Balancing keg lines

[Tankard]

Yeah, I factored in the height above my keg.

I think I may have screwed up the carbonation level. For this beer, I wanted about 2.4 volumes of CO2 at 39 degrees. Using a few online calculators, it says I need 10.2 PSI. I carbed this thing at 12-13 PSI, and I balanced my system at the 12 PSI level. I'm not sure if this has any effect.

I think I'll order a 10 foot line with my next order, just to try it out. It's going to suck removing the existing line though, it was a tight fit.

[Redweasel]

Like some of the others said I replaced my lines with ten foot sections. No foam issues at all. Beer does pour a bit slower but that's not a big issue for me. It actually makes filling bottles easier.

[DrunkenSatyr]

Also, regulators are notoriously inaccurate

[Tankard]

I was watching the inside of my keezer today while I was pouring a pint. It looks like an air bubble forms right above the beer out disconnect right after I turn off the faucet. The beer line starts gathering foam right near the end of the shank when the faucet is turned off. Then, when I open the faucet, that foam comes out first, followed by clear beer, and then another little amount of foam follows until it finally goes clear for good.

[Peteoz77]

Overcarbed

[mr x]

Serving pressure is too low for the pressure the beer is carbed at. That doesn't necessarily mean the beer is overcarbed, it's just out of balance.

[Peteoz77]

He was serving at 4-15PSI, if it's out of balance at all of those pressures, it's overcarbed,

[mr x]

It's not overcarbed if you're target for CO2 volume puts you at 13 psi for carbing, and then you try to serve it at 4 psi. That's not overcarbed, it's unbalanced, and it will guarantee to blow foam.

[Tankard]

I got the PSI at about 8 right now, and it pours well with the exception of the very first pour. It runs clear for a brief second, then spits out an inch and a half of foam, and then the rest goes clear. Even after I turn the faucet off, and let it set for a while, it pours great when I go for another pint. I tried putting the regulator at 10, and it still pours decent, but it's better at 8 or 9.

I looked inside the keezer and I notice that I am getting tiny bubbles near the end of the shank. They are forming in the beer line itself. I moved my beer line around in the keezer the other day because I noticed that there was a spot in the line where the beer wouldn't rest while the faucet was closed, almost like a big air pocket. That seems to have gone away, but I am still getting these bubbles near the shank. Any theories on why these are forming there?

[mr x]

If gas is coming out of solution, then the serving pressure is too low for your carbonation target. In other words, if you want the bubbles to go away, you will need to increase the serving pressure, or lower your CO2 volume for your keg. You may not be able to get rid of a slight nit of bubbling if it's coming out of the shank, because that is probably a bit warmer than the rest of the system.