So I kegged an all grain APA and did the old carb while shaking trick after beer was chilled. Had PSI set to 20 and shook for 5 min. After leaving it for several days in the fridge with no co2 hooked up, I tried to pour and it can out a very thick (and yummy hop smelling) foam that took a VERY long time to reduce to drinkable liquid. While I am p[leased with the head retention, obviously this isn't wht I was shooting for. How can I reduce the carbonation at this point? I had a glass or two of foam and then bled the pressure and shook the keg, waited a few minutes and bled the pressure again. If I repeat this enough will it eventually calm down and pour normal? I have been kegging for years and never had this problem quite this bad. Any thoughts?
Basically, if the beer has more than 10 psi of dissolved gas in it then you have to try to get that gas out. Provided you aren't putting any additional gas on it, it will come out of solution slowly if you bleed off the headspace. Bleed of the excess pressure in the headspace with the pressure release valve (if you have a ball lock keg) then dial back the regulator to say 7-10 psi. Check it 5 minutes later and if the regulator still reads btw 7-10 you are ok. If it reads higher than that, bleed off some more pressure with the release valve until you are back in that range. Check your keg again a couple of hours later and the next day. Repeat the bleed process / adjust your regulator if it goes above the 7-10 psi serving range. Your other alternative is to take it off the gas completely, bleed until its in the 7-10 psi range. Continue checking it / bleeding it for a day or so and then put it on gas at 7-10 psi again once you are sure than any excess gas has come out of solution.
