Keg Pour

Jake · December 18, 2011, 09:36:40 PM

So I have two full kegs, and they both pour completely differently ... I'm assuming that it is due to the length/placement of the straw at the bottom. I've noticed that in some of my kegs the straw sits against the bottom, where others it sits a half inch off the bottom; I'd suspect this is the reason why the pours are so much different?

Anyone have any insight into this? What is ideal? Should it be pressed against the bottom or should it be off the bottom?

Richard · December 18, 2011, 10:02:55 PM

I'm guessing they're the same brew, carbed at the same time to the same number of volumes?

Jake · December 19, 2011, 08:53:26 AM

Yea they've both been on the CO2 for over a week, and gauge is set to the same thing for all 6. Brew's are different. One's an IPA whereas other is pale ale ... a ballpark difference in OG of 1.050 and 1.060 approximately. Not sure if that makes a huge difference

Dave Savoie · December 19, 2011, 08:54:51 AM

high amount of hops aid in loads of head so if you used loads of hops then it will be more foamy and you may ned to back off the serving pressure

Kyle · December 19, 2011, 10:12:19 AM

are the taps and hoses unifoorm between the two? What about temperature, does one of them have a different exposure to warmth?

Jake · December 19, 2011, 10:57:32 AM

length of the hoses, both for CO2 and for the beer lines are the same, and their both regulated at the same temp, about 1-3 celcius. They're both under the exact same conditions, which is why I figured it was the placement of the straw in the keg.

Same hose lengths, same temp, full kegs, etc

Would the straw at the bottom not have an effect? I'd assume that a straw that sits against the bottom would pour differently than a straw that sits a half inch off the bottom would it not?

Richard · December 19, 2011, 11:22:16 AM

I think it's more likely that the body is different on the two beers.

pliny · December 19, 2011, 11:26:06 AM

This is a serious matter.
It's very hard to diagnose a situation like this online.
I think we need to plan an emergency meeting at your house to get to the bottom of this and test things out.

Chris Craig · December 19, 2011, 12:00:50 PM

Quote from: "pliny"This is a serious matter.
It's very hard to diagnose a situation like this online.
I think we need to plan an emergency meeting at your house to get to the bottom of this and test things out.

Get to the bottom of the kegs, you mean

Kyle · December 19, 2011, 02:47:08 PM

yep

JohnQ · December 19, 2011, 03:29:32 PM

Time for an Intervention, when is a good time??
JQ

pliny · December 19, 2011, 03:56:30 PM

I'm sure you already tried this but I would disconnect the gas, purge the CO2 in the keg that's behaving badly by pulling the pressure release valve at the top of the keg, reconnect the gas and try another pour.
Has this keg just been tapped?
I see that you use the set and forget method but I would try this anyway.

sdixon · December 19, 2011, 11:29:57 PM

It's a looooooong stretch for me to recall my fluid dynamics course, but I don't think the tube location at the bottom would have much of an effect on a pour (carbonation-wise - unless one tube was partly occluded by touching the bottom - which is not what you are saying). Assuming all other variables are the same (as you say), I would go with Dave's suggestion, that it is... the beer characteristics (i.e. better head retention and presentation due to the beer).

But much like the others... I am willing to be a good beer friend and come over to help you get to the "bottom" of things. You may need to pour a lot before we figure it out.

JohnQ · December 20, 2011, 09:00:15 AM

Clearly the one formula which has been proven by this thread is...

# of friends = # of kegs full of beer in your keezer^2

JQ

Richard · December 20, 2011, 12:26:21 PM

Your formula gives me 49 friends but facebook says I have 307... I'm having a crisis here, how will I Know my value if I can't put a number on the people who like me?