help i need it

[junior13]

i have this problem,among many others, my beer foams and then tastes flat. im new to the whole keg thing and i bought mine at best buy! i have only tried bud light, any help would be great!

[Scott Zuhse]

What type of kegerator do you have, what is the liquid temperature, pressure you have now, elevation? These are variables we need to know prior to guiding you to a great BUD Lt. Draught.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[BigStein]

Junior, if you bought your kegerator from best buy then it is likely a Haier. I bought this myself and had foam problems as well. The fact is that this manufacturer is not very good. The first thing I would do is check the internal temp. of the fridge. I had foaming problems too and found out that the fridge was keeping my beer around 42 degrees even on the "coldest" setting on the dial. If this is the case for you then you will have two choices, you can return the kegerator and spend more money for a better one or you can take the thermostat apart and set it to your needs (which is actually very easy to do and I can provide a link with directions). Once your beer is at proper temp. you shouldn't have significant problems, although you may still get some foam from the beer sitting in the line as the tower doesn't seem to stay particularly cold. Get back to us with more info.

[topgun3208]

It's funny you mentioned Haier. Sears sold Haier awhile back, now they sell their Kenmore brand which I bought. Come to find out these are made by Sanyo, pretty good units, a bit $$$ tho.

[BigStein]

My buddy has a Kenmoreas well, which he is very happy with. The Haier ones are the least expensive I have seen (especially when on sale at Best Buy) but the temp. control is an issue. Still, it can be dealt with. I may still buy the extended warranty plan though since I know this unit has problems.

[topgun3208]

I love best buy for the vastness of products they sell. They had the Haier on sale for close to $600, Sams club had them on sale for $450, like I said I love best buy but they can be $$$

[Auld Og]

I've heard some pretty bad stuff about Haier (check the Amazon.com reviews).

[gpflepsen]

I had to troubleshoot my neighbor's Danby kegorator. We came to find the unit was equipped with either 1/4" or 5/16" beer line. We changed that out to 5-6' of 3/16" beer line and now it pours like a champ.

About the temperature control, be sure to let the unit stabilize with a full keg for several days. If a warm (well, not as cool) keg is put in, it will take a considerable time to get it cooled down.

[rskelley75]

so funny, I came searching for a message board in hopes of getting my question answered regarding big time foam then flat tasting beer and i guess it really is a common problem. I have the Best Buy Haier, a keg of Miller Lite and the temp is not turned all the way down (80% right now) but i guess that'll be my first step. Right now I have it at 12 psi as I've been instructed in the manual. This is the second keg that, but the first did not have the same issue as much (Yuengling/ a 1/4 barrell)
Is temp really that significant of a determining factor? I guess if so i'd like the instructions on how to adjust the thermostat.

[Scott Zuhse]

Try to target 38F for a liquid temperature. If you are at sea level, set pressure around 14 PSIG for both Miller Lite and Yuengling. Check the instructions on adjusting temperature.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[BigStein]

Can't say that I agree with ever putting Miller Lite in a kegerator, or drinking it in any other form for that matter, but here is the link for the temp. fix. I turned the screw a full turn and now have the internal temp. at a steady 38. That didn't entirely fix my foam problem, though, as I think I need the blower that the folks here have talked about (on other threads if not this one) but I am managing for now. http://www.tommydehart.com/fun/keg/haier_brewmaster.htm

[KegNovice]

Well...I am glad I found you all. I have a Haier Keg as well and have had many of the same foam problems. We have even had the Haier people out to look at it. Anyway, that problem was pretty much resolved. I do believe that the temperature is a factor...Do ya'll recommend any specific thermostat or just one from like HD (for inside refrig's of course).
Here is my real question though...Our first keg - Michelob Ultra (now don't all sigh at once Decided that had no taste (tasted better in bottles). We now have Bud Lite, but once again no flavor...Is that a sign of overcarbonation? Don't know our temp, but the PSI is a mere 10. Not sure you would call the beer "flat" as it is bubbly, etc. It just doesn't seem to taste like beer.
We want to try a Shiner Light Keg next time, but wonder if we are "messing them up."
Thanks for any feedback!

[keith1905]

I have a Danb DKC644BLS that I bought from Home Depot. My problem is that the temp setting on the front display will only allow me to set the temp as low as 36 degrees. How can I manually override the setting on the thermostat control so I can make my beer colder? By the way, I've found that the lowest amount of pressure you can have your tank set at, and still move the beer, the less foam you're gonna have. Unless you're serving a bunch of people at once, there is no reason to have the beer come out any faster. All you get is foam.

[topgun3208]

the only problem with low psi Keith, is u can make the beer eventually go flat. I run coors lite during the summer here in baltimore and usually keep mine set @ 10-11 psi. I get bout a 2" head, but let it settle in the cup and repour till full

[Scott Zuhse]

If your system is set up properly, that is with no fluctuation of temperature and correct pressure, you should have limited foam while dispensing. Coors Brewing Company packages draught beer with a carbonation level of about 2.8 volumes out of Golden. This may be lower out of the Virginia facility (2.6). Topgun, you should target 38F at about 14 PSIG since your Coors Lt. is possibly at the lower carbonation level.

Remember, drop your glass away from the faucet so that you can watch the flow from the faucet. If the beer is foam and it goes to the bottom of your glass, do not pour clear beer on top of it. You will produce more foam if you do. Dump out and start with clear beer.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[keith1905]

I guess my keg doesn't last long enough for it to go flat. Regarding my other problem of how cold the beer is, does anyone have a solution to my thermostat issue?

[topgun3208]

In reply to Scotts response, I ran my output up to 14 psi and lowered the thermostat, am getting low on the keg as well, can pick it up now my wife is placing her wine in there as well, and I think that is why the temp. is up to 40f. I had that t'stat dialed dead into 38f awhile ago

[BigStein]

Yeah, you have to make the wife get the wine down to temp. in the regular fridge before putting it in the old kegerator. That's the way we work it in my house.

[keith1905]

I talked to Vicky at Danby and she said that you need to have at least 2 inches of space on all sides of the cooler for it to vent itself properly so it may reach the desired temp. Not sure how I'm going to accomplish this since my built in bar doesn't allow me much movement. I guess I'll just have to get used to slightly cool beer (Euros been doing it for centuries, right?)

[steve77079]

The Danby DKC644BLS has an electronic Thermostat which I am told cannot be adjusted lower than 36 deg. I tested my one with a thermometer and the stat is reading 8 deg cooler than the actual temp. of the keg. I know this is a regular problem with this model because the guy at Home Depot said a lot of them had been returned.

[psychodad]

quote:Originally posted by keith1905
Regarding my other problem of how cold the beer is, does anyone have a solution to my thermostat issue?

http://forums.the-hole.net/kegerator/danby.htm shows what I did. However I am just trying to maintain 36 degrees, not get it lower.

http://forums.the-hole.net/