Jockey Box Foam

[jsnook20]

Please Help!!! I just built a jockey box using 50' 1/2" O.D. tubing, (7/16" I.D.) running into a 1/4" bore shank for the tap. Brought home a 1/4 brl. of Bud Light, applied 2 bags of ice to the keg, filled jockey box full of ice and some water, and let keg sit for about 1 1/2 hrs. Tapped the keg, set CO2 pressure at about 10 psi, started to pour and got nothing but foam. Tried to adjust pressure up, and the foam only came out faster. Lowered the pressure, and got a couple of decent (I use that loosely) pours, and then the tap would burp, and spit up more foam. Do I need more resistance in my coil to create less turbulence when beer hits the tap? What should my CO2 be set at for a semi-chilled beer? I've read that too much CO2 to the keg, and you can over carbonate it, too little and the keg loses carbonation. Does temperature of the keg have anything to do with it. I know in a direct draw system, optimum temp. is about 38 F.
But a jockey box is cooling the beer using the coils. I am considering adding to the 1/2 O.D. tubing, running another coil with 1/4" I.D. Would this give me a slower pour with less foam? Alot of questions, I know, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

[Scott Zuhse]

Are you intending to dispense the beer over an extended period of days? If so, your problem will be off taste more than foam. Bud Light is not pasteurized and must be kept cold at all times.

Also, what type of tubing did you use? Vinyl or polyethylene? Did you use any 3/16" ID behind the shank?

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[jsnook20]

I plan on using this system for parties and picnics. No long term use. 1 day/overnite. I used copper to make the coils. (1/2" o.d. x 50') I'm going to use 1/4" i.d. tubing (flex), and hook it to the coil (approx. 10 ft.) then attach that to the tap. I figured I did not have enough resistance in the line with the copper coils. Hopefully this will restrict the flow enough to get a good pour. I plan on icing down the keg as well. How much CO2 pressure should I run for this sytem. Some guys have told me to hook everything up, then slowlly increase the CO2 pressure (from 0) up until you get a good pour, just enough to make the beer flow slowly. I'm just concerned with making the beer go flat, with not enough pressure. But I also dont want a firehose, when trying to pour my beer either, if I increase CO2 pressure. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Scott Zuhse]

First, get rid of the copper! Unless you want your beer to taste as such. Use a barrier tubing and then restrict with 3/16" ID tubing. If you use approx. 50-60 ft. of this tubing and about 8 - 10 ft. of 3/16" ID vinyl, increase your pressure up to around 28 PSIG or so until you acquire the flow speed you desire.

At this pressure, any beer tapped overnight will over carbonate and be difficult the next day.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[BrewGuru]

I plan on using this system for parties and picnics. No long term use. 1 day/overnite. I used copper to make the coils. (1/2" o.d. x 50') I'm going to use 1/4" i.d. tubing (flex), and hook it to the coil (approx. 10 ft.) then attach that to the tap. I figured I did not have enough resistance in the line with the copper coils. Hopefully this will restrict the flow enough to get a good pour. I plan on icing down the keg as well. How much CO2 pressure should I run for this sytem. Some guys have told me to hook everything up, then slowlly increase the CO2 pressure (from 0) up until you get a good pour, just enough to make the beer flow slowly. I'm just concerned with making the beer go flat, with not enough pressure. But I also dont want a firehose, when trying to pour my beer either, if I increase CO2 pressure. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Agree that you should ditch the copper, not only will you get off flavors, but your ID is too large for proper pouring, and copper is notorious for foaming due to it's internal non-laminar flow characteristics caused by minor internal corrosion. Basically the same as a scratched up glass, imagine all the nucleation sites internal to the copper causing CO2 to come out of solution, even before the beer gets to the glass, this will cause noting but foam.

Also, the temperature the keg is at will determine the pressure needed, if the keg is at room temp or warmer, you will need to push with significant pressure to maintain the proper carbonation level in the keg. In the event that you DO need to push with a higher than "normal" pressure, when you are done dispensing for the day, lower the pressure on your regulator to the proper PSI (probably 12-20 depending on temp) and vent the pressure on the keg slightly, and then decouple the keg... This all seems like a hassle, but is necessary if you want to take care of the beer.

Also the point about non-pasteurized beer is completely valid, your beer WILL go bad after a short time if you cannot keep it refrigerated, at 40 deg. F no action takes place and is ideal to maintain initial conditions. From 50-55 deg. F is ideal for slow maturation and development of complexity for anything you are looking to age gracefully but changes will occur at these temps.

Good luck!