10' lines = no more foam!

[Redweasel]

Switched my dispensing lines out for 10 footers and all foam problems are gone! Sure it pours a little slower but I still get good head and don't waste a drop of that special special beer.

[Ó Flannagáin]

Yea, I sohuld probably move up to 10 footers.. I've managed to get my pressure with a 5 footer to work most of the time though.

[Ronthered]

wow, is that the solution? I have probably about a 5 footer from keg to tap. and some times i get foam galore. I guess somewhere out there in wonder land there is a formula to figure out what pressure to serve at for any length of line. Ask the Wop about that one. I usually have to do the two puller. A one to two second pull of foam. them stop.... and then pull the tap again for a mostly foam free fill. such a pain in the ass. What pressure are most of you guys ( gales ) serving at? I try to be around 8 psi

[DrunkenSatyr]

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=266 (http://www.homebrewchatter.com/home2/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=266)

Try that...never had a prob if I use that simple math.

[Ó Flannagáin]

I release all the pressure from the keg after it's carbed in then I put it on at 8psi to serve. Works great for me.

[Redweasel]

I thought about balancing my system as per the link Satyr posted but then I got to thinking about different carb levels for different styles and decided I could live with a slower pour. Now if I want to change my pressure I don't have to worry about changing the length of my beer line every time.

[DrunkenSatyr]

Yeah, I just am not as picky about diff. carb levels. I shoot for an acceptable middle ground for the beers I brew.

[MrMarbleHead]

Liquid flow pressure reducer
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6840281.html

So I have been searching around trying to find the thing that a buddy uses on his beer lines to reduce the beer pressure at the tap (by increasing the hydrolic resistance in the beer line) I can't seem to find it on the internet other than the link above which isn't a very good picture of it.

Basicallly if you have ever seen the little gadgets for mixing two part epoxy together (exactly what he used) that is what it is. You put this little gadget in line with your beer out from the keg, and depending on the length of it, it will reduce your beer out pressure (AT THE TAP), so you can set your regulator (just examples not real numbers) to say 20psi and your beer will come out of the tap at a slow 5psi. And no foaming, I never really lookied into it because i haven't had a problem with my system yet and i don't have anyplans on changing any of it any time soon.

Like i said i am not sure of the numbers, I will have to get a hold of him and find out. But there isn't really a need to ballance your system and you can server beer at different pressures, by varying the lengths of the flow reducer (thats what we'll start calling it).

If anyone out there has seen/uses/heard of these please post a link. I think that one of the big online stores carries/used to carry them.

From what he told me you can pick up the parts at a hardware store a lot cheaper.

[MrMarbleHead]

I found it! It's called a Static Mixer. I googled "Static epoxy mixer" and I came up with a ton of hits. Found some pretty cool stainless ones all the way down to your run of the mill plastic ones.

This is what the guts of it look like:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a2/StaticMixerSwirlyClose.jpg/800px-StaticMixerSwirlyClose.jpg

Here is one like he used, just cut the ends off, and if you can find the ones that are the same diameter as your beer lines, no adaptors are needed:
http://www.homebrewchatter.com/home2/galleries/137/800px-staticmixers.jpg

I will still talk to him and find out how he figured out what pressures to use with it. The biggest advantage that I see is you don't have to worry about having your pressure set too high, this will automatically regulate it down.

[DrunkenSatyr]

Correct me if I am wrong, but that will not effect your carb level, just your flow rate. It may pour at 5 psi but it will still have a higher volume of saturated Co2 in the beer thus leaving your beer over carbed.

[Ó Flannagáin]

Looks like a long, skinny condom.

[MrMarbleHead]

Correct me if I am wrong, but that will not effect your carb level, just your flow rate. It may pour at 5 psi but it will still have a higher volume of saturated Co2 in the beer thus leaving your beer over carbed.

Correct, if your beer is foaming because it is over carbed.

If your beer is foaming because the system is out of whack then this will help balance it. Like i said i am not too sure of all the particulars of it, i will have to check with my friend. I know he uses them and has no issues with any of the 6 taps on his chest feezer. I will call him later tonight and try to get the details, and see where he got his info from. Once i get some more insight on these things i will post up in the equip section a how to and why they work type thing.

[MrMarbleHead]

Looks like a long, skinny condom.

Well you have to remember to practice safe drinking. :P