Hi all,
This is a fantastic forum. I've used a lot of the tips and tricks mentioned in it and am trying to sort out two remaining issues.
So, I converted a chest freezer to a kegerator using the Brewer's Legend, 2x6+insulation,1x10 wood collar, etc - basically what you would expect out of someone who has spent too much time reading this forum and not enough time on their job. However, beer is coming out of my faucets too rapidly and I am getting too much foam. I read somewhere on here that I'm looking at two different issues, which I can believe, but I don't see any foam in the visible lines, so maybe they are related? Anyway, on to my setup.....
I have two wall faucets (with the drip tray plus drain from here) that are 1 1/2' to 2' above the top of the keg and about 4 1/2' from the edge of the kegerator. I've set up a box like the one in
this thread. My box looks a little different, but the same general idea, and it is coled using a 1" ID flexible PVC air line attached to the 12 CFM blower from Micromatic witha 2" PVC return tube. That tube has one long sweep 90 and one 2" to 2" rubber coupling to handle a 22.5 degree (approximate) angle.
Now, here's where I suspect the problem lies... I've read where a lot of people had to go longer than 5' with the 3/16 ID line - I think I've seen 7' to 10' recommended by posters. I also read that the ideal length of 3/16" ID line was no more than 5' somewhere and then you should go to a coiled up 12' 1/4" line. So, I did that. Now, I am experiencing a veritable geytser of beer out of my faucet (it misses the drip tray if I don't have my glass there) at 12 PSI and is massively foamy. Beer is Miller Lite, since I saw no reason to start with something expensive until I had the kinks worked out, and temperature was 44 (!!!) shortly after getting it home and tapping it - so much for the walk in cooler....
Anyway, I think once the keg normalizes at 36-38 I should be in better shape, but I still have the geytser to deal with and a ton of foam. So, i have two questions for the folks here... One, is
this balancing guide useful? If so, it suggests I need to add 5' of 1/4" of 1' of 3/16" based on my spreadsheet. Let's add a supplementary question before I get to my second.... Is there any reason not to add a foot of 3/16"into a 12' 1/4" ID line? Now my second question - is it normal for a new keg to be that high of a temp and, if so, does it screw it up to tap it before it normalizes wth the kegerator?
Thanks for a great forum.