Beer That Doesn't Foam??

[NoFoam]

Douglvsbeer posted a reply in a previous thread saying that Blue Moon has a tendency to foam a lot compared with other beers...

I'd like to know what kind of, or types of beers people have had a lot of SUCCESS with not foaming, or having little foam anyway? Is there such a thing?

How does Heineken Light do? Anyone had this?

[psychodad]

I've had success with every type of beer I've put in my kegerator not foaming. The key to not having excessive foam is proper temperature and pressure to maintain the correct levels of carbonation, the correct diameter and length of beer line and keeping the faucet, coupler and line clean.

[NoFoam]

You're one lucky psychodad...I've got my keg at the right temp (36-38 liquid temp) and the right pressure (13psi, at 6500 feet) and I still get a lot of foam, as do the majority of people on this forum...

Do you have a commercial kegerator, or a cheap one?

[hobster]

13 psi at 6500?

Seems low from what I've read around here. Could that be it?

[psychodad]

Do you have a commercial kegerator, or a cheap one?

Danby. And they ain't know for their stellar quality.

It looks like your temperature and pressure aren't out of line, maybe a tad bit low but not terrible. Now start crossing things off the list.

How much beer line do you have? What diameter? Is it beer line or Home Depot tubing? Are you following proper pouring procedures? Do you have a tower that is uncooled. Can you see co2 bubles in the beer line between pours?

Just remember, it is important to establish the temperature and pressure and once they are correct, don't change them to correct problems.

[cubby_swans]

I notice a lot more problems out of lighter bodied beers. I think they need to be set precisely to get rid of problems. Every beer CAN be poured properly as long as you get the temperature and pressure set properly.

[lunkhead]

13 psi at 6500?

Seems low from what I've read around here. Could that be it?

I would agree with this and to what psychodad said in post #2. Otherwise you could try a cask conditioned beer or ale. Had some on a vacation trip last summer in AZ. Was served right out of the cask, mounted on the bar, at room temp with almost zero carbonation = no foam. Was pretty good for warm flat beer.

[BrewGuru]

At that elevation, 13 PSIG is far to low to keep any domestic macro lager properly carbonated and would certainly cause foam problems with a great many beers.

Your current pressure is enough to maintain and properly dispense a 2.2 v/v beer like Newcastle. If you were to dispense something Coors Light, a 2.6 v/v product, you would need to set your pressure between 16 and 17 PSIG, and for home dispensing, use a 6' length of 3/16" ID Beer Line.

Check your line for bubbles forming, demonstrating that your pressure is too low and the CO2 is breaking out in the line, causing a foamy pour. Depending on the age of your keg, your beer could have degassed enough that this is not happening with your current keg, but watch closely on your next keg...bubbles in the line will result in a foamy pour every time. Also, ensure that your tower (if present) is properly cooled (that you have a consistent temp from keg to faucet).

[NoFoam]

BrewGuRu

I've got great temp, about 34 in the fridge and 38 with a pour...I do have a cpu fan and tube cooling the tower, works great!

If I do go to a longer beer tube, say 6', is it perfectly fine that it will be coiled up on top of the keg inside? No kinks, just coiled up due to the length of tube and not a long way to go to the faucet.

I'll up the pressure a bit, thanks

[BrewGuru]

Yes, as long as there are no hard bends, coiled on top of the keg is fine.

If you do go to change out the line, and you mostly pour light lagers, I would recommend a 7' length of proper 3/16" beer line. This will cause a slightly slower pour speed, but most home users (especially at higher elevation) seem to prefer the slightly slower pour afforded by using a little bit longer line.

Also, what was said about using proper beer line is a must, and ONLY 3/16" ID will do - 1/4" is WAY too big (would require 21.5' to provide enough restriction) - you can probably buy locally if you have a homebrew type store in your area, or you can order directly from this website if you don't have local access to proper beer line.

[Scott Zuhse]

What is your location? Coors Light and Blue Moon are 2.75 v/v beers. If your beer temperature is 38 F in the keg, your PSIG should be closer to 19 for these beers. Eight to nine feet of 3/16" ID would suffice.

Light beers tend to be somewhat finicky due to their lighter body. Less apt to keep the CO2 in solution. This is why a few breweries drill their shanks to 1/4" and refuse to use hardware less than 1/4" inside diameter.

Blue Moon being a hefeweizen and with most other beers of this style, they have a tendency to gain carbonation through their shelf life. Similar to refermented beers.

Technicians who service these type products are adamant about knowing carbonation levels, exact beer temperature and assuring that it is consistent 24/7 from the keg to the faucet.

[NoFoam]

I could care less how long (slow) it takes to get out of the faucet via a long line if it means less foam.

Seems like at pressures between 16-19 the beer is going to whiz out the faucet, but I suppose the longer line helps to balance that? With it currently set at 13-14 it comes out pretty good. Is this all about line length?

Thanks for all the advice!

[NoFoam]

Help

BrewGuru and Scott,

Now I am a little confused...

I like each of your advice in that I should increase pressure a bit and increase the line length, but keep 3/16" line.

When I went to order longer vinyl line through this website, it states...

"This size hose (3/16") is not appropriate for use in lengths longer then 5' as a higher then normal keg pressure would be required to dispense the beer and this would result in over carbonated (foamy) beer."

So, if I am to increase the length to 7', or 9' as suggested, what diameter do I go with? Will 16-19psi over carbonate the beer?

Scott, to answer your question, I am in Colorado Springs, 6500ft.

Thanks

[hobster]

Not to jump ahead of Scott and Brew-Gu I read the same thing about the lines not being meant for over 5'. I have been using about 7-8 feet on all types of beer with no problems other than slower pour rates, which is good since I'm not filling pitchers or anything.

The pressure thing freaked me out too when I first started, why are all these guys telling me to up the pressure when it's already foamy? But it works.

Bump it up as they say and it should smooth out. If you overcarbonate the keg it isn't that hard to undo it. Search for it...you'll see.

[dbowdit16]

I wanted to include my experience to the discussion. I'm in Denver (5280') and regularly pour Coors Light. My temp is 36 deg out of the faucet and 17.5 psi on the reg with 9' of 3/16" line. I was getting almost good pours, but still a little too much waste (maybe a gallon or so over the life of a 1/2 barrel). I switched out my 3/16" ID shank to a 1/4" ID shank and have since seen perfect pours, virtually zero waste.