Cicerone Certified Beer Server Practice Exam

If one of the draft lines at your bar is pouring foamy, which of the following could be the cause?

1. Too much pressure from the CO2 tank

2. Kink in the hose that runs from the coupler to the wall

3. Beer is too warm

4. Wrong type of beer

The correct answer is: Kink in the hose that runs from the coupler to the wall

A foamy pour from a draft line can often be attributed to a number of factors, but a kink in the hose that runs from the coupler to the wall is a particularly plausible cause. When there is a kink in the hose, it restricts the flow of beer, leading to turbulence in the line. This turbulence can cause the beer to foam excessively as it is forced out of the faucet. While the pressure from the CO2 tank, warmth of the beer, and type of beer can also impact how beer behaves when dispensed, a kink in the hose directly affects the flow rate and can create a more immediate problem. If the pressure is too high, it would usually not lead to a kink but rather a constant over-carbonated pour, meaning that the initial turbulence created by the kink is a much more logical explanation for excessive foam in this scenario.