Nitro beers pouring flat (I'm Back)

[baII23]

I had started a thread about a month and a half ago regarding nitro based beers to pour flat (Guinness looks like coffee; tastes bad). The unusual problem was that it would move from beer to beer to the point where some would pour fine and others flat, then it would change the next day so each beer never remained consistent.

Fast forward: We've replaced the gas blender, put each nitro beer on its own regulator, turned up the pressure on each, hooked up certain beers to its own blended tank, replaced tavern heads and faucets, double checked liquid temps and bath temps, and we are still having problems. We initially thought it could be a leak, but have since ruled that out.

A temporary fix (like when we have a bad pouring beer on special) is simply to move the nitro beer to whatever line seems to be pouring well. The beer pours perfect after moving it, up until it starts pouring flat again (usually a couple of days later).

Something to take into consideration is that there hadn't been any major changes for 18 months before the problem intially surfaced, so we can't necessarily look at one particular area.

Today, we had the same 'ol problem, so I decided not to touch the gas lines at all. I simply switched out the beer line only, and it pours perfect, a complete 180. Soooo, my question is, aside from installing all new trunk lines and replacing all beer lines to fix it... What in the world could be causing the problem? How can a beer line affect gas quality? Is it gas quality? Help!?

We (our Micromatic service rep and local distributor rep) are knee deep in trying to solve the problem, but I thought to send another post out there to see if anyone could think up a reason for why we've been experiencing the problems we have been.

I appreciate any help and happy beer drinking!

[edramshaw]

What is your primary regulator set at? (In this case I would guess this is at your blender) I've read your other posts and agree this is a peculiar problem. Perhaps you were on to something when you were looking at the pressure not being able to keep up with all the beers. I've seen guiness pour like that when the gas runs low so it would make sense.

[baII23]

Originally Posted by edramshaw

What is your primary regulator set at? (In this case I would guess this is at your blender) I've read your other posts and agree this is a peculiar problem. Perhaps you were on to something when you were looking at the pressure not being able to keep up with all the beers. I've seen guiness pour like that when the gas runs low so it would make sense.

Unfortunately, I've ruled out that theory of not having enough pressure when we would experience the same problem hooking a single beer up to its own blended tank. It's too wierd... I basically have beer lines that simply just have "bad days". I can switch beer lines and it will temporarily solve the problem (without even touching the gas supply or its hoses).

[edramshaw]

Ok, here is another approach. What are the four nitro beers and what types of couplers do you have connecting them from the keg to the beer lines?

[blacklab]

another thought one clean glasses I no but you no the simple things make the most headakes.also check your blender what ai the % of co2 to nitro my guess is its 75%nitro to 25%co2.might want to go to 70%nitro to 30%co2did that to a local micro brewery here in Newhampshire did a good job getting the right mouth feel for the beer but you cant sit on the beer to long or you run the risk of over carbonation.

[Larry Tapper]

Would like to know a lot more about this system, from line length to temp on units to the blenders, and if filters are be use on the co2. etc.