The standard temperature range for draft beer in the United States is between 36 and 40 degrees (a bit above “ice cold”). But because you are working to eliminate issues and maintain a perfectly balanced system, it is recommended that you shoot for a target temperature of 38 degrees and not a range. Hitting a target temperature of 38 degrees allows draft systems to perform at their best for the different beers that may be on tap. This means you want the beer at 38 degrees from keg to the point of dispense.
When your draft beer gets too cold, you may run into a couple of issues. First, CO2 is more soluble in cold beer, which means more carbonation stays in the beer even after it is served. This has the effect of making a beer taste flat, which can make for unsatisfied drinkers.
If the beer is sitting too cold in the keg for too long, and the pressure is still set for your target 38 degrees, you are going to get wild foaming when you go to dispense.
On the iGulu machine, you can adjust your carbonation by turning off the CO2 valve and releasing pressure from the keg manually, prior to dispensing the beer. Remember, freshly fermented beer has a natural build up of CO2 and pressure within the keg already. If you're pumping in additional CO2 in addition to your existing fermentation pressure, the pour will most definitely be foamy!
What other foam reducing tips do you have to try?
