Nitro tap - worth it or not?

[HollisBT]

Where are you guys ordering your nitro set ups from? I think I just found what I will be asking Santa for this year

 

[LLBeanJ]

I pieced mine together from a couple of different sources:

Tank, regulator, barbs, & gas disconnect from Beverage Elements
Stout faucet from Learn to Brew (via Amazon.com)

 

[Silentdrinker]

I agree, but when real world results don't jibe with the theoretical, you have no choice but to act on the real world results.

Also, my experience suggests that 1.8 vols is too much for a successful nitro pour. 1.0 is closer to what I have to use, i.e., damn near flat really. Naturally, YMMV.

1.8 is slightly high, but shouldn't be all foam high... 1.2-1.7 is normal 1v isn't unheard of. Agreed... Something has to not be accurate, or his regulator is broken.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

so when you set the regulator to 30.. why does that not over carb the beer in the keg after a couple of days?

 

[Silentdrinker]

so when you set the regulator to 30.. why does that not over carb the beer in the keg after a couple of days?

It all depends. You can if you're not set up properly. A 25/75 mix at 55f will carbonate less at 25psi vs a 40/60 mix at 32f and 15psi. I've even heard of people shutting the gas off only to use while serving.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

so when you set the regulator to 30.. why does that not over carb the beer in the keg after a couple of days?

Nitrogen does not absorb into beer well..Thats why you slightly carb the beer with co2 first and just use the nitro to serve

 

[LLBeanJ]

so when you set the regulator to 30.. why does that not over carb the beer in the keg after a couple of days?

Unlike CO2, nitrogen cannot be absorbed by the beer (at least, not at the pressures we're working with), which is why it is used for this purpose. It's only function is push the beer at a relatively high PSI thru the restrictor plate in the stout faucet so that the result is the cascading, creamy head. The 25% (or 40%) CO2 in the beer gas is there to maintain carbonation. At 30 PSI, 25% CO2 is equivalent to carbing @ 7.5 PSI of pure CO2.

You can actually get the cascading, creamy head with 100% CO2 by setting the pressure to 30 PSI and pushing through a stout faucet. You would then have to immediately vent the keg from serving pressure back to carb pressure so that you don't wind up with an overcarbed mess on your hands. Since that would be a huge PITA and a major waste of CO2, we use beer gas instead.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

thank you

 

[masonsjax]

I've noticed that carbing to a calculated 1.2 volumes with straight CO2 ends up being too much and gives me all foam. Now I just let it carb up on beergas. I vent the keg a few times for the first few days because most of the CO2 will absorb leaving just nitrogen in the headspace so carbing halts until you flush with fresh beergas.

I also got my stuff from various sources. I highly recommend the premium Micromatic regulator:
http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/gas-equipment-pid-GN1773.html

Get a tank from Scotty. I got an 80cf and couldn't be happier:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/40-20-co2-tanks-415193/

 

[day_trippr]

[...]I vent the keg a few times for the first few days because most of the CO2 will absorb leaving just nitrogen in the headspace so carbing halts until you flush with fresh beergas.
[...]

That would violate partial pressure gas theory.

I'm pretty sure your venting is just wasting gas, and that the CO2 will in fact plough right past all that backed up nitrogen and find its way into your beer...

Cheers!

 

[masonsjax]

You're probably right. My experience seems to indicate otherwise though. Doesn't Dalton's law just apply to the predictability of overall pressure as opposed to the blend's ratio changing under variable circumstances?