BeverageAir BM23/Newcastle temp & foam issues

[mattmc1973]

Hi there, newbie here. I bought a used BM23 and put a keg of Newcastle in. I was getting too much foam, but the beer seemed flat. So I upped the CO2, but kept having foam issues. The previous owner had a 2' copper beer line, and it had a kink in it. Reading this forum, I decided to replace it with a 6' vinyl 1/2" OD beer line. That seemed to help, and I got a good pour. That was yesterday. Today, nothing but foam. Taking the temp of the beer, I can't get it lower than 43-44 degrees. So I know that's not cold enough, though I think Newcastle can be a bit warmer than some other beers and still be good. Having a higher temp, I've increased the CO2 to 18-20 psi. It seems fizzy enough, but still TONS of foam.

Does it all come down to temp when it comes to all the foam? Not sure what else to do...


Oh, and I noticed mark_ksz's advice of turning off the CO2 and running the keg for about 30 seconds. I did that, and eventually it was coming out less foamy and more clear. Then I turned back on the CO2...tons of foam again.

[lunkhead]

Getting rid of the copper line was a must. What is the ID of the beer line, we don't need the OD. Yes the temp is too warm. What is your elevation?

[lunkhead]

Make sure all the fans are working in that BM23 and any coils are clean. That unit should get way colder that. What you want is 38 deg beer (measured with a calibrated thermometer, very important) 5-6ft of 3/16" ID beer safe line, 12 to 14 psi at that temp and beer line.

[BrewGuru]

You need to get the beer under 40 degrees to avoid the foam. Set your pressure down to 7-9 PSI depending on your elevation, and don't mess with it - get your temp under control to fix your foam.

Also, your keg needs to be balanced pressure wise, the method described of running off the pressure and then adding it back serves no practical purpose, and is wrong-thinking.

You want your keg to be under the proper amount of pressure all of the time.

Set your pressure at the proper carbonation level of your beer, get your temp down to control foam, and then adjust line length to control pour speed, in that order.

[BrewGuru]

Make sure all the fans are working in that BM23 and any coils are clean. That unit should get way colder that. What you want is 38 deg beer (measured with a calibrated thermometer, very important) 5-6ft of 3/16" ID beer safe line, 12 to 14 psi at that temp and beer line.

This is excellent advice! Check those fans, especially the evaporator fan (inside the unit).

lunkhead - Newcastle is a 2.2 v/v beer, so at sea-level, 38 deg F, 8 PSIG is required to maintain the proper carbonation level.

[mattmc1973]

Sorry, I mistyped the size the vinyl line I bought. It is 1/4" OD, 3/16" ID. And I'm in suburban Detroit, so sea-level.

[lunkhead]

lunkhead - Newcastle is a 2.2 v/v beer, so at sea-level, 38 deg F, 8 PSIG is required to maintain the proper carbonation level.

Thanks BrewGuru, so with 8 psi mattmc1973 might have to shorten the beer line a little to get good flow.

[mattmc1973]

Make sure all the fans are working in that BM23 and any coils are clean. That unit should get way colder that. What you want is 38 deg beer (measured with a calibrated thermometer, very important) 5-6ft of 3/16" ID beer safe line, 12 to 14 psi at that temp and beer line.

Alright, I only see one fan. There's a black fan next to the thermostat dial, and it's spinning fine. I unscrewed the panel and looked at the coils, you could eat off them they're so clean. So could the refrigerant be the culprit?

Oh wait, I found a diagram online, the compressor and refrigerant are in the back, and you have to remove the bottom panel, right?

[bard]

For a good cleaning you will need to remove the cover (remove two bolts underneath, loosen two screws up top), but you could probably blow it out with compressed air or suck it out with a shop vac just fine. You should be able to see the condenser coils peeking through the left side (left side if the door is facing you). Remember the beer could taste flat if it's over carbonated too. Once it hits the glass, the CO2 breaks out due to excessive foam and the end result is flat tasting beer.

[mattmc1973]

Alright, I took off the rear panel. The fan is blowing fine. I unscrewed the condenser coil and pulled it out, and hit it with the brush attachment from our Dyson vacuum. Looks pretty clean now, and put everything back together. Like I said in a previous post, the fan and everything seems to be OK inside the kegerator.

So I plugged it back in and will let it run until tomorrow, and see what happens. If it's colder, great. If not, I guess my only option would be to call a tech out and look at it. Thermostat or coolant issue, probably?

[mattmc1973]

I took the beer temp this morning, and it was 47 degrees. So nothing worked. The fans work, the coils are clean.

Before I call a tech to look at the coolant, is it worth replacing the thermostat first? It's a cheaper fix, I'm sure, and maybe worth a try?

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

If your temp isnt getting cold enough I would think you might need to recharge the refrigerant.A cheaper up front fix before bringing a refrigeration guy you might consider replacing the thermostat.

[mattmc1973]

I ordered a replacement thermostat today, for only $16.89 + s/h. So definitely worth trying.

[bard]

Unscrewed the condenser coil??? Isn't it connected to the system via sweat fitted copper lines?

On another note, is the compressor cycling/running? Of course it will be hard to tell a noise level difference if it never shuts off, but it should be hot if it never shuts off. If the unit cycles but doesn't get cold enough it could be cabinet seals (door, lid, tower) or thermostat. When you go to replace the thermostat, I would remove the top of the unit and go at it from above. I've been at it both ways and this is much easier.

[mattmc1973]

Yeah, by removing the 2 screws from underneath that hold it to the floor of the unit, I was able to pull the coil out far enough to clean it with the vacuum attachment. It was too tight of a fit to clean it otherwise.

I do hear the compressor kicking on and off, not sure how long it cycles for...