Stout faucet restrictor plates

[JonyMac]

I have a Micromatic stout faucet with a restrictor plate with the number 30 stamped on it. Anybody know what this number refers to? Are there different size restrictor plates I could use?

I am not getting a thick enough head when pouring my Guinness running on 75/25 nitro beer gas. My keg is at 38psi based on Micromatic's recommendations and has been hooked up to the nitro tank for a month. I was thinking I might try a restrictor plates with smaller holes to force more of the nitro/CO2 out of suspension during the pour.

 

[augiedoggy]

I have a Micromatic stout faucet with a restrictor plate with the number 30 stamped on it. Anybody know what this number refers to? Are there different size restrictor plates I could use?

I am not getting a thick enough head when pouring my Guinness running on 75/30 nitro beer gas. My keg is at 38psi based on Micromatic's recommendations and has been hooked up to the nitro tank for a month. I was thinking I might try a restrictor plates with smaller holes to force more of the nitro/CO2 out of suspension during the pour.

You accomplish what your looking for by adjusting your pressure or beer line length not the plate... I use much less pressure myself (dont remember off hand) but my LHBS store recommended 28-30 psi as a starting point...

and I believe its 75/25 mix (=100% composition)

 

[JonyMac]

I have tried lowering the pressure with no different results - my beer line is 6' and all spot on to Micromatic specs. Maybe there is something special I need to do to carb/nitro the keg?

 

[CanAm]

Try an 8-9 foot line. At 28 psi mine works great

 

[augiedoggy]

Try an 8-9 foot line. At 28 psi mine works great

This is what I have too..

 

[JonyMac]

So, I listened to a podcast from the latest AHA conference about setting up nitro systems and the guy said the following:

1. Start with flat beer - dark and or lager is better
2. Keep beer at 33º during nitrogen infusion
3. Use 75/25 nitrogen to CO2 ratio beer gas
4. Set PSI to 40 for 5 days at 33º, then back down to 25 PSI for serving

Result: Perfect cascading and perfect head on a Guinness Stout clone.

This fixed all my issues.

JonyMac

 

[day_trippr]

So, 38 psi for two months wasn't enough, but 5 days at 40 psi got things right?

Color me skeptical

Cheers!

 

[JonyMac]

Just reporting my experience: I think dropping it back to 25 PSI after having it at 40 PSI and adjusting the beer down to 33º is what made it all work out. The head on the beer is proper now rather than thin and disappearing quickly. Not two months, but one - I am circling back to this thread to close the book on the issue.

Color me happy.

 

[day_trippr]

Your original post from Jan 10 said you had that keg on 38 psi for a month.
It's now a month later

What temperature did you have it before you dropped it to 33°F? (which is pretty darned cold for the style, but...)

Cheers!

 

[JonyMac]

Yes, I fixed the problem over three weeks ago - just reporting back. I will take a video of the the pour and post it here.

Cheers!

 

[augiedoggy]

Your original post from Jan 10 said you had that keg on 38 psi for a month.
It's now a month later

What temperature did you have it before you dropped it to 33°F? (which is pretty darned cold for the style, but...)

Cheers!

yes Guinness is supposed to be served at like 50 right? (I have mine at like 37 )

 

[JonyMac]

Yep 48 to 50, but to get the nitrogen into solution, you bring it to around 33, and then you can bring the temp back up. I however, do not have a dedicated Guinness keezer, so it comes out around 39 by the time it makes it to my faucets in the bar area. I find waiting for it to settle and sipping on it, it hits the right temp a third of the way into the beer.