Stouts on tap

hey everyone, whats up with putting stouts on tap? Is the stout faucet and nitrogen authentic or can I get away with something like 1.8 or 2 volumes of co2 through my good old ventmatics? maybe let her splash a little at the end for a nice head? Is every stout in a pub served with nitrogen/ beer gas? are all stouts in pubs pulled through restrictor faucets?

also, on these stout faucets, do they have a gas in port that goes directly into the faucet?

I serve mine with co2 out of ventmatics. Sure its not the same as a nice nitro poor from a pub but it tastes just fine to me!

What he said. And the faucets do not have a separate gas port...just a restrictor plate with some really tiny holes to force the CO2/Nitrogen out of solution.

Word! I just had a solid Choclate Stout on tap, and did what you suggested. Gave it a bit of an aggressive pour at the end to produce a good head. Now that I think back.....that was a great batch.

Same as StewBrew......I mean, we're among friends here, right?

If we had our own pubs the situation/expectation would be different.

thanks for the input , but does anyone know if every commercial stout in a pub is pulled through a stout faucet? or most of them? is guiness?

every stout is not poured through a stout faucet. It will just produce a different beer. Stout faucets are primarily used with aligal (or beer mix) and are used to release nitrogen from the stout, producing a creamier beer with less carbonation and a creamier head.

Guinness is poured through a stout faucet. Guinness is also carbonated at the brewery with a nitrogen content. Nitrogen can produce some metallic flavors in a beer, so the stout faucet is used to remove a large portion of it. the result is smaller bubbles with less "bite". Stouts are not the only beers poured from a creamer.

Stouts poured from a traditional facuet are still excellent. There are "guidelines" on C02 volumes for a stout, but I have had many that exceed or come in less than the stated volume. All were good. The amount of head retention can be manipulated by your grain bill as well, not just your pour. Adding flaked oatmeal to a stout is one way to improve mouthfeel and head retention.

Enjoy your stout, and feel free to send a bottle my way if you want (I like the last pint)!