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wrote:
> Can someone explain to me what exactly nitro means. Are they injecting
> nitrogen into the beer? How is it different from the same beer "on
> tap"?

At the risk of offending some people, nitro is purely a presentation
thing, which creates a head with very small bubbles which tend to last
longer for reasons I won't attempt to explain. But since the delivery
gets most of the CO2 out on the pour, you wind up with a great head over
almost flat beer.
>
> Why does the same beer taste so much better when its on tap as compared
> to bottled? is it a freshness thing?

One of two things. Some beers are cask conditioned, meaning put in the
cask flat, with live yeast and some sugars. The yeast eat the sugar and
produce a little alcohol and some CO2. Beer with live yeast lasts better
in proper storage than beer with no live yeast and artificial carbonation.

The other thing, as you said, is freshness. Beer doesn't (typically) sit
around in the cask as long as bottled beer might sit on a shelf. Ties up
space and money.

And in a good bar the beer is served in a glass, at the right
temperature. The average home fridge is way too cold for most beers,
other than a few lagers which are brewed in a style which encourages
cold serving. Yes, there are some exceptions, this is the short answer.
But beer which advertizes having a "cold frosty glass" usually doesn't
havce much taste to lose.

Take two bottles of a decent IPA out of the fridge after about 48 hours
cooling. Open one, pour in a well-rinsed glass, notice the head and
carbonation, and taste. Sip and notice the flavor. Hopefully that took
20-30 minutes, now repeat with the second. In most cases you will notice
more hops and a better balance at 50-55F than the typical American
setting which keeps milk a month past the "use by" date.
>
> Thanks for all the helpful (and even not so helpful) answers everyone.
>

Hopefully it gives you some ideas if you decide to learn more about the
topic. There is no one answer to your questions.
>
>
> drinkin oatmeal stout
>
Almost always better cool rather than cold.

--
-bill davidsen )
"The secret to procrastination is to put things off until the
last possible moment - but no longer" -me