Spluttering Florytes

[ajmuzza]

I'm running Andale florytes on my keezer with about 2m of line from keg to tap. Line is coiled and sits low in the freezer, but I run a fan anyway so stratification shouldn't be an issue.

Anyway, ever since I've had the taps, every time I use the taps after having left then say a couple of minutes between pouring, the tap will cough/splutter when I next use it. Result being that it blasts beer out the top of the glass and you end up with a sizeable head (say half inch) on the first beer. Second beer is fine. Obviously there would seem to be a pressure build up. Other than that I have no issues withy foaming, so I assume that the line length is ok. Gas is set at 8-10psi for pouring.

Any ideas how to fix this? Should I try a longer length of line? Turning the gas down further doesn't seem to make any difference.

Cheers

 

[TheWiggman]

I don't think there's a pressure buildup, sounds like a gas buildup. Do you have your beer lines higher than the tap inlet? It's possible the gas is separating in these while sitting, giving you a blast of gas on opening.

 

[ajmuzza]

majority of beer line sits below the tap inlet.

 

[Crusty]

I'm running Andale florytes on my keezer with about 2m of line from keg to tap. Line is coiled and sits low in the freezer, but I run a fan anyway so stratification shouldn't be an issue.

Anyway, ever since I've had the taps, every time I use the taps after having left then say a couple of minutes between pouring, the tap will cough/splutter when I next use it. Result being that it blasts beer out the top of the glass and you end up with a sizeable head (say half inch) on the first beer. Second beer is fine. Obviously there would seem to be a pressure build up. Other than that I have no issues withy foaming, so I assume that the line length is ok. Gas is set at 8-10psi for pouring.

Any ideas how to fix this? Should I try a longer length of line? Turning the gas down further doesn't seem to make any difference.

Cheers

As an owner of four Andale Florytes myself, I get this problem too & I think everyone that owns them will as well, especially with the first pour.
You can open them slightly to bleed off that build up of gas before you crack them fully open. My first pour of the day is always quite heady & I sometimes put it aside & pour another glass which is perfectly fine. Balancing your system is critical with these taps & the correct line length vs temperature vs keg carbonation needs to be pretty spot on. I've had issues with the correct balance over time & now run 5m of 4mm line to help control foaming issues. My carb level is 2.4vol/co2, beer temp is 2degC & it's helped quite a bit even if the pour is a little slow. I personally would rather a slow pour than a heady pour so it's no biggie for me. I found 2m is just too short for my setup so I'd be looking at lengthening that line to 4m & cut back from there until you are happy with the speed of the pour. The Flortyes always spit on every pour & unfortunately it's just how they're designed. They are great taps so preserver & try the longer line length. I went & bought two Perlick 650ss taps thinking that my pouring issues would be over but to be quite honest, the Andale taps shit all over the Perlicks, hands down. The big plus for the Perlicks is the flow control which is brilliant & 1m of beer line length regardless of what temp your beer is at or what co2 level you carbed the beer at. Will I swap out the four Andales for the Perlicks? I still can't make up my mind.

 

[mikk]

Same with my old florytes. I was of the belief that the co2 comes out of the beer due to a pressure drop/temp increase of the beer line/tap, and rises to the highest point- ie, the tap.
The co2 is still compressed, so when you open your tap a spurt of gas/foam comes out.
Might be very hard to fix completely. The florytes are a big tap and harder to keep cool than, say, a brumby tap. I swapped the florytes for andale brumbies and with no other system changes my pour quality has increased massively, in terms of initial pour gas/head issues.
The florytes are definitely great taps, but not suited to my setup.