Foamy beer

[mookie1010]

I've got a 6 tap kegerator - all beer lines are 7 feet long, 3/16 ID beer line. I serve homebrew and commercial kegs, and I'm using about 5 lbs pressure to pour. I am ALWAYS getting foamy beer, whether it's commercial or HB.

Now, I have noticed that my commercial kegs pour more quickly than the HB kegs do for the most part. When I was cobbling together parts, I think many of my shanks might have a 1/4 ID bore, and I'm wondering whether that's the problem.

Additionally, I'm wondering if the regulator has maybe gone south - for a while there, I would lose gas like there was a slow leak within about a week or so of ordering it until I figured out that the slow leak was coming from the high pressure gauge and tightened that up. Since then, no leaks.

Ideas? Will that 1/4" bore in a shank make that big of a difference? All tailpieces are also 3/16" ID as well.

[ziggy]

Increase your pressure. I think you lose 1 psi per foot of line so you should be at about 12 psi.

[mookie1010]

I tried that, and then I just got foamier beer faster.

[adamK]

What is the temperature of your kegerator?

[mookie1010]

40*F.

[MNHazmat]

Longer lines are key. You can always add pressure or trim the lines until you're dialed in. Start at 12ft and work backwards.

[ziggy]

Are you pulling the handle all the way open in one swift motion? Do you have kinks in your line? Is your regulator reading the right pressure? The needle can get stuck sometimes.

[Ozwald]

+1 to longer lines & a crisp open/close of the tap itself.

I also like to coil my lines on top of the keg so they don't droop down. I don't remember where I read that tip, but it seems to help a touch.