black and tan seperation

When I get a good black and tan at a bar, it's poured so that the two beers stay seperated. I think the pour has some effect on how this is accomplished. However, I'm wondering if the nitrogen in guinness is the reason that they stay seperated the whole time I'm drinking it even though I'm picking it up, tilting it, walking around with it, etc. I've tried to pour my stout on top of one of my ales - they just mix together immediately. I've tried it the other way around with the higher gravity stout on the bottom - same result. I've tried to pour each over an overturned spoon just above the lower beer (like I've seen the bartender do) - no good. Anyone have suggestions?

You need one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007SN5TI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

And it will go something like this: [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=FV6Dtf0NUj4[/ame]

That thing is cool, but why on earth did they have to make it look like a turtle???
So is it the nitrogen that makes it float on the other beer? Or is breaking the pour up by flowing it over the turtle thing?

No, it's not the nitrogen. It's a difference in the density & surface tension of the liquids. The difference is small, so you need to disperse the stout so it doesn't all just mix together.

You don't need the turtle...a bent spoon works just fine, too: [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=4ycs9J6UvxY[/ame]

FWIW, I find it's really easy to do with a bent spoon as in that last video, when using a CAN of guinness. I tried doing it with a stout in my kegerator several times and failed miserably. I think there's a very different trick to it when dispensing from a keg vs. pouring from a can.

Are you sure you have a good balance on your lines? It sounds like your beer is rushing out of the faucet a bit too fast.

The turtle's legs hold it on the lip of the glass. The head is just for giggles.

The thing is Guinness is a very dry beer. I bet there is a FG difference between Guinness and Smithwicks or Bass of about 8 points.

Use a bent spoon that fits all the way into the glass. Place it at/near the light beer surface and pour into the spoon (NOT THE GLASS) and slowly raise the spoon so the Guinness pours over the spoon into the glass. Nice and slow is the trick.

I tried it last night with a can of guinness and it worked flawlessly. Thanks guys. I'll be trying it tonight with my HB stout (had to let it sit in the fridge to chill overnight). I've got my fingers crossed