New to stouts...first beergas tank...what PSI/setup?

[electricd7]

All-

I did my first homebrew stout on Easter and just got a tank filled with beergas (75% NO2, 25% CO2) and hooked it all up. I have my kegerator at 40 degrees, 10ft of beerline (always been great with Co2 beers) and set my regulator to 30psi. I have a Krome stout tap on the other end. The beer came out FAST and was mostly foam....I turned it down to 20PSI and purged the keg and let it recharge, again came out really fast. I am new to the stout taps as well and pulled it all the way forward. I could slow it down by not pulling as forward, but have always opened the Perlick taps all the way for my normal ales. What *should* I be doing to get the creamy stout experience I am after? Thanks in advance!

ED7

 

[BrewerBrad82]

Be sure that the restrictor plate is actually in the nozzle of the stout faucet. 30 psi is perfect. It will look like foam when it comes out, but will cascade and settle nicely in the glass.

Restrictor plate:

 

[camonick]

just got a tank filled with beergas (75% NO2, 25% CO2)

I hope your blend is 75% N, 25% CO2!
NO2 is poisonous.

 

[Transamguy77]

Yes what @BrewerBrad82 said, it sounds like the restrictor plate is missing.

 

[electricd7]

Restrictor plate is definitely in there. I had it out to begin with because i was serving normal ale off the same faucet. I just added it back in. The beer comes out SO fast at 30PSI with 10ft of 3/16" hose. There is a little plastic "standoff" thing that is below the restrictor plate that was in there when I bought the faucet...assuming I need it as well so I did add it back....need to get this figured out, but thinking my only recourse is to lower the PSI?

 

[electricd7]

I just purged the keg and turned the gas down to 10psi (which is about where i run my normal C02 tanks) and the pour seemed about perfect.....What is the danger in leaving it this low? Undercarbed ?

 

[yoop89]

In which order did you place the restrictor plate and flow straightener? Its been a while since I had a nitro on tap but I thought I remember being able to assemble them in the wrong order? There should also be an oring to help seal against the restrictor plate.

Ive always ran my setup at 40°F and 32 psi and that resulted in perfect pours.

 

[electricd7]

O ring on threaded male portion, then plastic flow straightener in bottom of spout, then restrictor plate, then o-ring again then tightly screwed into faucet. I believe maybe my keg is overcarbed. I had it on C02 for a bit (2 weeks at 10psi) while I waited on my beer-gas mix. Could that be the issue? Just seems like it getting around the restrictor some how by how fast it shoots out of the faucet.

 

[yoop89]

Thats what I was thinking too. 10 psi is slightly overcarbed for your blend but I wouldn't think that would change the flow rate at the spout.

For reference, whatever you set you beergas at you divide by four(25% CO2 Beergas) if you want to pre carb with straight CO2.

 

[camonick]

I had it on C02 for a bit (2 weeks at 10psi) while I waited on my beer-gas mix.

Stouts served on nitro are usually only carbonated to 1.2-1.5 volumes of CO2. If you had that beer on 10 psi @ 40° for 2 weeks, it is fully carbonated @ 2.3 volumes and way over-carbonated for serving with a beer gas blend and stout faucet. You’ll need to de-gas it back down to the proper range. FWIW, I serve my nitro stout with a 75/25 blend set at 30 psi with 6’ of 3/16” tubing through a Micromatic Stout faucet.

 

[yoop89]

cam is right. I’m sorry my math was backwards(in my head). You should have carbed around 2.5 psi.

 

[day_trippr]

Oh, no, do not carb a beer intended for dispensing through a stout faucet with beergas to 2.5! Yikes!

fwiw, for over a decade now I have kept an imperial chocolate stout on a Micromatic faucet with 70/30 beergas @ 35 psi, now using 6 feet of 4mm ID EVAbarrier tubing (but previously used 10 feet of 3/16" Bevlex 200 with the same results). Perfect, cascading pours - because I only carb this beer to 1.2 volumes of CO2 during its cold-conditioning.

This does not explain the "coming out really fast" thing though. I get roughly an ounce per second out of my setup...

Cheers!

 

[electricd7]

Update. I picked up a keg of Guinness tonight and hooked it up to my beer gas tank and stout faucet at 30PSI and 40 degrees. Poured perfectly. Must have been my home brew being over carbed causing all my issues. Thanks guys!

 

[day_trippr]

Enjoy your new nitro setup!