Too high?

[Sketch]

Yesterday I tapped a 1/6 barrel of Fat Tire and a 1/2 barrel of Hoptober. It's pouring decently I suppose but I guess I need some clarification.

My previous keg was a 1/2 barrel of Fat Tire. Using some information I found on this site regarding New Belgium products I set my regulator at about 12 psi and was serving beer right around 38. My pours would be about 1/2 foam on the first pour, 1/4 on the second and perfect on the 3rd- assuming these pours were taken with little time lapse in between. If I waited more than say 20 minutes the foam process would start again.

I am again running right around 12psi to both kegs (primary and secondary regulator) and am having roughly the same issues. Pouring right at 38.

I emailed New Belgium as to their recommendations on both beers, and this is the answer I recieved

Hi Al,

Thanks for the email. Here is the information you requested:

PSI 16-20lbs.. Ideal 18lbs
Ideal temp 38-40 degrees F
IGP (gauge pressure) 16-18...17 ideal

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions.



Cheers!


Tiffany
New Belgium Brewing Company
500 Linden
Ft. Collins, CO 80524
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I tapped the kegs before receiving the email so my regulators are still set at 12psi.

18 seems high to me - but I feel like a jerk doubting the brewery. So this leaves me with several questions:

Is 18 too high? If I do change it how long should I wait to check results?

What are the ill effects of wrong psi settings? I have searched for this but haven't seemed to really grasp the side effects of incorrect psi - obviously if it is way too low it will go flat - but what if it's only 5-6 psi off, such as mine? Will that cause my foam problems? How about 5-6 too high?

I am running 5 ft of beer line (plan on lengthening it later in life, but not for these barrels) and am sitting at just under 1000' elev.

Thanks for any help.

[TomK]

Did they ask you where you live? I see they're in Ft. Collins, CO which is pretty high up there, I think.

[Sketch]

No, they didn't ask. I just assumed they were giving me the numbers based on sea level.

[Scott Zuhse]

Tiffany is recommending pressures based on her elevation which is 5000' . Most of the new Belgium products are around 2.6 v/v. Apply 14 PSIG @ 38F @ sea level. This should alleviate the initial shot of foam as long as your tower is cooled.