Pure foam from kegerator

[bdgirard]

I have been getting pure foam dispensing from my kegerator. Temp is 38 inside kegerator, and pressure set at 12psi, miller light. Foam was starting as far back as coupler. I took coupler apart and removed the little ball contraption inside and flow is much better but still get about 50% foam in glass as pour is now erratic. I was thinking about just buying a new coupler, but thought I'd check for other suggestions first. All lines have been cleaned thoroughly, beer line is 5ft, and I am not interested in playing with temps and pressure. Not trying to sound like a JKA$$ but everybody always has their personal preferences on that stuff, and I definately have different issue. Way too much foam to be adjusting a few psi, couple degrees temp, or adjusting line by inches. That being said, please help before I chunk the Kegerator.

[Sketch]

Your beer is more than likely too warm causing Co2 breakout. The temp of the unit does not matter, you have to get the temp of the beer itself. To get the beer temp you need a calibrated probe thermometer and a glass.

Pour a glass, drink quickly or dump.
Using the SAME glass, pour a second beer and take the temp of that beer. That is your beer temp, no other temperature matters.

If you don't want to mess with temps and pressure, please realize you will likely never get good pours from your unit. If the system is not properly balanced you might get lucky and get a few days of good pours, but eventually you will end up with super foamy overcarbonated beer or very flat beer.

Miller lite is a 2.6vol beer, 12 psi at 38 degrees is what it needs.
I will assume that if the interior of your fridge is 38, that your beer temp is probably closer to 41 or 42. Until you get your temperature lower you will keep getting foamy glasses at 12psi.

Also realize that occasionally you have to purge the initial shot of foam out of the line. Warm air in a tower, or a warm faucet will cause a pocket of Co2 bubbles that will cause the first second of a pour to be foam. If you pour foam on top of foam you create more and more foam.

Something you can try is take 2 glasses to the faucet. Use the first glass, place under faucet and open the faucet for about a second. Then using the 2nd glass try pouring another beer immediately, if this is your issue your second pour should be normal.

I am betting the former is your issue, but it never hurts to trouble shoot other areas.

[bdgirard]

Sketch, I appreciate your response and will lower the temp, but the one thing that doesn't make sense is that I have pure foam is as far back as the beginning output of the coupler. I am not sure exactly what the purpose of the small ball assembly is in the coupler but removing it decreases the foam by 50%. I have purged more than enough beer through the lines

[KillianBoy]

bdgirard,

I am not interested in playing with temps and pressure. Not trying to sound like a JKA$$ but everybody always has their personal preferences on that stuff, and I definately have different issue.

If your unwilling to take the temperature of the beer, then just "chunk" and stick to cans and bottle, if you want to drink foam free draft beer read on.
Sketch is right, temperature and pressure are related, you can't get away from that, it's NOT JUST "personal preferences" of how we drink beer, it's a science. By not knowing how and when you took the temperature of the inside, I have to make an educated guess, I think your beer is "definately" too warm, depending on type and brand of Kegerator and where your compressor cycle is, the interior needs to be between 28 and 48, again an educated guess that your compressor was probably on when you took the 38 degree temperature which is too warm, after you get temperature of the beer down, check beer line again, if still all white, then something irritating beer in coupler, make sure your hooked up right (gas from side, beer from top), right size line (3/16 and 5 feet may move beer too fast and cause foam). Bunch of other questions, is it a new or used unit, how long the keg was in kegerator, is beer line new or used, etc full description of what you have can help troubleshoot your problem. The little ball usually doesn't cause foam unless dirty, and doesn't slow flow unless foam behind it.
Disagree with Sketch, don't think your problem is faucet or tower (but both of these can cause more foam), if you see foam in beer line then it's somewhere between coupler and keg. After you get actual temperature of the beer and still foamy, either dirty coupler, wrong hook-up or bad keg seal on keg or seal on coupler, the last two cannot be ruled out until you get actual temperature of the beer. If your too frustrated with these answers, you can disconnect coupler from keg and if it leaks beer from keg seal, then bad keg seal and you return and hope the next one is foam free.
KB

[Hophead]

Yup...it's all about temp, pressure and cleanliness of parts and line - especially when it comes to pouring Miller Lite. Miller Lite is the main keg in my system from May to August. Unlike a lot of other beers I've had in there, Miller Lite is definitely one of the toughest to "get right". I find that very small changes in temp and pressure make a big difference in how it pours. I also find that it requires more pressure (about 15 PSI) to not only pour well but to maintain the proper carbonation over the life the keg. Unfortunately, the extra pressure tends to cause it to pour quickly from a 5ft, 3/16" line so adding a couple/three feet seems to be just right.

Bottom line, as others have said, if you're getting foam right at the coupler, the beer is too warm (definitely is if the kegerator temp is 38. I have to keep my interior temp at 32-33 to get 38 degree beer), the pressure is too low (12 psi is too low for Miller lite - minimum 14-15 at 38 degree beer temp) AND there may be something else (beer crud, defect) in the coupler that is impeding smooth beer flow.