An acquaintance of mine is interested in maybe building a kegerator to dispense cold coffee through a stout tap. I'm assuming you'd want to use beergas for this? Anyone else done it?
Coffee on tap
- Thread starter Newsman
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OP
OP
Thanks, Luis. Shows what I know. 
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OP
OP
Nitro, unlike CO2, doesn't go into solution, so it just pushes it out. Gravity can't push coffee out of a keg. The liquid has to go UP the dip tube, and then out the tap.
OP
OP
Well, brewed coffee exposed to oxygen goes stale, pretty quick so that's another nice thing about kegging.
But maybe try Polypins? That way you have coffee in a bag much like boxed wine comes.
OP
OP
That would work. OTOH, if you want to have a tap, it's probably easier to have it kegged and have a tower.
Easier? Probably. Cheaper? Nah. But if going off gravity, the pins should be sufficient. If you want it pretty and off a tap, I would stick with the keg.
On second though though, you could probably gravity feed from a keg if you had the physical keg above the tap. You would have to come up with a way to fill the headspace as the coffee is poured with something that wouldn't stale the coffee though.
On second though though, you could probably gravity feed from a keg if you had the physical keg above the tap. You would have to come up with a way to fill the headspace as the coffee is poured with something that wouldn't stale the coffee though.
I'm a pretty hard core coffee drinker.
That being said, do any of you have a KEG of coffee at any given time?
I don't even know how to address this concept.
That being said, do any of you have a KEG of coffee at any given time?
I don't even know how to address this concept.
OP
OP
You don't have to use a 5 gallon keg. There are 2.5 gallon kegs.
Okay, does anyone have a keg (of any size) of coffee on tap?
I'm just finding it hard to believe is the only reason I ask. Now my keezer holds four kegs and I have three taps at some point I may add a fourth I suppose but I have never even considered using one for coffee.
Maybe it's just because I didn't even know you could do that. I really don't know the reason but in any case it just doesn't seem like something that is done. so, I suppose that's the reason for the question.
I know a guy who owns a coffee shop that only sells cold brew and handmade pourovers.
He has the cold brew on tap with pure nitrogen out of a standard beer faucet. Initially, he had one tap with beergas and a nitro tap. He said it was a fun novelty initially, but that it staled too quickly. Even in a commercial setting, he couldn't finish the 5gal keg before it went bad
He has the cold brew on tap with pure nitrogen out of a standard beer faucet. Initially, he had one tap with beergas and a nitro tap. He said it was a fun novelty initially, but that it staled too quickly. Even in a commercial setting, he couldn't finish the 5gal keg before it went bad
sputnam
Well-Known Member
do i need a stout tap using nitro?
i have a 2 tap kegerater i was thinking about a stout on one and coffee on the other
i have a 2 tap kegerater i was thinking about a stout on one and coffee on the other
OP
OP
I am by no means an expert...however I think the function of the stout tap is to help with the head formation.
Yes, as Newsman said, you need it in order to have the proper head formation.
OP
OP
And if you just want to have cold coffee on tap (say for a latte or something) there's no need for a stout tap.
burninator
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Is there some reason you wouldn't just put it in one of those lathe drink serving containers with a spout at the bottom? I don't get why this needs to be kept under pressure.
OP
OP
Don't necessarily need a LOT of pressure... just enough to push it out of the keg and keep oxygen away from the coffee.
lbond2
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Very good thread here...my go to coffee shop has a nitro tap with coffee being pushed through it. That being said here is what I want to try:
I have noticed there is no head on the coffee in which I expected to be there when it was first poured. I was hoping it would be like an espresso coffee stout type combo. It was very tasty and smooth although, very refreshing.
I want to make a batch, carbonate it, and push it through a nitro tap to get a thick creamy head. Remember, nitro taps are designed to knock the Co2 out of solution and put it in the head. That's the point of a nitro tap. Nitrogen is just used to push it because it is inert gas...try it on co2 and you will see what I am talking about.
Anyway, in order to maintain/create a head of foam I was thinking about brewing the coffee with naked oats or rolled oats....
Any thoughts, suggestions, arguments, debates???
I have noticed there is no head on the coffee in which I expected to be there when it was first poured. I was hoping it would be like an espresso coffee stout type combo. It was very tasty and smooth although, very refreshing.
I want to make a batch, carbonate it, and push it through a nitro tap to get a thick creamy head. Remember, nitro taps are designed to knock the Co2 out of solution and put it in the head. That's the point of a nitro tap. Nitrogen is just used to push it because it is inert gas...try it on co2 and you will see what I am talking about.
Anyway, in order to maintain/create a head of foam I was thinking about brewing the coffee with naked oats or rolled oats....
Any thoughts, suggestions, arguments, debates???
don't forget the yeast :smack:
I think you may end up with a coffee cup of foam,unless you keep the pressure REALLY low, like a couple/3 psi. IMO, The carbonic acid introduced by carbing it would alter the flavor of the coffee, pretty drastically. It would require more sweetening as well, unless you like cold acidic coffee.
OP
OP
I'd say, depending on what you want, you could just use beer gas / nitrogen. OTOH, if you want a frothy drink, you could mix up some oatmeal with extra water and then put that through a cheesecloth to help get the liquid out and use that liquid to make your coffee, or make super-strong coffee and use this liquid to dilute it.
For frothy coffee, you'd probably want to carbonate on CO2 and then push using beer gas at a low pressure so you don't get all foam.Me and my wife tried this recently with co2, in hopes for a "beer like" coffe with a creamy head, instead we got a carbonated, very bitter cold glass of coffee. I would highly recommend not
Carbonating as it alters the flavor tremendously and quickly. If anyone has any advice on how to achieve this without purchase a nitro set up im all ears!
Carbonating as it alters the flavor tremendously and quickly. If anyone has any advice on how to achieve this without purchase a nitro set up im all ears!
You don't need a stout tap using Nitrogen. If all you want is to pour cold coffee, you can use a standard faucet and just push it with a few psi of Nitrogen. You will need a different regulator, however, since they are female thread, and CO2 regs use male thread.
Adding to what has already been posted...
The stout tap is used in conjunction with beergas to create the head and cascading effect in coffee similar to a proper nitro stout.
When it comes to the acidity of the product...remember that could brewed coffee is already much lower in acidity than hot brewed.
You can push cold brew with pure nitro, but you won't get the head and cascading effect that you get with beergas and a stout tap.
I think using straight CO2 with coffee is probably a pretty bad idea any way you slice it unless very short term and near 0 psi...
The stout tap is used in conjunction with beergas to create the head and cascading effect in coffee similar to a proper nitro stout.
When it comes to the acidity of the product...remember that could brewed coffee is already much lower in acidity than hot brewed.
You can push cold brew with pure nitro, but you won't get the head and cascading effect that you get with beergas and a stout tap.
I think using straight CO2 with coffee is probably a pretty bad idea any way you slice it unless very short term and near 0 psi...
Wonder if a low psi coupled with a creamer faucet could get close
