Nitro aged stout

[jdhasse]

Please take it easy on me for this total newb question that is likely quite dumb... asking for a friend. We’ve gotten a keg of a nitro vanilla bourbon barrel stout (Jameson/Revolution collab) and need help.

Do we have any cheap options to pour this beer?

I have a CO2 kegerator setup and zero nitro equipment and not looking to invest in a nitro setup for this one keg.

 

[AF1HomeBrew]

You could probably just purge the keg, then hook up your CO2 regulator and serve. It wouldn't have the same mouth feel.

 

[Vale71]

I have a CO2 kegerator setup and zero nitro equipment and not looking to invest in a nitro setup for this one keg.

Then you don't have a nitro stout. Without the specialized equipment you're just going to get a standard CO2 pour. Be advised that if the beer was meant to be nitro poured it's probably well undercarbed for a standard pour, some forced carbonation might be necessary before you can serve it with standard gas.

 

[Beardless]

Read toward the end of this article- “An Authentic Alternative” part. The carbonation in a nitro beer is quite more CO2 then people realize, with the nitrogen to “push” the beer while allowing the amount of CO2 dissolved to stay low.

Big things from the article- need a restrictive plate in the tap, adjust CO2 pressure for serving and then lower back down, serve warmer than other beers. Could get you close.

https://byo.com/article/the-nitrogen-effect/

However it might be a bit more experimentation than you’d like if you already have the keg and want to drink it.

 

[ajdelange]

The setup you have is fine. Just buy a cylinder of "beer mix" instead of CO2 for this keg.

 

[AF1HomeBrew]

The setup you have is fine. Just buy a cylinder of "beer mix" instead of CO2 for this keg.

He'll need a Nitrogen regulator also.

 

[day_trippr]

If the OP was able to get a cylinder with a cga320 valve on it (ie: your basic CO2 cylinder) filled with beer gas, any primary CO2 regulator would work.

That said, beer gas is only interesting if coupled with a stout faucet, imo, and one of those will cost more than a cga580-compatible regulator...

Cheers!

 

[Beardless]

Just remember that nitrogen comes as a compressed gas and is higher pressure to get a reasonable volume in the similar sized cylinder. I would guess the reason for different valve design is so you don’t mistakenly put a lower pressure regulator on the high pressure tank. Speaking about my setup alone- CO2 reg gauge goes to 2000# while the Beer Gas reg gauge goes to 3000#. Of course I’d have to look closer since those are just the gauge ranges (gauges installed by manufacturer) and don’t exactly speak to the design of the rest of the reg. But just some food for thought.

Regardless- I completely agree the biggest draw is the creamy head and cascade during the pour, which comes from the low dissolved CO2 and the stout faucet. That’s where the beer gas helps- you can set it higher while keeping the volume of CO2 in the beer low (25% of beer gas at 25# is really like a CO2 reg set at 6.25#). That extra pressure from the nitrogen helps push it through the small holes in the stout faucet.

And off of my regurgitation of everything I’ve been studying the last few days and back to the point for the OP-
I’m sure if you aren’t sending it through too long of beer lines you could find a low CO2 setting that’ll allow you to keep the carb down but still let you push it to the faucet. But I’d be worried you’d get a few pours in a row done and have to wait to let things stabilize before the next pour- not positive about that tho.

EDIT- just had a thought- if it has 30# of beer gas on it and you do hook up a 8# CO2 you should have a back flow preventer or you might get beer in the CO2 lines.

 

[Jag75]

I was unaware of the whole Nitro set up as well. Took me some reading and learning from some guys around here . I have not been able to emulate or haven't seen anyone be able to get that nitro cascade or creaminess without it . You get that cascade because your pushing at 35psi and it goes through the nitro tip with the agitation holes. Beer that is gonna be put on Nitro is carbed to 1.2 volumes first on Co2 alone for a few days then its put on Nitro blend tank 75% Nitro 25% Co2 ( gas blend) . I use the same beer lines when I run Nitro . If you have an intertap you could get the stout tip but not sure what your gonna get .

 

[Jag75]

If the OP was able to get a cylinder with a cga320 valve on it (ie: your basic CO2 cylinder) filled with beer gas, any primary CO2 regulator would work.

That said, beer gas is only interesting if coupled with a stout faucet, imo, and one of those will cost more than a cga580-compatible regulator...

Cheers!

There is nowhere in my vicinity that fills tanks . I'm only allowed to swap so I had to buy a tank and a Nitro reg . K dont even know if anyone would ever fill gas blend in a co2 tank . I think there are regulations of it needing to be steel . I got my nitro tip for 15$ . Intertap faucets are nice for that easy quick change .

 

[camonick]

I think there are regulations of it needing to be steel .

All the 20# 75/25 beer gas cylinders I’ve exchanged have been aluminum. They are filled to a much higher pressure (1600 psi) than a standard CO2 cylinder (600-800 psi) however. The ones I exchanged also had CGA580 valves

and required a nitrogen specific regulator

I know you can get an adapter

To convert a nitrogen valve to a CO2 valve but depending on the CO2 regulator, the line pressure gauge might not read high enough to measure the pressure you’re supplying the faucet (mine only goes to 30 psi)

As far as the OPs original question, the cheapest way to tap and pour the keg is probably with the equipment you already have assuming you have the proper keg coupler for that brand of beer. As stated above, it may not taste the way you think it should depending on the carbonation level and intended way it was meant to be dispensed.
Good luck.