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Author Topic: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.  (Read 10177 times)

vorlaufthegreat

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Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« on: March 26, 2011, 10:26:52 pm »
Just kegged our first batch of beer on Thursday of this week. It was an oatmeal stout, we set to 35psi and shook for a bit then turned down to 9 psi. Poured a couple of pints this afternoon and we are getting ridiculous amounts of foam. We are using about 7ft of 3/16 line and the temperature is at 40. We are also using a stout faucet using co2. Could the faucet be our problem for the over abundance of foam?

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2011, 02:00:49 am »
Did you vent the keg after you turned the gas down?  The reason I ask is that at 9 psi with 7 ft of 3/16" hose AND a stout faucet I'm surprised you are getting anything out of it at all.

I've never used a stout faucet with just CO2 at low pressure, but that is very likely to be your problem.  The stout faucets have a little plate in them with small holes that the beer flows through on the way to the glass, the point is to make the beer foam.  I would just use a regular faucet with CO2 only.
Tom Schmidlin

vorlaufthegreat

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2011, 11:31:23 am »
Yeah we did vent the keg after we turned it down. I think the problem was that we may have shook to much co2 into the beer. Late yesterday afternoon we tried to get the beer flat again by releasing pressure tapping side of corny with rubber mallet rinse and repeat. Put it back up to 9psi then let it sit till this morning. Poured a pint this morning and bam it was a perfect pour. A little bit slow coming out of the tap but not terrible, perfect 1-1.5" head. I'm really glad that the stout faucet wasn't the problem, it really adds a great creamy feel to the stout. I guess it time to have a beer with breakfast! ;D Thanks for the response tschmidlin.

beveragebob

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2011, 11:57:34 pm »
Beer Gas is the industry standard to use with stout faucets. I'm not saying just C02 would not work in some way(never tried it). I'm just saying 75%-80% Nitrogen and 25%-30% C02 blended in a nitrogen tank(specific tank valve and regulator) is what I've always successfully used. There is a plethora of info out there on the forums just search for "Beer gas with nitro faucet" or something similar.

vorlaufthegreat

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2011, 09:05:08 pm »
Beer Gas is the industry standard to use with stout faucets. I'm not saying just C02 would not work in some way(never tried it). I'm just saying 75%-80% Nitrogen and 25%-30% C02 blended in a nitrogen tank(specific tank valve and regulator) is what I've always successfully used. There is a plethora of info out there on the forums just search for "Beer gas with nitro faucet" or something similar.

Thanks for the info Bob. We got the stout faucets for free from a relative that works for a wine distributor so we figured no harm in trying them out on just co2. Even though it is now working with just co2 its not quite the same as having it at the bar with nitro. After reading some info on the beer gas mixture I think that is the way we will go. Stouts just aren't the same without the use of a stout faucet.

beveragebob

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2011, 09:09:57 pm »
Guinness draft engineers introduced these in England back in the early 70's to "mimick" a beer engine. I've actually had IPA's poured from a nitro faucet that were pretty incredible. I'll have to give it a whirl here pretty soon. 

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2011, 05:15:45 pm »
I was in a pub in Scotland a few months ago and had a Deuchars IPA (a cask ale) served out of a N2 tap. It's happening more and more. I believe the main reason is spoilage. Hand pumps replace the beer with air, you have three days depending on temps to serve the cask or risk spoilage. With N2..... no risk. It doesn't go into solution, but is also keeps the O2 out of the barrel.
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Offline weazletoe

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2011, 06:48:39 am »
Guinness draft engineers introduced these in England back in the early 70's to "mimick" a beer engine. I've actually had IPA's poured from a nitro faucet that were pretty incredible. I'll have to give it a whirl here pretty soon. 

  About a month ago, I was in the SLC airport, and went to Squatters Brewey. They had a nitro IPA, poured from a nitro tap. Pretty wild. Felt like a Guiness, tasted like a SNPA.
A man works hard all week, so he doesn't have to wear pants all weekend.

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2011, 10:15:11 am »
About a month ago, I was in the SLC airport, and went to Squatters Brewey. They had a nitro IPA, poured from a nitro tap. Pretty wild. Felt like a Guiness, tasted like a SNPA.

Interesting.... I've been thinking about putting a N2 tap in, but don't really want to have stout on tap all the time..... wondering what it would do to other beers.....
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline gordonstrong

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2011, 12:42:04 pm »
OT, but if you're in the SLC airport, you have to try the Polygamy Porter.  Shows you how much flavor you can stuff into a 4% ABV beer.

I'm not a fan of nitro pour on most styles.  I find it just knocks the condition out of the beer, then gives you this creamy head that you have to drink the entire beer through.  Maybe that part wouldn't bother me as much if I didn't have a beard.  But I do like to have some carbonation in my beer.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2011, 12:47:14 pm »
One of the contributing factors of excessive foam production is temperature. If the faucets and shanks are warmer than the kegged beer there will be more foam then there would be if all parts were at the same temperature. Have you tried pouring a pint to get the faucet cold and then chilling a glass and pouring one while the faucet is still cold from the first pour.
Ron Price

Offline SpanishCastleAle

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2011, 09:03:02 am »
About a month ago, I was in the SLC airport, and went to Squatters Brewey. They had a nitro IPA, poured from a nitro tap. Pretty wild. Felt like a Guiness, tasted like a SNPA.

Interesting.... I've been thinking about putting a N2 tap in, but don't really want to have stout on tap all the time..... wondering what it would do to other beers.....
There's beer bar around here that has Old Speckled Hen on nitro, I like it.

I made the mistake of putting a Chocolate Imperial Stout on nitro.  It's really good on nitro but we're already getting ~90* F days and I'm about sick of chocolate stout for a while.  Maybe I should pull it until next winter, it's ~8% ABV, should be OK right?

beveragebob

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Re: Foaming problems with a stout faucet.
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2011, 09:37:17 am »
If you can keep it cool(at least cellar temps) and make sure it's sealed up real good you should be fine.