Thanks!

[Worstof]

Great forum here.

Just got a kegerator for Christmas from my wife. Bought a keg the next day and nothing but foam even after letting everything settle/stabilize for 24 hours.

Read thru this forum....increased my beer line length, adjusted psi to my beer, checked temps at bottom, top of keg, and out of tap. Serious temp imbalance. Built a tower cooler box and put in a circulating fan this morning with parts from around the house and Radio Shack. So, for around $60 I've done everything this forum advises....still glass full of foam but I know I need to wait for a day or so for everything to stabilize.

I'll post back in a day or so with results but feel I'm on the right path to enjoying draft beer with proper head of foam.

Again, thanks for all the good tips.

[KillianBoy]

Worstof,
Welcome, I don't know how far you've read regarding beer line length/ID, tower coolers, fans and temperature. But the only thing off-hand is that tower coolers, fans are not a cure-all for 1st glass foam, tower coolers need to be tuned right, you don't need both a fan AND a tower cooler, one or the other is sufficient. If it were me I would just run fan, 2nd glass (if beer balanced) should be perfect, if not, then something else is wrong.
If you still have problems, next post, beer (and/or v/v of beer), temperature of the 2nd room temperature glass, PSI, length and ID of beer line and are all parts where it is supposed to be (along with brand of kegerator).
Stabilization (or acclimation) shouldn't take more that 24 hours, usually several hours is sufficient. Make sure that thermometer is calibrated. Some beers are way harder to balanced than others, so knowing the exact beer might help us help you. If all consecutive beers are 50% + foam something is irritating beer, either wrong placement of part or bad part.
KB

[Worstof]

KB
Thanks. I still have the same issue this afternoon, but after my beer lines froze yesterday (after I put the fans in), I turned the temp down more than I needed to...glasses of water placed at the bottom and top are reading 46 degrees (bottom) and 42 degrees (top). So I think I need to get my temps back down to the prescribed levels before I start asking the experts for help - pretty sure you would tell me to get my temps down and stablized. Plus I ordered a labortory thermometer yesterday so by Wed I should be able to get very accurate readings to post.

I'll post under a new thread all my specs if getting my temps correct doesn't fix the problem. Don't want to waste your (or other mods) time until I get that corrected. I will go ahead and unhook one of my fans though.
Thanks!

[KillianBoy]

Worstof,
Honestly you are not wasting our time, it is your problem we need to solve, most of us here are glad to help. You just have to provide us with as much information as possible, for us to assess your problem, if you provide all requested information, we probably could solve your problem.
OK, you don't need a $100 thermometer, every thermometer is accurate, a $12 thermometer should be fine as long as you see if there is a difference in temperature when in crushed ice water (noted in the "Read before Posting" thread at top)
Right now all I can say is you won't freeze your lines if water temperature is in the 40's, don't know what type of kegerator you have but if a cold plate-type, beer line may have been too close to cold plate. Also with 1 fan you should have even temperature throughout, could be keg could be making water at top colder, right now the only temperature you should be worried about is the beer temperature.
Please read my newbie thread:

http://www.micromatic.com/forum/us-en/trouble-shooting-and-beer-quality-home/9458-newbie-owners-1st-steps.html

As mentioned in my thread, take things one at a time and don't obsess about air or water temperature. The only temperature you should be concerned about is the beer. You will NEVER get a constant 38 degree temperature in the kegerator, no matter what, the temperature of interior will fluctuate 5-10 degrees. The beer should stay at 38 degrees if coldest and warmest temperature inside is say 35 and 41, you can't get away from this difference (unless you use a ETC set at 1-2 degree differential)
So if you need help just answer questions I asked, also describe the flow of beer as it comes out of faucet. Again if every consecutive glass is foam, either imbalance or something is irritating flow of beer.
KB

[Worstof]

Got it fixed! Drinking my first full glass of beer with half an inch of foam.

Did what you suggested and unhooked one of fans. Still 90% foam but the temps are much better.

Went and looked at my CO2 pressure....had it originally set at 14 as one of the tables I consulted said was right for 2.7 CO2 volumes. Remembered reading on one forum that you really shouldn't have to go that high...so dialed it down to 8. It worked!

Thanks again....all the advice on here helped me understand the science behind this and let me engage in a step-by-step troubleshooting process.

[Worstof]

KB,
Well, spoke too soon.

First beer is about 50% foam and comes out quickly. After about half a glass of foam, it settles into a much slower, 100% beer. Pour out as much foam as I can and then fill the glass up resulting in about 80% beer vs foam.

Left the tower fan on but unplugged the main fan. Beer temp is 39deg in the glass. Do you think I need to let the temps stabilize a few more hours or is the CO2 too low. My specs:

Igloo kegerator
8' feet of 3/16 ID line
Just the tower cooler now
Miller lite keg
8psi to keg

Thanks

[KillianBoy]

Worstof,
If you set at 8 PSI and every consecutive glass has more that 50% foam something is irritating beer, incorrect part in wrong place or put in the wrong way, either a neoprene washer put between shank and faucet (place where beer comes out and tower) or beer check valve.
Also like I said, fan is the best way to see if something is wrong, an poorly working tower cooler can cause more problems than it solves.
KB

[djc]

8 psi is too low for a 2.7 v/v. You need to be around 12, and let it settle in there.

[KillianBoy]

Worstof,
Most definitely 8 is too low, but if every CONSECUTIVE glass is 50% foamy something else is happening. Too low PSI will cause 1st glass foam, second consecutive glass should have less foam, next consecutive glass even less. If every one exactly the same foam, it may not be the PSI setting (especially the settings you mention vs. "beer" temperature).
If you are waiting for the foam to settle then PSI too low will cause the 2nd glass (or re-pour) to be foamy, to be certain what is happening, get a 8-10 ounce room temperature glass and large glass or pitcher, use the small glass, 1st pour, measure how much foam, dump in large glass or pitcher, immediately pour a 2nd glass in the small glass, measure foam, etc. If every glass has 50+% foam, then something is irritating beer or ID of beer line is too big (especially if too fast@8 feet).
KB

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

What brand kegerator are we dealing with too? I'm curious because some of these units come with $hi+ parts that cause many issues right out of the box.

[KillianBoy]

PointPleasantNJBeerguy,
OP said Igloo, if brand new it has the beer check valve, which should be removed, because of poor design, honestly, OP should get a brand new MM coupler.
KB

Worstof,
Just thinking, don't think elevation is problem, but did you splice line? is it beer line or plastic hose from DIY store? Do you see CO2 gaps in line?

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

Ahh missed that.. Probably a crap regulator that's not accurate either..

[Worstof]

Hi and thanks for the help. I bought a 3/16 ID LINE, 8 ft long, and replace stock line (also 3/16 ID). Left everything alone for several days now and same issues. Basically, first pour is foam out of the lines and then it settles into a nice pour with about 3/4 inch of foam at top (which I can regulate by how I pour). I have a homemade tower cooler but not sure it's pushing enough cold air up.

Beer was coming out at around 36 degrees which I know is too cold, right? I lowered the temp in the fridge and it is now at 39 degrees on the nose (measured with a lab thermometer) in the glass. Now, I did lower the psi, this mng, to around 6 psi and I'm getting a little over an inch of foam but concerned that the psi is too low and the beer will go flat sooner.

As a recap I have an igloo kegerator, replaced stock line with 8', miller lite keg, and temp is 39 deg with 6 psi.

Thanks again!

[Worstof]

Another point based on last post about regulator. It is the stock one.

My wife quickly cleaned up after Christmas and could not find manual so I hooked up everything after reading this forum and other websites. Could not find a "release" screw on the regulator so I just assumed (and we know how that goes) that the regulator was "tight" so used my vise grips to adjust the pressure. Bad idea I now know.

So I'm not sure my reg is giving me accurate pressures now esp since dialing it down to 6 psi seems to have helped a lot.

I guess I'm going to have to buy a new reg or if the beer is poring ok do I just leave it alone?

[KillianBoy]

Worstof,
Can you define "which I can regulate by how I pour"?, there basically is only one way to pour, pour beer on side of glass, slowly tilting back to upright, with lever pulled full forward. If beer flow is still solid white and clear beer color in line in kegerator as it flows, something is irritating beer in faucet or shank, if you did clean properly then make sure there isn't a neoprene washer between faucet and shank, there should ONLY be 1 flat washer. You may have to stick a pipe cleaner in the 90 degree down to tower if stock (did you replace shank?).
As my newbie thread says, you have to take it slow, don't go changing several things at the same time, one thing at a time, for sure 6 PSI is too low, 36 degree beer is fine, you just have to adjust PSI to v/v of beer (off hand I think is 2.6).
After checking (and/or cleaning) faucet/shank, you should just run fan, test 8 ounces of beer in room temperature glass, pour, check foam, put in pitcher, pour, check foam, put in pitcher, note if foam gets better or worse. The norm with just a fan, 1st consecutive cup 50+%, 2nd 25+%, 3rd should be fine.
If pour is still white, something is going on in faucet/shank area for sure and not coupler if beer in beer line is clear as it pours.
Just read you latest post, normally you have to loosen a nut to adjust screw with screwdriver, if you manhandled adjustment screw you may have messed up the regulator with vise grips, post picture of the adjustment screw area to see what damage was done or if different type of regulator. Also ditto what is said in next post, pictures will help.
KB