Foamy root beer from corny keg

[brad2157]

Just made my first batch of root beer with my son and kegged in a 5g corny keg and it releases all the carbonation when pouring from the tap. I'll list all the details below. Let me know if more info is needed to help find a solution.

5g batch of root beer made with Gnome brand root beer extract, 2lbs brown sugar, 2lbs white sugar, 16 oz. light corn syrup, and a dab of pure vanilla extract. Force carb'd @ 40psi for 3 days, then brought pressure down to 30 psi. It's been sitting in my garage fridge for a week with a temp control attached that is normally used for my beer fermentation fridge and the temp probe is strapped to the outside of the corny keg surrounded by thick foam. It was set at 43 degrees, but I just lowered to 40 degrees tonight. I am using the ball lock disconnect fitting to 30' of 3/16" I.D. line connected to a picnic / cobra tap for dispensing.

Every time I try to pour from the tap, I see the root beer without bubbles come through the 30' of line, but it foams like crazy from the tap itself. I've tried to only keep the tap open partially and it just lets a small amount of foam through. If I open it wide open, it spews foam like crazy, then you can see a stream of root beer through some of the foam.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Anything I need to do different?

Thanks in advance!

-Brad

 

[Yooper]

It might be from starting carbonation at 40 psi and then lowering it to 30 psi. I can't think of anything else, except the change in temperature. Carbonation is pressure and temperature dependent- changing either of those can cause problems, and you've changed both so it could be something that simple.

One thing to never do is to not open the tap fully, though. Make sure you never do that- think of it like pinching a garden hose and how it goes faster and with more force. Still, when you open the tap fully, you are getting foam so that's not the issue, just more of an FYI for the future.

 

[brad2157]

It might be from starting carbonation at 40 psi and then lowering it to 30 psi. I can't think of anything else, except the change in temperature. Carbonation is pressure and temperature dependent- changing either of those can cause problems, and you've changed both so it could be something that simple.



One thing to never do is to not open the tap fully, though. Make sure you never do that- think of it like pinching a garden hose and how it goes faster and with more force. Still, when you open the tap fully, you are getting foam so that's not the issue, just more of an FYI for the future.

Thank you for the reply. I wasn't sure what could be causing all the foam, especially since this is my first batch. Is this batch pretty much ruined or is it salvageable ? Hoping I can let it sit and be able to recover it. Taste good, but just flat by the time is gets in my glass. Lots of foam and a lot of it dissipates quickly.