I have read on a few sites that sell beer hookups for kegs that longer lines are better to reduce foam in your glass. True? If true, what is the optimum length to keep foam at a minimum?
It is true that the proper length beer lines are key to a good pour. Here’s a link to an article that further explains it: Keg Line Length Balancing – The Science of Draft Beer – BeerSmith™ Home Brewing Blog
Here’s another article as well: A Balancing Act: How to Balance Your Home Draft System - American Homebrewers Association
The BA’s manual.
It’s easy to over do it. Too long = inadequate foam, slow pours, and too much carbonation still in solution. You should end up with two fingers of foam.
Right now I am getting 2 fingers of beer… LOL
You need some flow control.
My current system is 3 ea 3 gallon corny kegs. One is about 1/2 full now. I put it outside when I get home to chill down, and bring inside before it freezes. I may have overcarbed it as well. I actually am more interested in carbonation than foam, so if a long line give less foam, but more dissolved carbonation that might be what I’m after.
You have lots of good reading material— so I’m sure you’ve read about carbonation level & temp & and beerline diameter and height of taps, etc. To share my experience… I have a keezer with faucets in the collar and 2.5 g kegs and 3/16” line. Temp is 38* … regulator at 11psi… line is 10 ft and pour is very good. ymmv. Best—
I always had my system “balanced” according to all the numbers in the DBQM. But the flow was still too fast. Just installed Intertap flow control faucet, pulled first glass. There will be a learning curve getting it set just right but I can see this is a great solution!
Moving and shaking the keg on a daily basis is not going to help. That could be your main problem.
I assume you’re using a cobra tap as opposed to an actual draft system? Otherwise there’d be no reason to touch the keg at all once it’s hooked up.
I’ll be more gentle. :) Don’t have a kegerator, nor refrigerator to hold it. Outside is nice and cold, but living room where keg sits while I get a brewski is about 72 F. Don’t mind a cool beer. Yes, I have a picnic tap, aka cobra tap and I may have overcarbed it to begin with. I’ll be careful, but really I rarely jostles the beer much in moving from just outside the door to the living room.
Keeping the gas pressure constant, at least while serving (keep the line attached), will help, if you haven’t been doing that. Whenever the head pressure in the keg drops, gas will break out, just like opening a bottle.
EDIT Rising temperature will cause gas breakout too. Could you, when you bring the keg inside, set it in a Styrofoam cooler, usually sold for cheap wherever ice is sold?
That seemed to work well, keep the pressure the same. Also I put the 3 gallon keg into the same carbdoard box it came in and that sits inside another cardboard box that is jut a little bigger than it. 2 fingers of foam, plenty of carb.
Got in some hose today but going to send it back. 3/16 ID - 7/16 OD for one, and the other is 3/16 - 5/15 OD. I did not picture how small that hole is. I’m going to 1/4 ID - 3/8 OD hose and about 10 foot length. MUCH easier to get fitting into the hose and my crimp clamps to work with something of that size. Oetiker clamps I think they are called.
Glad you’re seeing improvement. Remember that the amount of gas than can be in solution is a triangular equilibrium: mass of gas, temperature, and head pressure. So changing any one of these will automatically cause the others to adjust. If temperature rises or pressure decreases, gas will break out. So just aim for the steadiest conditions you can. Once thrown out of equilibrium, the system takes time to settle in again.
I also use 3/16” line and leave my fridge at 38*. My line is 8’ for 3 kegs that are connected by manifold and I adjust psi semi often depending what I have going. When I start getting a lot of foam I either turn the psi off, or sometimes I depressurize and leave the psi from 8-14. That usually happens after the keg has been sitting at 20-30 for a few days though.
Just an update: love the Intertap flow control, can’t recommend it enough.
You can always just pour into a small pitcher (you don’t have to fill it, of course). That is what I do when I have groups over and the beer is draining out quickly and a bit foamy.