Nitro - Beers that work and those that don't?

I have had a nitro tap for about a year and to this point I have only served a dry irish stout on nitro, time to try something new. Are there any styles of beer you would avoid on nitro? Any that work particularly well? I was thinking about spliting an IPA into 2 kegs and putting half on nitro and half on co2.....good idea or would they be very similar, in other words would it be like having two of the same beers on tap?

Putting an IPA on nitro works well, it really lofts the aroma oils.

wow, that sounds fun. what other beers have people run on nitro?

ive heard pales are good, but i like the potential this thread has. like jonp9576 said, what else have people done? results?

no one?

I've only had stouts and IPAs on nitro. The IPAs are awesome!

I haven't done any because I don't have a nitro tap. I have been thinking about getting one though. Scottish Ales are frequently served nitro. I can't think of any others commercially other than stout. Sounds fun. I would be willing to try it with just about anything. If pales are good I bet ambers are too. Hmmm, maybe this should be my 2011brewing goal.

Yeah IPA's are wonderful on nitro. I have had at a bar a porter on nitro, a cream ale on nitro, im thinking a nice dry hopped irish red might be even tasty on nitro

Can I just hook up any of my beers and pour a couple? Or it there some time needed after hooking it up and before pouring?

I would think just hook and pour, I carb my nitro beers with co2.

Mike

Just when I thought I had a decent hang on this home brewing stuff...... Nitro beer,,,, what's a nitro beer? What am I missing out on?

Eisendrath said:

Just when I thought I had a decent hang on this home brewing stuff...... Nitro beer,,,, what's a nitro beer? What am I missing out on?

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Simply a beer "carbonated" with nitrogen gas instead of carbon dioxide. It generally produces a creamier texture with a much finer head (bubble wise). It can significantly alter the mouthfeel and aroma of the beer.


As to the original topic, beers I've had on nitro include:

Any number of stouts/porters (sweet/chocolate/espresso stout, milk stout, dry stout, imperial stouts, etc...)

Several IPAs (side by side tastings of an IPA are awesome)

Amber ales (pretty delicious on nitro)

ESBs (only once, and it was only so-so)

I think that's all I've had.

"Simply a beer "carbonated" with nitrogen gas instead of carbon dioxide. "
No necessarily carbonated with nitrogen....I carb all mine with CO2 and push with beer gas (nitrogen and CO2).

Right, the beer has to carbonated with CO2 first, then pushed with N2/CO2. By using the combination the beer can be forced through the nitro tap at high pressure without over-carbonating. If you just used N2, it wouldn't carbonate, as N2 is much less dissolvable in water. If you carbonated with CO2, then pushed with N2, the beer would lose carbonation as the head space in the keg increased.

david_42 said:

Right, the beer has to carbonated with CO2 first, then pushed with N2/CO2. By using the combination the beer can be forced through the nitro tap at high pressure without over-carbonating. If you just used N2, it wouldn't carbonate, as N2 is much less dissolvable in water. If you carbonated with CO2, then pushed with N2, the beer would lose carbonation as the head space in the keg increased.

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Well thats something I learned today. good explanation.

jmhart said:

Several IPAs (side by side tastings of an IPA are awesome)

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Were the two different enough that you felt like you were drinking different beers?

Mike

blackcows said:

Were the two different enough that you felt like you were drinking different beers?

Mike

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I had Founder's Harvest ale side by side and one was on nitro. I'm guessing it was the same exact beer but they tasted completely different. Both good, but different.

Any stout works. I personally like IPA's and BIG imperial stouts on NO2.

I have an Irish Ale on tap right now that would be great served with Nitro.