Nitro-Stout Finished, but not to my liking...

[Tanagra]

I purchased the necessary Nitrogen/CO2 blended gas and faucet several years ago to push Guinness and Murphy's Irish Stout out of my basement. The beer that pours is identical in every way to that of any Irish Pub around.

I recently decided that instead of buying commercial stout, I would make my own and serve it using the same equipment. My plan is to start with a decent clone recipe to get the proceedures down and then experiment by adjusting the flavors in subsequent batches.

The stout is finally ready. I transfered it to my cornelius keg and force carbonated on pure CO2 at 8PSI@38°F for 10 days. Today (day 11), I hooked up my mixed blend at 32PSI and thought I would be good to go.

Needless to say things did not turn out AT ALL as I had hoped.

The pour was uneventful - no cascading effect. The head was almost non-existant and settled quicker than immediately. What head there was (if any) was clearly a 'CO2' head, and not the creamy 'stout' head that I am used to.

The taste, however, was SHARP and that of a stout HIGHLY carbed with CO2 and STINGED my throat with CO2 bubbles (almost a bottled, non-nitro porter taste - or the taste of a traditional Guiness pushed with pure CO2 instead of a mixed blend). It was not pleasantly smooth like the stout I am used to.

On one hand I feel that it is not carbed enough - there is barely any head, and from what I hear, a beer overcarbonated will get a glass full of foam. I have almost the complete OPPOSITE - a glass with hardly ANY foam, that looks FLAT.

On the other hand I feel it is WAY overcarbed - the taste is almost painfully saturated with CO2 and does not come out of suspension.

Please HELP! Where do I go from here?

 

[KYB]

The stout is finally ready. I transfered it to my cornelius keg and force carbonated on pure CO2 at 8PSI@38°F for 10 days. Today (day 11), I hooked up my mixed blend at 32PSI and thought I would be good to go.

There is your problem. That is about 2.2 volumes. Guinness, Murphy's, etc, are all carbonated very low. You want 1.2-1.6 volumes. Try decarbing the keg. Unhook the gas, shake, and vent the pressure. Then try pushing it with beer gas.

 

[jmkratt]

There is your problem. That is about 2.2 volumes. Guinness, Murphy's, etc, are all carbonated very low. You want 1.2-1.6 volumes. Try decarbing the keg. Unhook the gas, shake, and vent the pressure. Then try pushing it with beer gas.

I was going to say the same thing.

I don't have a Nitro system yet, but will soon so I have read way too much about it.

Please let me know if this solves the problem, which I beleive it should!

 

[Tanagra]

There is your problem. That is about 2.2 volumes. Guinness, Murphy's, etc, are all carbonated very low. You want 1.2-1.6 volumes. Try decarbing the keg. Unhook the gas, shake, and vent the pressure. Then try pushing it with beer gas.

I appreciate your input and thank you for the reply.

I have read over and over that Guinness carbs naturally at 1.2 (with leftover sweet wort) and that I should carb my nitro-beers between 1.2-1.5vols - but my common sense got the better of me. While I am in agreement with you that my beer is almost certainly over carbonated, my technical mind tells me that from experience with my setup, I know commercial stouts pour perfectly at 32PSI@38°F with my mixed gas - allegedly keeping a balance of 8PSI (CO2) in equilirbium. Wouldn't I want to force carb the beer with the same pressure of CO2 that will end up in the solution when I hook up the mixed blend anyway? And even if I did carb to 1.2vols of CO2 and then hook up my mixed blend to serve, wouldn't the balance of CO2 bring the solution to 2.2vols over time? I am at a loss for logic.

Can anyone clarify where my logic is failing?

Regardless, when I get home from work I am going to pull the keg and start the de-carb process... Hopefully I will be able to make something drinkable out of this batch.

 

[Tanagra]

Got home from work, wanted to pour one more glass to better and more closely observe exactly what was happening when this happened...



Success!!! This video does not do the cascade justice, I did not have much lighting when I shot the video.

I really can't think of anything specific to have caused the change except for time. Perhaps it takes several hours for the beer to adjust to the higher pressure of hooking up the mixed blend gas. Perhaps I needed to pour a full glass or two off the top first. Either way, I am pleased. More importantly, the taste is MUCH better, and the carbonation more subtle. The carbonation seems a 'little' high, but nothing like what it was yesterday. I suppose over the next month as the new pressures truely equalize, the beer will continue to improve.

I will continue to drink this batch keeping the pressure at 2.2vols (8PSI@38°F of CO2 to force carb for 10 days, and 32PSI@38°F of MIXED GAS thereafterwards to serve). I am force carbing my next batch right now to 1.2vols and I will be comparing the results - I will force carb at 70°F since I will not be able to do it at 38°F due to the extremely small pressure requirements.

I will post the results on the 2nd of May!

 

[PtotheL]

So... what was the result then ?

 

[bmckee56]

Using beer gas mixture requires time just as straight co2 does. If you just hooked up your beer gas mix and started pouring, the nitrogen did not have time to dissolve into the beer properly. I have had my Imperial Stout on tap now for more than 4 months at 32psi and it pours fantastically.

I do not even use co2 to carb my stouts, I just use the beer gas mix and patience.

Glad yours worked out for you.

Salute!