Fault finding
Common causes of foaming draught beer
A practical fault guide for venues dealing with slow pours, excessive head and rising product waste.
Start with temperature
Warm product is one of the most common causes of foam. Measure at the keg, through the product path and at the tap. A cold-room controller reading is not proof that the beer remains cold to the glass.
Check whether the first pour is affected, every pour is affected or the problem appears only during peak trade. Each pattern points to different likely causes.
Check pressure and carbonation
Incorrect gas pressure can allow gas to break out in the line or force product too aggressively through the tap. Product left at excessive pressure may also become over-carbonated.
Do not make large unrecorded adjustments. Verify temperature and the intended product setting, then balance systematically.
Inspect lines and components
Kinked lines, damaged seals, dirty taps, worn couplers and partial restrictions create turbulence. Air entering through a faulty connection can also present as bubbles or erratic flow.
Compare an affected tap with a known good tap. This helps isolate whether the issue belongs to one line or the shared cooling and gas systems.
Review glass and pouring practice
Warm, dirty or incorrectly rinsed glassware can create foam even when the system is sound. Staff should use clean, cool glasses and a consistent pouring method.
Operational causes should be checked, but they should not become a blanket explanation for a fault affecting multiple trained staff.
Look for product and keg-change factors
A newly connected keg may behave differently if it has been moved, warmed or connected to the wrong pressure zone. Confirm the correct coupler and product allocation.
If the fault begins immediately after a product change, trace what changed before replacing equipment.
Escalate recurring faults
If staff routinely dump the first pour or adjust pressure every shift, the venue has normalised a system defect. Measure the product loss and arrange diagnosis.
Stable commercial systems should pour consistently. Recurring foam is a solvable cost, not an unavoidable feature of draught beer.
Need the system assessed?
Beer Works services commercial beer, glycol and related refrigeration systems across South East Queensland. Call (07) 3204 0607 or email info@beerworks.au.