New Kegerator foamy beer

[acfixerdude]

Displaying a kegerator at my appliance store and what best way to do that than to give away free beer to browsing customers?

Anyways, I know I haven't given it enough time to acclimate but I would figure that since there is no foam in the beer line that I'd at least get some liquid into the cup... wrong apparently. Cold keg into cold kegerator and still working out the pressures. Its Keystone light, Coors was $30 more and it didn't seem worth the extra cost.

So I've read that 10 psi will leave me with flat beer, but beer seems to be coming out too fast anyways at that pressure. This is a brand new Danby kegerator which seems to have a pretty short beer line. Is the proper fix to get a much longer beer line to slow down the pour?

Thanks!

[djc]

Longer line and a tower cooler.

[acfixerdude]

Longer line and a tower cooler.

Will the tower cooler only help on the first couple pours? I'm just getting foam. Tried many different pressures and the lower the better, but I know it won't keep.

Do kegerator manufacturers just expect customers to use low pressure and kill a keg in a couple days or do they expect that customers know they'll have to modify the design to make it work properly? If I was a customer, not knowing the hassle ahead of time would push me off. Good thing I'm going through this now so i can properly inform customers.

Is there a beer that will balance and pour decently from a stock kegerator?

[djc]

Low end kegerator manufacturers throw a bunch of parts onto what is essentially a dorm fridge. Real kegerators cost 3-4x what these units cost, and with that you get a proper tower cooler and a top notch refrigeration system. The stuff that follows about balancing beer is unavoidable regardless of the unit you are using. I give you credit for trying one out before selling them, because all the issues you are having your customers will have, and I bet a few will be pissed off. To properly balance the beer you need to work three parts of an equation - beer temperature, volumes of CO2 the beer was packaged at, and the correct applied pressure which is determined using the first two items and a force carbonation chart. All beers will act the same, and you need to get a hold of these variables to properly balance the beer. A tower cooler will stop first beer foam. Longer lines will slow the flow of properly balanced beer, it will not correct an unbalanced situation. First step - get your beer temp using a calibrated thermometer. Pull a beer into a room temp glass, immediately dump or chug and pull a second beer - take the temp of that beer without touching the sides. If it is all foam, take the temp of the liquid that settles out and that will be the starting point. For Keystone let's use 2.6 for the volumes of CO2. Using the temp and 2.6, refer to a force carbonation chart for your applied pressure.

[acfixerdude]

Installed a 10' beer line tonight, what a pain in the ***... they had their own special crimps that had to be forced off. Seems like it's doing a lot better, but still about 60-70% foam after multiple pours. Will let settle overnight and see how it does tomorrow. I'm thinking I might need an even longer beer line.

[djc]

You need to know your beer temp and apply the correct pressure. There is no need to go longer.

[acfixerdude]

https://youtu.be/8hBJGENHXao

Here is a video of beer pours from the kegerator after the 10ft beer line install. I'll copy the description of it (basically a post here in itself) below:

I have the temp of the beer (Keystone Light) at 37-39 degrees as measured in beer after first pour. Have it set at 13psi for balancing. 10ft beer line. Consistantly foamy even after first couple pours (need to get a tower cooler). Keg had a severe drop in psi at one point and went flat and have had it at 16-18psi for a few days and dropped it down to where it's at now, so it has recarbonated a bit, but not totally. What is the next step to reduce foam after first pour?

This is the first pour I've done in this large glass, all others have been styrofoam or the plastic cups in the video.

This kegerator is used for customers who want a refreshing beer while shopping for a new appliance, so I need the foam issue to go away otherwise a lot of waste. I probably need to get larger plastic cups or dedicated glasses (I really don't want to be washing glasses nor should a customer be carrying a pint glass around (or should they? Maybe I'm being too cheap? Lol)

I think I'm going to jump up the co2 pressure high as it can go (what's the max on a keg?) to help recarbonate quicker.

[djc]

Carbonation isn't your issue, have you seen the foam you are pouring? Are you opening the faucet all the way? The beer seems to have a bit of flopping around coming out, and with 10' lines and a presumably accurate regulator at 13, it should be a nice gentle round stream. What does the beer line inside look like - is it foamy in the line or is it solid beer? I'd also look for imperfections in the faucet and shank - a small burr or nicked edge can be enough to throw off the flow. I've had that happen to me with brand new parts. Also check that the line going into the shank isn't kinked where it turns to go down the tower.

[Vernesin]

The right temperature for your beer could do the trick. While giving free taste to your customers could also benefit you, the right approach with your kegerator is important too. Good luck to your business.

[FLraider]

Low end kegerator manufacturers throw a bunch of parts onto what is essentially a dorm fridge. Real kegerators cost 3-4x what these units cost, and with that you get a proper tower cooler and a top notch refrigeration system. The stuff that follows about balancing beer is unavoidable regardless of the unit you are using. I give you credit for trying one out before selling them, because all the issues you are having your customers will have, and I bet a few will be pissed off. To properly balance the beer you need to work three parts of an equation - beer temperature, volumes of CO2 the beer was packaged at, and the correct applied pressure which is determined using the first two items and a force carbonation chart. All beers will act the same, and you need to get a hold of these variables to properly balance the beer. A tower cooler will stop first beer foam. Longer lines will slow the flow of properly balanced beer, it will not correct an unbalanced situation. First step - get your beer temp using a calibrated thermometer. Pull a beer into a room temp glass, immediately dump or chug and pull a second beer - take the temp of that beer without touching the sides. If it is all foam, take the temp of the liquid that settles out and that will be the starting point. For Keystone let's use 2.6 for the volumes of CO2. Using the temp and 2.6, refer to a force carbonation chart for your applied pressure.

Some good info, but... As you state, you need a balanced system - although temp, volumes of CO2 and regulator pressure are not the most critical drivers. I regularly dispense Belgian Quads at up to 3.5 volumes of CO2 at 50 to 52 F with no foaming problems - so you can definitely get a perfect pour over a wide range of temps and pressures.

Kegerator temp is usually a matter of preference. Given that, you would normally set your regulator pressure to maintain the desired carbonation for the beer style (or even your tastes). Regardless of the temp and pressure you select, the dissolved volumes of CO2 will equalize (to your temp & pressure) within a few days (maybe a week or so max).

The most important factor for minimizing foaming is delta pressure and velocity of the beer as it travels. Obviously, a delta temp will affect this (which is why you want a chilled tower), but so will line length, and changes in diameter and restrictions (i.e. valves, connectors, tail pieces, hoses, dip tubes, etc). In theory, you can start with just about any reasonable pressure and/or temperature in the keg and get to ambient at the tap opening with minimal foam, IF you keep the transition smooth and the rate of change controlled.

Nothing in a "real" kegerator's compressor, condenser, or evaporator will make any difference to beer dispensing. Yes, a tower cooler will help (prevents expansion due to delta temp), but if you are paying $100 to $500 more to get a tower cooler, you paid about $90 to $490 too much for that chiller. ;-)