Air in beer line?

[cabal09]

Okay here is my problem, after 3 kegs and proper cleaning I have air in my beer lines.

Here is my set-up:

1. 7ft 3/16th beer line

2. Blower pumping cold air into tower

3. Double reg, plenty of CO2

4. Temp is well below 38 at first pour, inside keg is almost at freezing.

5. 1/2 keg Budlight.

At the coupler were the beer line comes out I see gaps of air. I pour and get foam, maybe a glass and a half. I used a digital thermometer and it seems on first pour it is almost freezing, my thermometer shuts off below 32 deg. Is it too cold? Not a big problem put this is the first time I have ever seen gaps in the line, thanks.

[happytappy]

generally air in the beer line means your beer is undercarbonated and CO2 is coming out of the beer. What is your regulator set at ? Also 7 ft is a bit long

[cabal09]

Thanks for the reply,

1. I had the PSI at 15, than backed it down to 14, than 13 psi. I did this when I started to get foam. The first week it worked fine, but than this started.

2. The original beer line was 5ft, at 15psi the beer shot out like a cannon on my first two kegs. So I would have to back the pressure way down, almost to 9psi to get a good pour. So I added an extra 5ft of 3/16th line and cut it in 1 foot sections to get a good pour at 15psi.

I hope this helps, thanks again for posting.

[Scott Zuhse]

Your beer may be overcarbonated. Not much can be done with this. Be certain that you know exactly what your temperature is before setting pressure on the next keg.

[monkey710]

So is there a rule of thumb for temperature versus pressure settings?

I am getting a new 1/6 on Tuesday (Mich Amber) and do not want to screw it up. I usually have my beer flowing at 37 degrees and the inside cooler temp is 32-33.

[cabal09]

So if the temp is to low that can effect the pressure and the absorbtion of CO2? I guess I have to raise the temp now to get it right, thanks for the info.

[skibumdc]

Originally Posted by happytappy

Also 7 ft is a bit long

Why is 7ft too long.?
Plenty of people use more than 5 feet of beer line to slow down the pour.

When people complain about foam on these forums, the first 3 suggestions are
1) Check the beer temperature
2) Cool the tower
3) Try longer beer line

[Scott Zuhse]

Nothing wrong with seven feet of 3/16". The flow will be slower. Before you even concern yourself with the length of line the PSIG to the keg must be dialed in. This is based on the CO2 Volumes, temperature and elevation of the beer.

For example, the Amber Bock has a carbonation level around 2.55 v/v. At 38F and between 1' to 1000' elevation you will require 14 PSIG. For a gallon a minute flow rate, install four feet of 3/16". For a slower flow, install a longer length.

The challenge has always been to be certain that you can manage the temperature 24/7 from the keg to the faucet. Never dispense from a keg until the beer has acclimated to your kegerator. Always use a calibrated thermometer.

[happytappy]

[quote=skibumdc;12311]Why is 7ft too long.?

It does slow down the pour, it also calls for more CO2 to push the beer that far. Ideally we want balance and 100-120 oz a minute.

[cabal09]

Well after many futile attempts I found some clues to my delema.

1. My beer line was against the cooling element and that section was frozen. So I moved the line to the front of the keg and that let the beer line thaw.

2. I than notice what looked like CO2 coming up from the coupler (little bubbles) and moving up the beer line.

3. Now I than backed my CO2 down to about 10 PSI (due to some members saying that I might have overcarbinated the beer because my temp was too low. I am going to let it sit and see if that will settle my wild beer.

I will keep you guys updated and see if this fixes my problem, thanks.

[bard]

Originally Posted by monkey710

So is there a rule of thumb for temperature versus pressure settings?

I am getting a new 1/6 on Tuesday (Mich Amber) and do not want to screw it up. I usually have my beer flowing at 37 degrees and the inside cooler temp is 32-33.

Google 'keg balancing'. You should find a chart telling you what to set the regulator to depending on beer volumes of co2 and temperature. The hard part is finding out what the volumes of co2 is supposed to be for your particular beer.

[monkey710]

I had the keg balancing stuff but I guess I was off for the Fat tire based on the beer volumes of CO2. The Amberbock is perfect with Scott's data. Thanks!

Is there a database of different beers and their volume co2? Micromatic has a great page on the couplers, the CO2 would be an excellent addition to this. I think that would solve many of our problems!