the fefrigerator temperture for carbonating at about 1.3 to 3 degress. I have also changed the drinking temperture to about 5.5 to 6.2 degress. Does that sound good?

Thanks again Boston for the tips about hops. I seen hop plants that grow like vines, is that right!, or I'm I looking at the wrong hops plants.

Edit: I have just tried my "Coopers Lagar" "....and it tastes great, I can't wait for the next one." I have ordered a dual regulator, so that I can gas a keg, or two and drink the other...Awesome, thank you so much..love you guys.

 

[raven19]

Have you replaced the posts on your kegs?

I had big problems with air sucking back into the line between keg and tap. Replaced keg post seals and problem solved!

Best not to fiddle with your regulator, keep the temps constant (just keep it at a temp you like for drinking - the most important part!!!) and adjust the beer line length between tap and keg. Others here start with about 4m, then shorten a little bit at a time as necessary until you get it right.

 

[vertigo]

Have you replaced the posts on your kegs?

Why would I do that?

I had big problems with air sucking back into the line between keg and tap.

I have a bit of a problem, well sometimes.

and adjust the beer line length between tap and keg. Others here start with about 4m, then shorten a little bit at a time as necessary until you get it right.

Shit, that would suck. Its still a work in progess, at the momment.

(just keep it at a temp you like for drinking - the most important part!!!)

What pressure are you using?

 

[fergi]

Why would I do that?I have a bit of a problem, well sometimes.Shit, that would suck. Its still a work in progess, at the momment. What pressure are you using?

hi vertigo, i started kegging about 3 months ago, had the same probs with too much head, its easy, after you read the link that boston gave you read it and do what it says, then stop screwing around with your regulator and fridge temps, i run my fridge @6 deg, my pressure is set at 80kp, dont force carb unless you really have to, just hook your keg up to it and leave it for a week to carb up slowly. "DONT TOUCH THE REGULATOR" and it will pour nice beer, if you have your fridge in your shed where it gets hot what i do is just pull the tap off once i have poured a beer, shake the beer out of the tap then put it in your fridge until you want another beer, plug your tap back in burp it once into a container or old glass then pour your beer and put the tap back in to the fridge again to keep nice and cold.bit of messing around doing that but in this hot weather it really pays off, then "STOP SCREWING AROUND WITH YOUR REGULATOR".
cheers
fergi

 

[vertigo]

At the moment what I'm doing is, firstly clean the keg and let sit of about half an hour. I then bleed the line with the cleaning agent. I then shake as much of the agent out as I can and then let it drain for about 10 min (covered). Next I use my tube to fill the keg to the correct level. I usually put the keg aside for about three days (burping all them). On the fourth day I put the keg in the frigerator and gas it at 220 - 260 Kpa for about three days. I degas the keg to about 70 Kpa and leave it for two days.

 

[Eugene]

At the moment what I'm doing is, firstly clean the keg and let sit of about half an hour. I then bleed the line with the cleaning agent. I then shake as much of the agent out as I can and then let it drain for about 10 min (covered). Next I use my tube to fill the keg to the correct level. I usually put the keg aside for about three days (burping all them). On the fourth day I put the keg in the frigerator and gas it at 220 - 260 Kpa for about three days. I degas the keg to about 70 Kpa and leave it for two days.

WAY WAY WAY Too much stuffing about, if you are going to wait a week, why force carb at 220-230 kpa, it doesnt achieve anything.

Fill your keg as you like to, put it straight in the fridge, you cannot gas hot beer, well you can, but not easily, get it in the fridge, set your fridge to 3 deg or as close to as you can, set your reg tp 70KPA, plug it on and leave it, easy, 6-8 days later, perfect beer.

I use 4.5 meters of 4 mm line with a through the door micro matic tap, you can rush it iff you like at day 2 or 3 by sticking it up to 300 kpa for 24 hours, then pulling back to serve pressure, 70kpa, but if you have a few kegs on the go, just jam it in the fridge and stick the gas on it.

I have 4 gas conections on the line in my fridge so I can have 3 kegs gassing and one serving, or three serving and one gassing.

 

[Eugene]

Cool thanks for the information linking Boston. I'm still playing with the tempertures. I usually set the fefrigerator temperture for carbonating at about 1.3 to 3 degress. I have also changed the drinking temperture to about 5.5 to 6.2 degress. Does that sound good?

Thanks again Boston for the tips about hops. I seen hop plants that grow like vines, is that right!, or I'm I looking at the wrong hops plants.

Edit: I have just tried my "Coopers Lagar" "....and it tastes great, I can't wait for the next one." I have ordered a dual regulator, so that I can gas a keg, or two and drink the other...Awesome, thank you so much..love you guys.

Opps,

I just read this post, problem come, you are carbing your beer at 1.3 to 3 deg c, it will absorb a lot more gas ( up to 2 times as much) at that temp as it will at your serving temp, when you put your beer to serving temp, the gas will want to come out of suspension, meaning, it wants to get out of the beer, it will do this in the keg, by bringing up the in keg pressure until it reaches equalibriam, it will do it in the line, where the temp is higher again as it is usually up the top of the fridge( this will appear as a lot of tiny bubbles in your beer line soon after you stop pouring), and it will do it in your hot tap and beer glass.

Carbonate and serve at the same temp, balance your system with a nice low temp (3 deg c) and a reasonable pressure, say 70 kpa, this should give you a good, all purpose carbonation level for pils and lagers, maybe too gassy for ales, but each to his own.

Best of luck.

 

[vertigo]

Eugene, I was about say read the thread, but I can see that you did...after posting, but that's cool. Thanks for correcting yourself. I really need to make a hole in the refrigerator, but I'm waiting until I get this down to the artform that it derives.

 

[vertigo]

Carbonate and serve at the same temp, balance your system with a nice low temp (3 deg c) and a reasonable pressure, say 70 kpa, this should give you a good, all purpose carbonation level for pils and lagers, maybe too gassy for ales, but each to his own.

I was thinking of setting on 3 to 4 degress, just to allow for the refrigerator to cycle on and off again. To say least no one has died, and most like the beer that I'm pouring now.

 

[vertigo]

I use 4.5 meters of 4 mm line with a through the door micro matic tap, you can rush it iff you like at day 2 or 3 by sticking it up to 300 kpa for 24 hours, then pulling back to serve pressure, 70kpa, but if you have a few kegs on the go, just jam it in the fridge and stick the gas on it.

I have 4 gas conections on the line in my fridge so I can have 3 kegs gassing and one serving, or three serving and one gassing.

I'd love to see your setup, posting pic's.

when you put your beer to serving temp, the gas will want to come out of suspension, meaning, it wants to get out of the beer, it will do this in the keg, by bringing up the in keg pressure until it reaches equalibriam

OMG you sound like my wife, but she talks about shoes, clothes and shelve space...

 

[buttersd70]

Dude, seriously....leave your regulator adn your thermostat alone. Full stop.

Either sit it on the gas for a week, or shake it for half an hour at pouring pressure (assuming you have a non return). Either way, constant pressure + constant temperature = constant carbonation. If it is then too heady, its the line being too short (or an overly warm tap). Ifr there are bubbles in the line, then the line is too long. boom boom,. finished. One of two things, end of story. Changing either the temperature, or the regulator, throws this balance out, and introduces guesswork into the equation....

 

[Eugene]

I'd love to see your setup, posting pic's. OMG you sound like my wife, but she talks about shoes, clothes and shelve space...

My Set-up, fridge wise anyway, is a 20 year old 470 lt fridge freezer with the walls and door lining and all but the top shelf removed, I also had to grind slots that line up with the ribs on a tooheys keg, I also have to sit one keg on a 30mm spacer to lift the ribs higher than the fron keg, so I can fit 2 50lt kegs, or 6 cornies, I only have three taps, but the gas line has 4 gas connectors, and one liquid connector, so I can shove gas down the liquid line and bump up the pressure, sort of like tipping the keg over, but easier as a full 50 lt goes almost 60ks when full.

The fridge is covered in dents, rust and stickers, but it hold 3 deg c easy and -27 in the freezer, so super chilled glasses for me available at all times, a have 25 schooners and about 5 middie glasses in there ATM.

I am trying to get hold of a second fridge or freezer so I can make it a brewing fridge and deck the new fridge out with smicko taps and paint, but wife wants shoes, and clothes and shelve space.

as for pics I have no idea how to post them, but I will see how I go.