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UNOmar

UNOmar

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Am I retarded or are there certain beers you can't pour a black & tan with? I currently have an all-grain version of Walker's Holy Grail Porter on tap (which is delicious), but when I try to use my Lagerhead Brutul to pour a proper black & tan it slowly drops into the lighter beer. I've tried using my own pale ale as well as molson for the tan part, but the porter just won't stay poised. Could it be a final gravity thing?
I even thought it might be overpressurized and dispensing too fast, but dropping the pressure in the keg down to 5 psi didn't even help. Any ideas?
FYI the porter finished at 1.011 and 5.2% ABV in case that affects anything.
 
the_bird said:
Ah, that explains it. Didn't think they let you guys out of the state.
Click to expand...
Walker's naturalized so, with his passport, he can exit. I'm stuck working on my truck and bemoaning the fact that my Dad's pig cooker is propane powered instead of wood! Kind of warm down here, too.
 
Nevermind all their bantering, UNOmar. :D I'll get this thread back on track. ;)

I believe it's the final gravity of tthe beer that determines how it stays on top. You have to pour the heaviest beer first and then the lightest. If they both have about the same FG, they'll mix pretty easily.

At least that what I think. Now back to being off topic. :)
 
FWIW, I agree with Brewsmith. Guiness is pretty dry, and hence it will float on a heavier beer. I wonder if carbonation could have anything to do with it, as well, but I'm one or two Chimays too deep to reason.
 
We had a big discussion about this a few months ago, and there was no consensus. Final gravity makes sense as the primary factor, as does differences in carbonation, and there might be other factors at work that impact surface tension. So... I don't know.
 
I didn't find the last discussion that was had on this, but from a purely physics standpoint there are only 2 reasons that 2 fluids won't mix together. Density (ie gravity) and polarity (this is the reason that oil and water won't mix even when shaken or stirred :cross: ).

Therefore, unless the 2 beers have a different FG you'll have a pretty hard time to get one to float on the other. The only way carbonation would really have an impact is in it's effect on the gravity of the finished product, though i think that would be rather minimal.
 
Ok, so seemingly it's not my fault. Well, just to be on the safe side I experimented last night...a lot. It was for the sake of science. Nothing more [hiccup] nothing less. :drunk:
 
a search of 'black and tan' at www.wikipedia.org results as thus:

The most common Black and Tan in the United States uses Guinness Draught (not Extra Stout) and Bass. The Guinness is "layered" on top of the ale, taking advantage of the fact that Guinness is carbonated (nitrogenated) with a (lighter gas) mixture of nitrogen (N2 28g/mole) and carbon dioxide (CO2 44g/mole), versus Bass being carbonated with only CO2.

To prepare a Black and Tan in the American way, first fill a glass halfway with the ale, then add the Guinness Draught (from the can, bottle, or tap). The top layer is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon placed over the glass to avoid splashing and mixing the layers. A specially designed black-and-tan spoon is bent in the middle so that it can balance on the edge of the pint-glass for easier pouring.

In the United Kingdom, the correct way of preparing a Black and Tan is considered to be to pour half a pint of dark stout into a pint glass and then top up with draught bitter, so that both beers are thoroughly mixed together.
Click to expand...
 
That's what I was going to say. It's the nitrogen that makes the difference. You can get Guinness to layer on just about anything else for that reason, as long as you're getting it on tap.
 
I'm sure that helps, but I've made black & tans from my homebrew before and it worked fine (and I don't have nitrogen). Last winter I had a chocolate stout and an APA that did exceedingly well together. Of course, the Brutul is an essential piece of black & tan swag...
 

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