tips/tricks for dispensing (keg) high co2 volume beers?

[dirtbikejunkie]

I brewed a saison that I carbed to 3.5 volumes CO2. I have my keezer set to 44 degrees and co2 at 26 PSI. I haven't built a collar yet so I am dispensing using a picnic tap on 12' of 3/16" high pressure line.

I am having a hard time dispensing over 3.0 volumes without creating excessive foam. It's especially bad with the beer sitting in the line, it produces a burst of foam from. If I keep dispensing into a 2nd glass it's decent.

I am suspecting the picnic tap may be part of the issue because with the high pressure it seems to produce a lot of foam when it's opened/closed.

Are there any tips/tricks to dispense high co2 volume beers?

Do most people bottle condition their 3-4 volume beers?

[ajdelange]

If you don't already have one install a "choker" i.e. a longish piece of beer line. You want the pressure of the beer to decline gradually from keg to ambient so CO2 doesn't break out. There are lots of articles, websites etc. that tell you how many psi drop you get for a foot of line of a particular diameter for the standard 2 Oz/sec flow. Pick the size you have at hand, look up the drop for that size, divide that into the serving pressure and cut a piece that long.

[dirtbikejunkie]

If you don't already have one install a "choker" i.e. a longish piece of beer line. You want the pressure of the beer to decline gradually from keg to ambient so CO2 doesn't break out. There are lots of articles, websites etc. that tell you how many psi drop you get for a foot of line of a particular diameter for the standard 2 Oz/sec flow. Pick the size you have at hand, look up the drop for that size, divide that into the serving pressure and cut a piece that long.

I have a 12' choker line calculated from few sites I found.

I found alanzo posted a similar question on northernbrewer.com. sounds like the answer is a shit load of choker line, 50', or a european flow control faucet?

some people are using epoxy mixers in their dip tube to prevent foam, but from alanzo's report it is also knocking co2 out.

[Henning1966]

Try building a restrictive gate. http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/resi ... ow-control

[dirtbikejunkie]

Try building a restrictive gate. http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/resi ... ow-control

the thread on northern brewer describes doing basically the same thing by inserting the epoxy nozzle tips into the beer out dip tube on the keg. sounds like it works well for beers under 3.0 volumes allowing you to run short lines, but causes loss of CO2 in the beer over 3.0 volumes. I am going to give it a try though, might be the best compromise.

[Quin]

You might try reducing temp and pressure to 35° and 20 psi. You would still be at 3.5 volumes, but it might be easier to manage with your hose and tap arrangement.

You might also try a different style glass (maybe an Orval-style goblet or tulip style).

[DannyW]

I've had some luck using a C-clamp and a couple of pieces of 1x2 to squash about 6" of the serving line. Just don't press it so flat that there is an abrupt change from round to squashed.