Corny keg foam issue

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Bazz
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Corny keg foam issue

Post by Bazz » Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:28 pm

Hi all, I have a slight problem that has totally stumped me, my latest brew a bog standard bitter is foaming like crazy when i serve it from the corny keg, serving pressure is 5-10psi and it has been prepared just like every other beer i have kegged and never had this problem with. I'm using the thin beer line and my beer tower and the set up is identical to everything that i have done previously with great results. Any ideas?

Thanks.

Haydnexport
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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by Haydnexport » Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:37 pm

how cold has the keg been? Beer absorbs more co2 the colder it gets i believe

Bazz
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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by Bazz » Sun Jun 04, 2017 10:33 pm

Only chilled to 12degC because it was so warm in the garage, but it was force carbed at ambient temperatures.

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IPA
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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by IPA » Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:08 am

Bazz wrote:Hi all, I have a slight problem that has totally stumped me, my latest brew a bog standard bitter is foaming like crazy when i serve it from the corny keg, serving pressure is 5-10psi and it has been prepared just like every other beer i have kegged and never had this problem with. I'm using the thin beer line and my beer tower and the set up is identical to everything that i have done previously with great results. Any ideas?

Thanks.
It's over carbonated. Read this and then buy the gadget from the Malt Miller.

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=78780
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Kev888
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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by Kev888 » Mon Jun 05, 2017 8:08 pm

For stable levels of force carbonation you need to control both pressure and temperature; if either or both of those change the results can be unpredictable, so this time of year as summer approaches can often cause a lot of issues. If it isn't possible to control them then a cautious approach to carbonation levels is necessary.

This isn't helped by most CO2 regulators being a bit reluctant to dump excess pressure should it arise - either from the keg warming up OR from yeast activity, which is the other usual cause of over-carbonation. Sometimes a beer can ferment a bit more in the keg, even if FG may appear to have been reached before kegging.

If things are marginal, its also possible that warm beer lines can tip the balance - warming the beer as it leaves the keg (as was mentioned previously, warm beer retains CO2 less well), but this isn't usually a primary cause. Similarly, dispensing too fast or down a too-short line causes a more sudden pressure drop, which can encourage foaming if the tendency is already there.
Kev

Fil
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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by Fil » Mon Jun 05, 2017 10:31 pm

its a dramatic change in state that can stimulate a beer to shed all of its condition, pouring from a cold keg into a warm glass and pouring without any keg pressure reduction are the usual culprits but not the only ones..

also off square beerline cuts can form nucleation points when inserted into JG fittings, as can kinks in the beerline.

a 'quick-ish' test for over conditioning is to vent the keg and unhook from the gas, then after 12-24 hours check the keg pressure and if its higher than your set servung pressure the keg is overconditioned for its temperature and a few shake n vent repetitions can be employed to shed the excess...

5-10psi is a pretty wide range, try to narrow that down if you can, pressure guages with a finer granularity of grade can be ebayed and fitted inline or on the end of a gas disconnect ;)

an extra 5psi of pressure will overcondition a brew..
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

Bazz
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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by Bazz » Tue Jun 06, 2017 9:35 pm

Thanks for all your responses, I'll use the information to do some trouble shooting.

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Re: Corny keg foam issue

Post by Manngold » Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:22 am

IPA wrote:
Bazz wrote:Hi all, I have a slight problem that has totally stumped me, my latest brew a bog standard bitter is foaming like crazy when i serve it from the corny keg, serving pressure is 5-10psi and it has been prepared just like every other beer i have kegged and never had this problem with. I'm using the thin beer line and my beer tower and the set up is identical to everything that i have done previously with great results. Any ideas?

Thanks.
It's over carbonated. Read this and then buy the gadget from the Malt Miller.

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=78780
Thanks for this IPA. I had same the problem. The MaltMiller is OOS, so decided to order here, free delivery but a bit of wait (not that it bothers me):

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-Adj ... 51a9166f94

Sorry for the very long link.

Alternatively Hop and Grape have one, but it is £30 inc delivery.

Gold

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