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My Mini Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser Model # TBC50S is pouring foamy beer.  How can I fix this?

The TBC50S is a compact and portable beer dispensing unit made specifically for 5 liter mini kegs. The most common of those kegs are Heineken and Newcastle. Both of these kegs are pre-pressurized by the manufacturer. Unlike a full size kegerator setup where you can control the CO2 flow, these pre-pressurized kegs have do not have adjustable pressure control.  This can possibly lead to a foamy beer pour under certain conditions.  The help reduce the possibility of foam, please refer to the below tips and recommendations:

  • Make sure the mini-keg is properly chilled before attempting to pour your first beer. It is recommended that your mini-keg is already chilled properly / cooled overnight in your refrigerator prior to loading into your mini kegerator.  The TBC50S uses a thermoelectric cooler which is excellent for maintaining temperature however requires a longer period of time to cool from room temperature. 
  • Use a properly chilled pilsner style glass and tilt the glass to allow the beer to flow down the sides when pouring.
  • Pull the tap lever all the way open. Attempting to slow the pour by only partially opening the tap in order to prevent foam actually disturbs the flow of the beer and results in more foam. 
  • Make sure the beer line is clean. A dirty beer line will lead to foamy beer.
  • Inspect the beer line for kinks or bends that may cause uneven flow of beer from the mini-keg. To do so, open the side of the unit and check to ensure that the tube between the tap and the faucet is free from obstruction and not kinked in any way.  If the tube appears to be misshapen or permanently bent / kinked, you may remove it and run it under warm tap water in order massage the beer line until it is round again.

Additionally, there is an accessory kit that can be purchased to be used with the TBC50S for use with non-pressurized kegs. This accessory kit allows you to use a pressure regulator in conjunction with a mini CO2 cartridge to dispense beer from non-pressurized home brew or craft beer 5L kegs.   For more information see Tap Conversion Kit model # TBC50-ACC.