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Why only 2nd pour temps?

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  • Why only 2nd pour temps?

    On the table for discussion:

    Every one wants to know the 2nd pour temp. because it gives a fairly close temp. reading of the beer within the unit / keg with in a few 10ths of a degree. Understandable. But Why isn't the first pour equally important and why is it rarely asked for compared to the 2nd. pour? The 2nd pour is keg temp. The first pour is outside the keg temp. ie. beer line and tower if installed and tap itself. Wouldn't knowing both temps. aid in narrowing down the cause of foam? Personally I've found that more than a degree or two difference between 1st. & 2nd pour temp. (ie. keg and Beer line Temp.) resulted in foam. At which point tower cooling was a must. Sometime tower cooling was enough but sometimes added box circulation was needed too in an addition.
    You can't measure foam temp. because it gives you a skewed reading but the little amount of beer under that should be accurate within a few 10ths. of degree too if measured quickly before the vessel has a chance to wick the temp away. Before I got my unit dialed in and was having 1st. pour foam, I'd get a about half and half foam and beer. The foam Lasted about 1 or 2 seconds. At 5 feet of beer line around 8 oz in the line that time came in about right as pure outside keg beer temp. We've all held in our hands at one time of the other a "SOLO" brand white foam insulated 8 oz. coffee cup. Beer lines 8 oz and coffee cup is 8 too so I'd pour it to the top unless beer got clear first and I'd shut it off at the transition from foam to beer if it happen first or just fill the top to foam if not. I cover it with a book right after because the was the closest best insulator I had at hand and when the foam went down about a minute I would measure it for temp. and factor in a 1/2 degree for the minute slight warm time. This I think gives a pretty good clue as to the beer line temp.

    So I put it to you on the floor for discussion

  • #2
    Originally posted by pvs6 View Post
    Every one wants to know the 2nd pour temp. because it gives a fairly close temp. reading of the beer within the unit / keg with in a few 10ths of a degree.
    This temperature of the beer is needed to know what pressure to set the regulator at to maintain the correct carbonation. Using the second pour not only takes the little bit of warm beer in the line out of the mix, but it gets the glass being used to measure the beer cooler so it isn't throwing readings off.

    Knowing the temperature of the little bit of beer in the line isn't important because if the tower is not cooled, it is safe to assume that it is warmer and that a tower cooler is going to help on the first pour issue.
    Malt is the soul of beer... and yeast gives it life..
    but the kiss of the hop is the vitality of that life!

    My three favorite beers: The one I just had, the one I'm drinking now and the next one I'll have.

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    • #3
      I don't think you have 8 oz of beer in 5 feet of 3/16" line. Out of curiosity once while cleaning, I measured how much was in my 8 ft of line and it was a little under 2 ounces. So, the first pour is going to be a mix of considerably more keg temp beer than line temp beer.

      Edit:

      Okay, you made me get out the calculator.

      Here's what I got:

      Volume of 3/16" Beer Line: PI*R^2 x Length = 0.0276 cu in per inch of line

      So, for 5 ft (60 inches) of line, Vol = 0.0276 x 60 = 1.66 cu in

      1 cu in = 0.554 fl oz

      1.66 cu in = approx. 0.92 fl oz

      So, 5 ft of 3/16" beer line only holds about an ounce of beer (if I didn't hose up the math! )
      Last edited by TomK; 10-22-2009, 09:35 AM.

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      • #4
        I have about 1.6 oz of fluid in my 6ft beer line when I clean it. The reason for checking beer temp on the second pour is to cool the glass, otherwise the warmer glass will warm up the beer a little. Or put the glass in the keger for about an hour to chill it.

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