pouring method for Nitro effect with only CO2

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ardentmonk
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Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:46 am

pouring method for Nitro effect with only CO2

Post by ardentmonk »

Hey fellas, been kegging since feb and I have the family to look after so I just gotta ask: do you think I could create the cascade effect without investing in a nitro system? One of my first kegged brews was an Oatmeal stout, duly all grain, and with only one regulator I compromised on the setting for all of my beers(oatmeal stout,pilsner, hefewiezen & strawberry watermelon wine) at 12 PSI which I estimate to be 2.5 volumes CO2 at 36*F. I have found that given a beer with higher sg due to unfermentables (oatmeal stout FG was 1.020, also a strong dark beglian ale OG 1.088/ FG 1.024) that beer will foam( or release CO2) more due to body than a thinner beer. Also I found that with my cobra taps I could vary the amount of foaming by pouring most of a glass and then reducing the flow to spray the brew at the last 1/4 pint I could get a lovely head on the stout. I believe that with a lower (appropriate) setting on a keg of stout (maybe 1.5vol CO2) anyone could use this (free) method to create that commercial effect upon serving with no additional cost required. Isn't that the jarring required to knock some CO2 out of solution? What do you think? :idea:

Also, I have tried bottling beer from a keg through a bottling wand/bung as a counter pressure filler and it did not perform well, though my instincts tell me I could improve with practice, perhaps constant pull on the draft is needed and a some burping should be done on occasion; as with all drinking. Cheers
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slothrob
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Re: pouring method for Nitro effect with only CO2

Post by slothrob »

That's a good simple solution. I'll often restrict the flow with the tap handle to add a little foam to the top of a low carb beer. They also make a special tap that is designed for that, called a creamer tap. When I was in Switzerland, last year, one beerhall had an electronic tap system. They pushed a button to deliver a half-liter, then, once the beer was poured, they would hit a second button that released a little beer with restricted flow, to add a perfect layer of head.

Before the widget, Guinness used to sell stout with a syringe. You would draw the beer up and down in the syringe to knock out carbonation and generate the thick head.
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