30 replies to this topic

[Poptop]

Thanks. I suppose a 'summer' cleaning is in order. I'd hate to have this problem with Perlic's or any formal set up. Mine is simple, in a hot garage where I wouldn't want faucets to get mucked up due to the heat and humidity etc....

[Big Nake]

Every once in awhile I will have a beer that seems to want to pour foamy. I usually don't remember if it's a beer that I accidentally overcarbed but it does happen and I'm not sure why. It may happen on any one of my 4 taps and I will get a very foamy glass of beer (over half is foam). Other people go to the tap and get 95% foam and look at me like, "What am I doing wrong?" and I don't really have an answer other than to say, "This faucet is acting very lively today". But it's very rare that this happens and my guess is that it's on a beer that I left carbing for 5 hours too long or whatever. Otherwise, my system runs like a German train schedule. A short 5' length of tubing for each tap, 8-10 psi on the CO2 and a slight pushing "up" of the beer by a few inches. I can usually put a beerglass on the driptray and just open the faucet and get a decent pour.

[positiveContact]

Okay, that's fine but "rough" should not be part of the equation. The character of the beer may smooth out over time but I consider it to be "good, fresh beer" right after carbing.

 

sometimes, sometimes not.  I was only offering an experience that I have had in the past.  it's like the carbonation is not fully dissolved or something.  the bubbles are coarser and not as smooth.  I suspect this is more present on beers I'm intending to carbonate more.

[Poptop]

Every once in awhile I will have a beer that seems to want to pour foamy. I usually don't remember if it's a beer that I accidentally overcarbed but it does happen and I'm not sure why. It may happen on any one of my 4 taps and I will get a very foamy glass of beer (over half is foam). Other people go to the tap and get 95% foam and look at me like, "What am I doing wrong?" and I don't really have an answer other than to say, "This faucet is acting very lively today". But it's very rare that this happens and my guess is that it's on a beer that I left carbing for 5 hours too long or whatever. Otherwise, my system runs like a German train schedule. A short 5' length of tubing for each tap, 8-10 psi on the CO2 and a slight pushing "up" of the beer by a few inches. I can usually put a beerglass on the driptray and just open the faucet and get a decent pour.

Maybe this is an adjustment I should consider

Edited by Steppedonapoptop, 29 June 2015 - 11:36 AM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

maybe the carbonation needs to even out?  freshly forced carbed beers also seem slightly rough to me.

 

Whether you are force carbonating or naturally carbonating it takes time to for the CO2 to get to equilibrium. Even though you get 98% there with force carb in two days it still takes time to get that last little bit into solution. I suspect that there is a chemical reaction going on in the keg. The carbonic acid that is produced probably interacts with things in the beer until there is equilibrium. I would guess that when you reach equilibrium you get the best head retention and fine carbonation bubbles.

 

This is just conjecture though. It kind of makes sense to me from what I've seen anecdotally in my beers. Even after two days of carbonating, even though it's servable, it has an acidic bite to it. That usually settles within 3-5 days. By then the beer starts to hit it's prime. 

[Big Nake]

Maybe this is an adjustment I should consider

I have heard people talk about "balancing their system" with various lengths of tubing, x amount of PSI, determining if the beer has to be pushed up or if it's dropping down, etc. But it seems that between the tubing length and the PSI, you can always find a sweet spot. I had the guys at my LHBS cut the beer line (I asked for 4 pieces of 5' line) and after they cut them, they said, "You know that beer line should be a minimum of 6', right?" and I was all, "I dunno". I took the lines, installed them, adjusted the PSI on the tanks and got everything flowing very nicely and I wouldn't change a thing.

[SchwanzBrewer]

At least on other people's set ups you have to take into account the temperature of the beer and how the lines come off the tap. Towers, unless insulated really well and with good air flow, will almost always throw off a foamy first beer.

[Poptop]

Everyone's system is different.  I'm just thinking that maybe I lower my PSI and shorten to 5' considering I have a keezer with 3 corny's, picnics and all with short prox from picnic tap to pint glass....  Perhaps 7' is overkill.

Here's an article that makes me feel even stoopidierr.. I can't figure if I need longer or shorter 3/16 ID...........

https://beersmith.co...-of-draft-beer/

[SchwanzBrewer]

Everyone's system is different.  I'm just thinking that maybe I lower my PSI and shorten to 5' considering I have a keezer with 3 corny's, picnics and all with short prox from picnic tap to pint glass....  Perhaps 7' is overkill.

Here's an article that makes me feel even stoopidierr.. I can't figure if I need longer or shorter 3/16 ID...........

https://beersmith.co...-of-draft-beer/

 

 

The best way to balance the lines is to carbonate your beer to a pressure you want. Let's say 12psi. Then use a few different lengths of line to find the sweet spot for your pour at that pressure. It's much easier to change out line than to change the psi in the keg. Otherwise you could be up and down with the pressure trying to get it right and it could take days or even weeks to get it right.

Edited by SchwanzBrewer, 29 June 2015 - 02:48 PM.

[Steve Urquell]

Some good info here. Sounds like what a few have said. Coarse bubbles and possibly lack of equlibrium. It is strange to me that the pressure is there and holds(12psi with the gas off) but the size of the bubbles and head retention changes over time. I have a beer I'm about to keg. I'll keep track of the foam development as it carbs and report back.

[Poptop]

I'll do the same. Also this past Saturday I racked a batch to a keg and added 5 oz of sugar (no room in the keez). It will be interesting to see how it pours once chilled prior to hooking up a line.