Back in 2014, I had what I would call a reasonably well put together and balanced kegerator. In spite of that, for years, I had dealt with the dreaded first foamy pint of beer. After that pint of beer, beer would pour great. That is until a significant delay between pours – overnight or a few hours.
Related Resources – Foam Control & Kegerator Balancing
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Diagnose Other Issues
A Closer Look at Kegerator Beer Line Temps
The setup. I have two temperature probes in my kegerator. One is zip-tied to the top of a beverage line. The other is zip-tied to a can of beer. That’s how I have kept the probe in my kegerator for a long time with the thinking that the mass of the can of beer will help to stabilize temperature readings and give overall stable and accurate readings. That can is sitting on the compressor hump of my Kenmore Deep Freeze (8.8 Cu ft Model 16932, out of production). That puts it about mid keg.
Beer Line Temps – No Recirculation Fan
The cause of the problem is pretty clear. Heat rises. That means the top of your kegerator is going to be warmer than the bottom of your kegerator. That warmer beer foams when it comes out. The faucet and shank are also warmer. That warmth adds to the problem.
How much is the temperature variance? Of course, this will vary from setup to setup and climate to climate. I was relatively shocked by the temperature difference in my own kegerator.
The top reading about mid keg and the bottom reading is the top the top of my beer lines. These are about 22″ apart. This graph shows a point in time variance between the two of 14.9 degrees F. My beer is about the temperature I want it, but the top of my serving line is much warmer. That difference in temperature causes the first pint to have too much foam. Pours that happen soon after the first are fine. The tubing, shank and beer are relatively cool.
Adding a Recirculating Fan to Reduce Beer Foam
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