Foaming Brew after kegged

[Art2019]

I made my brew & after fermentation was complete I let it remain in my conical as I've always done in the past to allow it to clear. Transferred to my keg after a month and tapped it after about 2 months. I usually allow it to self carbonate with no issues.
This time; however, when I tapped it, nothing but foam came out which never happened before. I let it sit for another couple days and tried to tap again, and nothing but foam still. When I opened the keg, it was like a volcanoe with foam oozing out to the side of the keg & wouldn't stop.

Does anyone know why this is happening? The only difference, this time, is I'm using well water which is very hard (about 1236 ppm) where before I was using city water.

This is the same recipe I've been making over the last cple yrs but this is the 1st time I've ever had this issue. I'm thinking of just putting the keg in frig to inactivate the yeast, if this is the issue.

 

[balrog]

Taste the same and FG the same as with all other batches? (infection would take it lower)

 

[bobeer]

what kind of sugar and how much of it did you use to prime the keg?

As stated above, an infection can cause foaming other than too much priming sugar. Does it taste ok?

 

[Art2019]

9 lbs of Malt Extract was used. I didn't use any priming sugar since it isn't needed.
It tastes the same as it used to.

 

[Art2019]

Taste the same and FG the same as with all other batches? (infection would take it lower)

Yes. The FG is fine & it tastes normal. Could it have gotten infected?

 

[balrog]

THen next I would look for physical obstruction in the line, dip tube, poppet, tap.
Try another line. Another tap. That sort of thing. Could be schmutz in the poppet. Tiny air leak bleeding in air by venturi effect when drawing beer. Slap a spare 10' line of tube with picnic tap on the OUT side and see what you get.

 

[odie]

...he said it foamed when he opened the top...sounds like it got way over carbed...bad/failed regulator?

 

[balrog]

good point indeed.

 

[Art2019]

THen next I would look for physical obstruction in the line, dip tube, poppet, tap.
Try another line. Another tap. That sort of thing. Could be schmutz in the poppet. Tiny air leak bleeding in air by venturi effect when drawing beer. Slap a spare 10' line of tube with picnic tap on the OUT side and see what you get.

That's what I initially thought but after I bled all the air out & opened keg, the foam started overflowing down the side of keg.

 

[Art2019]

...he said it foamed when he opened the top...sounds like it got way over carbed...bad/failed regulator?

Way over carbbed on it's self carbonation? It wasn't charged with anything but it's own gases. I was going to charge it once the air was bled out but it didn't need it. Maybe I'll just put it in the cooler chest to reduce any yeast activity remaining.
As I said, this is the first time I've ever experienced in 10 yrs.

 

[day_trippr]

Was a spunding valve used?
Seems likely sans evident infection the beer over-carbed itself.
If there was no mechanism to limit the pressure to something that would fit a chart I'm betting that's what's going on...

Cheers!

 

[Art2019]

Was a spunding valve used?
Seems likely sans evident infection the beer over-carbed itself.
If there was no mechanism to limit the pressure to something that would fit a chart I'm betting that's what's going on...

Cheers!

It was just sitting in the keg, nothing else allowing pressure to escape. So, you think it was infected? I went ahead & put it in my cooler. Maybe that will fix the issue.

 

[day_trippr]

We here have no way of evaluating your beer wrt infection, that's on you.
What I'm saying is if you did not limit the CO2 pressure to something that would conform to "chart pressure" (referencing our favorite carbonation table and looking at temperature vs pressure combinations and the resulting carbonation level) there's a good chance your beer simply fermented far enough that the evolved CO2 over-carbonated the beer.

Look into "spunding valves". Here's mine. It's set up for ball lock kegs but a pin lock QD could be used just as easily...

Cheers!

 

[Art2019]

Oh, ok. Never had to use that before. I noticed no fermentation in the conicle as I've always done in the past & transferred it to keg. Over the last year, I decided to let the brew selfcarbonate - I started to do this after my co2 tank was empty & I was able to tap from that.

I'll look into getting that.

 

[day_trippr]

It doesn't take much lingering fermentation to blow up bottles or over-carb sealed kegs.
Consider how little primer is required for proper carb levels in either package...

Cheers!