mostly foam

[pcollins]

So I have my spare fridge set up now for keg dispense and have a 20l keg from my local craft brewer in there (Galt Knife Old Style from Grand River Brewing fwiw). I will be talking to the brewer there next week for some input but thought I would check here as well.

When I pour the beer I get a LOT of foam. The beer is not really pouring out the tap but it's not blasting out the tap either. It's coming out with some velocity. I have the regulator set quite low: 6psi. Higher was worse and I did dispense some with the CO2 turned off as well.

I can't find the balance point.

I know they carbonate to 2.4 vol at the brewery and my fridge is at 4ºC. I have purged the keg through the coupling head but that only helps in the short term. I'm not pouring as often as a pub would but would like to be able to enjoy a well poured pint a couple of times a night.

Suggestions?

 

[Goingforsound]

what is the lenght of the beer and the diameter?

 

[pcollins]

Oh right, forgot that detail.

The beer line is at least 5' in length and 1/4" id.

 

[Ricand]

You should try using at least 6' of 3/16" line to get the back pressure balanced. Another option (more expensive) is a flow restricter in your shank.

http://www.chicompany.net/insta-balance-foam-preventer-859.html

 

[DirtyMcCurdy]

I used 5' beer lines and had issues with excess foam -- I went to 10' lines and didn't have a problem. 10psi @ 40 degrees - ~2.3 volumes. The longer lines really made a huge difference.

 

[pcollins]

Huzzah!!

Picked up 20' of 3/16"id line at Home Depot yesterday. Cut about 7' or so an problem solved.

Had friends over yesterday afternoon, dinner and evening and finished off the keg. D'oh! Although, that does open up space now for kegging my homebrew.