Stout Tap

[motobrewer]

I'm having problems with my stout tap. I have a robust porter on it right now, pretty straightforward recipe. I have 60/40 beer gas on it. I have the regulator at 14psi but it always creeps up and sits at 20. 12' of 3/8" beer line.

End result is always a half glass of foam. It pours great for about 4 seconds, mostly beer, small amount of foam, then, suddenly, BAM! The entire glass just turns to foam, and it stays that way. It's hard to explain.

anyone have any ideas?

 

[zachattack]

How did you carbonate the beer?

 

[motobrewer]

CO2 - i thought i carbed it pretty low, but I may have over carbed it. I have been bleeding it off often.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

May or may not be a factor, but did you mean "3/8" beer line, or "3/16" beer line?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

did you use carapils or something similar Ive found its not necessary when using a tap

 

[TrickyDick]

Is the restrictor plate installed properly?
Tell us about your system. For instance, it is a regulator connected to tank, then directly to the keg, or are there other things also connected?
The fact that the regulator pressure creeps up suggests to me that it could be defective. Regulators should stay where they are set.
Is the tank inside the cooler? Does the temperature widely fluctuate where the tank is stored?
I'm no expert on these things, but I've never heard of this problem.
How does the beer taste?
If you connect a CO2 source and pour though faucet at the same psi as the mix, does it still foam?
Very strange.

TD


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[motobrewer]

yes, 3/16", thanks for the catch.

This regulator is connected directly to the keg. It's one of these: (http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/gas-equipment-pid-GN1773.html)

I agree the regulator should stay where it's at - the only thing I could think of is CO2 is coming out of suspension and forcing the pressure up because there's no check valve. Gas tank is outside the keezer. I've looked at the restrictor plate and it seems to be installed correctly. It's a new tap.

The beer tastes fantastic, once i get past the foam.
I have not tried to run it through a regular faucet, that's a good idea.

The only thing I can really think of is that it got wildly overcarbed.

 

[TrickyDick]

Another question.

What about pouring the first glass, which you already described, and then go on to immediately pour a second pint, does that one foam too? If so could be that the initial pint, the beer in the tap lines, has lost some carbonation and it "burps" when you open the tap, and when fresh beer that's from the keg getting into the line pours, you get over foam? If so, could be that your system isn't balanced. Does the stout faucet seem to pour faster than it should? It seems I'd been pouring at 32 psi on beer mix through my stout faucet, but it's been a long time since I've had a nitro beer on tap.

Some trouble shooting steps I'd try:

Pour two pints and see if the second is also over foamed. If the second beer is fine, it could be that instead of unbalanced system, that the beer in the line is getting too warm.

Try dialing the psi to ten, and then purge keg to balance pressure in headspace, then remove restrictor plate and pour a beer. Everything fine, I suspect that the regulator gauge is inaccurate and pressure is higher than indicated or the restrictor plate not working right. Trying dialing psi back until you get the desired pour.
Still foamy, could be a sign that your beer is just simply over carbonated.

Could also try pouring through a regular faucet with psi at ten, but by removing the restrictor plate and dialing beer mix to ten psi, your are essentially using that stout faucet like a regular faucet anyway.

good luck

TD


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[motobrewer]

The problem with that theory is that it pours the first 1/3rd just fine.

I'll try to get a video of it tonight.