Keg/taps/foam

[Gout]

Well the new bar is finished, the 6m of ~6mm beer line laid out, and the test pours...

With just the beer line and 100kpa the beer comes out fast and with these 2 beers(pils/dark lager) foam foam foam... i ran about 6 pints to cool it all down thinking this might be it, but nup no use...

So i added the supa beer line restrictor and then the beer line is fine, untill the restrictor where it comes out as foam,... and you hear the hissing from the outlet of the restrictor..

Any idea's on what i can try?

Its pissin me off big time, I have had the problem with my 1m of 6mm beer line and restrictor also, however initialy this was fine... i thought it got dirty and hence the promlem but i think maybe its the beer itself... I did have the pressure up a bit to gas it up and i think maybe its trying to release it in the beer line....

there must be a better pour, as the pubs have a perfect pour

 

[Gout]

Add it aint getting any better :unsure: :excl:

 

[GMK]

What pressure did u gas the keg at.

1ookpa is/can be a bit high - i usually pour at around 75kpa - and i use 4mm beer line at 5m.

Try gassing the kegs at 250kpa for 24 hours then take gas off.
Ensure that the beer is cold eg from 2-3days in th efridge prior to kegging/gassing.

Hope this helps

 

[Gout]

the kegs were gased to about 300kpa (DOH) as i forgot them... then its been 100kpa for about 1week thinking it should drop to this over time (because i was drinking from it) come to think of it, i think its only been a issue since i lowered the pressure...

I have another beer that i have just started to gas, so this may help be "tune" the system..

I am trying it with another 4m of 4mm line added to the 6m of 6mm line to see if this tames the bugger

(only on one tap untill i have it nutted out)

God i want a good beer!!!!

EDIT
I have added ~3m of 4m of 4mm to the already 6m of 6mm line and i was able to pour a beer, although there was a lot of foam overflow.. and its not overly cold (the chilled water pump etc should help this) but the line (10m in total) is way to long... must be the beer itself!

P.S adding 4mm beer line to the taps is fun! NOT!!!! that dam nipple is a biach to fit and foam the line one

 

[Boots]

Gout, I initially had foaming problems with my "restrictorvators".

My problem was mostly due to serving with too much pressure, and have too much restriction dialled in. While this made an effective sparkler type scenario, and would be great with a stout, it didn't really suit the beer i was serving.

My drinking is now unrestricted after unrestricting the restriction of the restrictorvator. :blink: :huh:

I'm only using about a metre or so of line.

cheers

 

[Tony M]

Gout,
I found that if I moved the flow restrictor right up near the gun then the foaming in the line is greatly reduced. I should add that I have also"booted" my restrictor and drop the dispense pressure from 100 to 70 odd kpa

 

[Gout]

how do you go about pils or german largers etc with the higher carbonation?

I will keep playing with it untill it turns out ok i guess...

Also gas in the beer line?!?! how to prevent this, after 30min or so there is gas in the beer line and when you pull another beerm when it hits the gas, bang foam everywhere... wastes half a pot or more each time... the mega pubs dong get this?!?!

 

[BigAl]

Gout,

Ive had similar foaming problems before. More often than not its due to me overgassing the beer, which it sounds like the same problem you have. If youve gas it to 300kPa it will be way overgassed. Having then turned it down 100kpa will encourage lots of gas to come out of solution. No matter how much line or restriction you will still have problems.

Docs brewing Cheat sheet is usefull for working out what pressure to carbonate what styles, see attached.
If you are serving a pilsner @ 5C, then you need around 111kpa pressure to provide 2.8 volumes of CO2.


As far as preventing gas in the line, i cant help you here, i have similar problems.
I have a bar setup with a fridge with 4 kegs then about 1m of line to each of the taps. The first pour always sprays out. The only way to prevent it i believe is to keep the line and tap cold. As it warms up in the line the beer cannot dissolve as much Co2 and it hence comes out of solution in the line.

Cheers.

View attachment Doc__s_Brewing_Cheat_Sheet.pdf

 

[sosman]

I have my plut gun and line in the fridge and gas forms in the tubing so I don't think temperature is the only factor. Ironically, a longer line might have something to do with this. My reasoning is:

- The pressure of the moving beer drops along the length of tube. Nominally to close to zero in a "well balanced" system.

- As the pressure drops, the CO2 starts to come out of solution and forms bubbles.

I don't know why these don't get redisolved after you finish pouring but what I observe is the bubbles all floating to the highest points in the line. These slugs of CO2 seem to contribute to foaming on the first pour.

I have never tried this but if you could arrange it so the CO2 bubbles could make it all the way to the gun (monotonic upward slope) then maybe you could minimise this particular source of foaming.

I have 4m of the thinner BEVA tubing, some of my beers still foam, generally the higher carbonated varieties. After the beer in the line has cleared, they come out better.

 

[jgriffin]

I've had all kinds of foaming problems with my keg system. Ove carbonation, under carbonation, temps too high etc.

The best piece of advice, is to NOT force carbonate your beers until you get the system sorted. There are too many variables to play with at once otherwise.

Jut stick your keg in the fridge, set it to serving pressure according to the beer style, and let it sit for a few days. Then you can play with the gear to get the pour right, and you know that the carbonation of the beer is right. Once it is sorted, then you can start playing with all the fancy ways to carbonate a beer in a few hours.

 

[Tony M]

As Sosman says , the line pressure drops in the moving column of fluid but as soon as you shut the tap, the pressure will become uniform in the line and it will be the same as the dispense pressure. Now, if this is less than the carbonation pressure of the beer, the beer in the line will release gas until its little universe is balanced regardless of its temperature (The same is happening in the keg). It just does it quicker if it is warm. This suggests that dispense pressure should be left at whatever you carbonated to. And you should if you are only dispensing occasionally but when the mob is entrenched and the flow is frequent there is no problem.
I dont have to tell you guys how to pour a beer but for newbies here (and youre welcome)
1. Always open the tap fully
2. Never hit the bottom of the glass
1. Practice continually every night until you get it right.