# Had a problem with a beer keg... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523 "2000-07-23T05:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/1 "2000-07-23T05:14:35Z")
At work we have beer taps connected to kegs. For 2 weeks, when we opened the taps, only foam came out of the tap. We checked the connections to the kegs and if the kegs were empty, and the connections were okay and the keg was full. After we let the tap open for around 5 minutes (and making a big mess on the floor) the tap finally got some beer out. So what was wrong that made the keg let out only foam? ---
**Author:** ![Gatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/2 "2000-07-23T06:05:18Z")
This is going to sound painfully obvious, and I hope it is. Did you check the CO[sub]2[/sub] regulator? ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/3 "2000-07-23T06:16:48Z")
Yup, the regulator was okay too. ---
**Author:** ![Gatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/4 "2000-07-23T06:32:02Z")
Was it only happening with one keg or all of them? If it was one keg, what kind of beer was it? How many taps do you have? Is it a single regulator system? ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/5 "2000-07-23T06:53:52Z")
You said “for two weeks”. Did the problem fix itself? Was the beer cold? Were the lines insulated? You said it stopped after pouring for five minutes. Did it only happen the first time you poured from the keg? Or the first time each day? Did this suddenly start? What changed? Is it a new system? When were the lines cleaned last? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/6 "2000-07-23T21:21:19Z")
Did you get a new delivery guy that slammed the kegs on the floor? How often is this system used? Are you still answering questions or was it really the CO[sub]2[/sub]? ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/7 "2000-07-24T07:56:56Z")
**Gatsby** : _Was it only happening with one keg or all of them? If it was one keg, what kind of beer was it? How many taps do you have? Is it a single regulator system?_ It was just one keg, with Bud Light. There’s 3 taps and it is a single regulator system. [/quote] **starfish** : _You said “for two weeks”. Did the problem fix itself?_ Yes it did. _Was the beer cold? Were the lines insulated?_ The foam was warm. And the lines are insulated _You said it stopped after pouring for five minutes. Did it only happen the first time you poured from the keg? Or the first time each day? Did this suddenly start? What changed? Is it a new system? When were the lines cleaned last?_ This was a one time thing. The system is 5 years old and I have no idea when the lines were last clean. [/quote] **ChiefWahoo** : _Did you get a new delivery guy that slammed the kegs on the floor?_ I don’t know. _How often is this system used?_ It’s used everyday, and average use is about once every hour. _Are you still answering questions or was it really the CO[sub]2[/sub]?_ Yes still answering questions. 🙂 [/quote] I think I need to describe the setup of the taps. We have a big walk-in refridgerator. The CO[sub]2[/sub] canisters are outside the walk-in, and the taps are on the wall of the walk-in connected to the kegs which are inside the walk-in. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/8 "2000-07-24T08:50:22Z")
The keg was overpressurized. A double regulator might help. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/9 "2000-07-24T18:02:27Z")
Or you could just “bleed” the keg when it starts foaming. That’s what the little “pull pin” on the connector is for. ---
**Author:** ![etgaw1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@etgaw1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etgaw1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/10 "2000-07-24T20:03:40Z")
Louie, do you own a bar or is this setup in your house? If it is in your house give me a address and I will be right over and we can try to figure this problem out over a double dozen beers. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/11 "2000-07-24T23:03:03Z")
Louie You really kept a keg tapped for two weeks. Boy I thought things were slow when I tended bar. If I ever had a problem like that the beer distributors would come and fix it. They never charged anything. My guess would be a leaky seal. ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-a-problem-with-a-beer-keg/26523/12 "2000-07-24T23:09:33Z")
**RM Mentock jesuslynch and justwannano** , I’ll keep those tips in mind next time the kegs act up like that. Thanks. **etgaw1** , sorry man, this setup is at the restaurant where I work at.