Getting Too Much Head?

So, your beer is pouring too heady - what do you do?

This happens because you’ve either over carbonated or over gassed the beer or your pouring pressure is too high (the low pressure of your regulator is wound up too high, which means you are pushing the beer out with too much pressure). 

What do you do?

Turn off the gas bottle. 

Wind out your regulator (turning it anti clockwise until its’ loose) 

Depressurize your regulator by pulling the pressure relief valve on the regulator (this sets your reg back to zero).  Just because you turn the reg off it doesn't mean you've changed the pressure of what's happening in the system.  You've only changed what's happening in the regulator, not the keg. 

There is still pressure in the keg, so you need to depressurize it as well.

19 litre corny kegs have a little relief valve on the top. If you pull that relief valve up, it will release all of the gas out of the keg. 

Once you’ve released all of the pressure from the keg, go back to the regulator, winding it clockwise (or inwards) to set the pouring pressure of between 2-3 psi.

Let it settle for a minute or two. Then pour your beer to make sure it's all good. 

If it keeps pouring with too much head - you have over carbonated your beer. To release the gas from the beer, disconnect the keg from the system, rock it gently for a few minutes (this gets the dissolved gas out of the beer and into the head space of the keg).

Pull the relief again to let the gas escape. 

Leave to sit for 30 minutes, reconnect and pour at low pressure (2-3psi)

You may need to repeat the process a number of times.