Stout foam issue

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Darren365

Stout foam issue

Post by Darren365 » Mon May 02, 2016 6:11 pm

HELP I'm trying to set up a keezer and I'm getting lots of foam using 3/16 beer line @4metres long keep turning pressure down but no joy can anybody tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Using 70/30 beers gas
And a stout tap

Fil
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Re: Stout foam issue

Post by Fil » Mon May 02, 2016 6:39 pm

there are a number of things that can cause a foam out or catastrophic release of all absorbed condition.

generally they involve a dramatic change in state, such as the presure differentail at the tap point that the 4m (???FOUR METERS???) of 3/16" line should take care of (2m or less should sort out most beers..)

so a change in temp ? what temp is the keg at and have you confirmed that your not over-conditioned for the serving temp? becaause that will do it c02 can be 'socialist' in that '1 out, all out' can be used to describe the catastrophic loss of all condition that can leave you with a glass of foam which can settle out to an inch or less of flat beer.

try chilling the glasses to the beer temp, and try re-rinsing with warm water before drying, if only slightly overconditioned for the serving temp/pressure one too many neucleation points in the glass could set it off.

How did you cut your beerline before fitting in JG fittings?? even the shrapest scissors will deform the tube before cutting resulting in a curved end which when inserted fully into the JG fittings will not sit flush and can cause turbulance to shake the condition out of the beer, as can any kinks in the line, if not used already a sharp blade and a square on cut is the best prep for a jg fitting..

hope thats helpful..
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
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Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
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Brewedout
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Re: Stout foam issue

Post by Brewedout » Tue May 03, 2016 9:24 pm

What pressure are you using, what temperature is you keg being kept at, are the taps in the fridge door or far away, are you fully opening the taps or partially opening, what type of tap is it? This should help to get a good answer :-D

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Kev888
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Re: Stout foam issue

Post by Kev888 » Tue May 03, 2016 10:31 pm

Yes, all those questions are pertinent. it sounds to me like (through one combination or another) you probably have far too much carbonation or pressure for the temperature of the beer in the lines. If the beer is excessively carbonated or rises in temperature since you carbonated (and/or as it travels down the line) then it will cause foaming. Sometimes its due to the beer line being too short and so dropping the pressure rapidly, but 4m of 3/16" should be ample unless your pressure is way above normal for a stout.
Kev

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Re: Stout foam issue

Post by rpt » Tue May 03, 2016 10:46 pm

Mixed gas should be set at a much higher pressure than CO2 so he may well need 4m of 3/16" line. But the OP needs to answer the questions if he wants help.

Darren365

Re: Stout foam issue

Post by Darren365 » Wed May 04, 2016 9:41 pm

Sorry guys been manic busy .. Stout was straight out of the fridge so quite cold and pressure was 10 psi

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Re: Stout foam issue

Post by rpt » Wed May 04, 2016 11:59 pm

I don't use mixed gas but my understanding is that the beer should not be highly carbonated. The disc in the stout tap causes the nitrogen to come out of solution and make a creamy head. But if there is a lot of CO2 in the beer then the disc will turn this into foam, regardless of the length of the beer line.

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Re: Stout foam issue

Post by IPA » Thu May 05, 2016 9:04 am

Darren365 wrote:HELP I'm trying to set up a keezer and I'm getting lots of foam using 3/16 beer line @4metres long keep turning pressure down but no joy can anybody tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Using 70/30 beers gas
And a stout tap
There is really only one answer as to why beer foams and that is it contains too much co2. Longer beer lines, chilling etc are just ways of lessening the problem. With regard to mixed gas do you really need it.? Also stout taps are they necessary. Guinness go to great lengths to give the illusion that their beer is something quite special. In fact it now bears no resemblance to the the beer of the same name that I drunk many years ago that did have a special taste. The Guinness that they export to here arrives completely flat and is then gassed at the point of delivery ie the tap on the bar counter!
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