BM23 - Foamy pours after short wait

[Brodie]

This problem has happened over multiple kegs but currently I have on Bell's Two Hearted at 37F (2nd glass temp.) & 11PSI. The first pour of the day is obviously foamy. After pouring off the initial foam or letting it settle, the subsequent pour is perfect for as long as I'm pouring glasses. After a short wait, just 15-30 minutes, when going back for another glass I'll get the same foamy first pour. Any thoughts? Is this normal?

--Cheers
--Brodie

[blackls1ttop]

seems there is air in the beer line, also how long is the beer line? i would try the flashlight test, keep raising psi slowly until no bubbles start rising. If you do not have a tower cooler having that initial shot of foam is normal, but it depends on the carbonation level of the beer on how much foam you will get.

[KillianBoy]

Brodie,
BM-23 has built-in tower cooler, is it hooked up, if it is, is it working properly, is there enough insulation in tower?, it sounds like typical non-cooled tower problem, but as blackls1ttop says it might be an un-balanced system but I'd look into your tower cooler first.
KB

[Brodie]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I replaced the original tower with a 2 tap ******* 525ss tower bought from Beverage *******. The insulation is a little thinner than the original tower, if I remember correctly. So I might try adding more insulation. I don't have any bubbles in the line and I'm pretty certain the tower cooler is working correctly. So, I guess I'll try some more insulation and see if that fixes things.

--Cheers
--Brodie

[FCSquid]

Unfortunately, the issue probably has more to do with the 525SS's than anything else.

The air in the line (assuming the beer in the barrel is the correct temp and pressure) is probably a function of warmer beer lines compared to the barrel. The 525SS faucets only exacerbate the problem of gas breaking out of the beer. Since this type of faucet generally has a more turbulent flow when opened, gas breaking out of solution leads to really foamy pours as compared to standard faucets.

I think there's a misconception out there that the faucet can be causing the air in the lines, but nothing could be further from the truth. When the faucet's closed, it's a closed, static system. It doesn't matter what kind of hardware is sitting at the end of the beer line.

In order to get on top of the issue, you'll either need to fix the temp problem in the beer lines (either through insulation or tower cooling), or *shudder* retire the 525SS's and used standard faucets that don't magnify the cooling problem quite as dramatically.

[pvs6]

I would have agreed until I got one for free and tried it. If you ever gone rafting in rapids you know the white water is caused by large rocks in the path. The Large ball in the shut off works the same way.
Call it white beer instead of white water. Hell of a disruption in flow. To further add insult to that you have a quarter gigger of beer sitting out side your tower in warm air. Blow all the kiss of cold air up your tower you want but you will never melt that hot one outside. There's no way to get to her. Yea their smooth, yea their cool looking and yea they have no air vents. Wait what they have no air vents? So you could put a blanket on that outside girl and she would come around right? (see Pict) Nope still more foam than the old reg. faucet. when this on kicks In might go old school.

[KillianBoy]

FCSquid said

Since this type of faucet generally has a more turbulent flow when opened, gas breaking out of solution leads to really foamy pours as compared to standard faucets

I'd agree it's the faucet if every glass was foamy but Brodie said initial glass foamy, subsequent glasses fine, wait a bit then foamy. Sounds like temperature problems to me.

Brodie,
Information regarding amount and type of taps should have been mentioned in 1st post, OK, so are you currently pouring 2 beers, is the non-Bells Two Hearted pouring fine? Is it ONLY the Bell's? Was the original tower a 2 tap? I'm not sure the 2 tap tower on BM-23 is any different from 1 tap, but the blower hose should be blowing on BOTH shanks, if it blowing only on 1 you might have temperature problems with the one NOT being cooled. From posts in forum blower hose hooks right on shank, with 2 tap you may have to Y-split hose.
KB

[FCSquid]

I'd agree it's the faucet if every glass was foamy but Brodie said initial glass foamy, subsequent glasses fine, wait a bit then foamy. Sounds like temperature problems to me.

I have a similar problem with my fridge using a 575SS faucet. The first pour definitely has an issue with temperature, the p-e-r-l-i-c-k-s just make the temperature problem more pronounced. 2nd pour is rock-solid, since the beer in the lines is sitting at a comfortable 38 deg F, and the gas is in solution.

Wait 5 or 10 min, and the beer in the line warms up a bit, breaks out of solution, problem reemerges. Nothing has changed in the fridge, it's just that standard faucets mask the problem a little better than the turbulent p-e-r-l-i-c-k-s do.

Easy fix would be to put the standard faucets back on there and live with it, but I'm a stubborn S.O.B, and dammit the smoothness of the 575SS would be really hard to sacrifice. So, after this weekend's defrost, I'll be mounting my 120mm circ fans (with a rheostat controller) to try to get the temp uniform throughout the box, and get perfect pours every time.

[blackls1ttop]

thats why i always leave a extra cup next to the faucet and pour the foam in there then chug it after the foam settles.

[Eastwood]

I have the same type of issue. Same faucet, different kegerator- a Danby Chill and Tap. Liquid Temperature is 38, beer in glass by the 2nd pour method is 38. Installed a pre-made tower cooler, which seemed to have no influence on the problem. I have also alternated CO2 pressure according to various carbonation threads, which also did not diminish the problem. Other than trying a different faucet, does anyone have any solutions or suggestions? Thank you for your input.

[flani3]

Broadie,
I have 425's which are very similar. I've had problems with foam but when everything's balanced it's not the faucet. Be mindful to quickly open them FULLY if not fully open per*ick shoots foam like a mofo.

[xscash]

i dont own a per..lick but, it sounds like they have a great biz....shoots foam but everyone will deal with it... i guess with the right name you could sell a styrofoam fridge for a couple of thousand that doesnt get below 45 and cash in on people "trying" to make them work. why not just use what works.

[KillianBoy]

flani3,
Exactly right, if everything is done properly then you should be fine, as in resource section:

Place the glass at a 45° angle, one inch below the faucet. Do not let the glass touch the faucet. Open the faucet completely in one swift motion.

DON'T TRY AND CONTROL FLOW BY GOING HALFWAY.
But I disagree about the difference faucets, it just might be the faucet, I myself don't own a forward sealing faucet but have read enough in the forum to know that these faucets flow faster then regular faucets, if too fast then you might have problems. Most members have solved this by using longer line. And also by reading I learned that most people have switched because the forward sealing type has less tendency of sticking. So if your faucet doesn't stick don't change. If your changing faucets because of a name or looks instead of function then you shouldn't own a kegerator, sorry to be harsh but it should be about just the beer and only the beer.
KB

[djc]

I think I've finally tamed my 525's with 10' of beer line.

[Mirko_S]

Slowing down the pour to the point just before the flow starts to cup has worked for me. I have forward sealing faucets and a remote draw with about 4' of line that is not cooled. The first pour after it sits a long time shoots out for the first little bit but with proper glass tilt and quick snap of the handle I only get an inch of foam. I have to manipulate subsequent pours in order to put a little bit of head on the beer which is not a big deal to me. I also keep my beer cold at 34 degrees and psi at 9.5 to 10 for most ales.