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"?

Why does the same beer taste so much better when its on tap as compared
to bottled? is it a freshness thing?

Thanks for all the helpful (and even not so helpful) answers everyone.



drinkin oatmeal stout

wrote:
> Can someone explain to me what exactly nitro means. Are they
injecting
> nitrogen into the beer?

basically, yes, the beer is driven to the bar using a mix of nitrogen &
C02, both are dissolved into the beer, AFAIK Guinness invented it (&
other Stout brewers followed suit.

In the 1990s, in the UK at least, nitrokeg ales such as Boddingtons,
Caffreys & John Smith's cropped up with terms such as creamflow,
smoothflow, etc, but they were simply fairly dull ales served in this
manner.

> How is it different from the same beer "on tap"?

Well, they're both "on tap", but the nitrogen helps to form a lasting
creamy head, and as less C02 is present, the beer might not have the
"bite" that C02 alone can give & it should feel less gassy than if it
was just served under C02 alone (the normal method of dispense for keg
beer).

IMO some beers suit nitro better than others - stout does just seem to
work, but otherwise I'm not a big fan of nitrobeers, it seems to deaden
the flavour & the creamy mouthfeel is a bit of a one-trick pony.

Though I am curious to try some decent beers in nitro form for
comparison, I can only think of 1 or 2 UK craft-brewers that do
nitrokeg their stout or any beers. This is probably down to the
peculiarities of the UK pub beer market where almost all of the
domestic-brewed quality beer is served as cask beer.

> Why does the same beer taste so much better when its on tap as
compared
> to bottled? is it a freshness thing?

yes, probably - most bottled beer has gone thru more processing than
draft/draught beer (filtering, pasteurisation, etc) & possibly been
hanging around longer too (I've heard over here that supermarkets have
asked for 15 & 18 months shelf-life, many beers are not going to be
tip-top by then)

> Thanks for all the helpful (and even not so helpful) answers
everyone.
> drinkin oatmeal stout

had some great cask beers this week, including a top-notch stout from
E&S, Yorkshire; at one of UK's best beer pubs, Ship & Mitre, Dale
Street, Liverpool (www.shipandmitre.co.uk - I think)
cheers,
MikeMcG.

wrote:
> Can someone explain to me what exactly nitro means. Are they
injecting
> nitrogen into the beer?

basically, yes, the beer is driven to the bar using a mix of nitrogen &
C02, both are dissolved into the beer, AFAIK Guinness invented it (&
other Stout brewers followed suit.

In the 1990s, in the UK at least, nitrokeg ales such as Boddingtons,
Caffreys & John Smith's cropped up with terms such as creamflow,
smoothflow, etc, but they were simply fairly dull ales served in this
manner.

> How is it different from the same beer "on tap"?

Well, they're both "on tap", but the nitrogen helps to form a lasting
creamy head, and as less C02 is present, the beer might not have the
"bite" that C02 alone can give & it should feel less gassy than if it
was just served under C02 alone (the normal method of dispense for keg
beer).

IMO some beers suit nitro better than others - stout does just seem to
work, but otherwise I'm not a big fan of nitrobeers, it seems to deaden
the flavour & the creamy mouthfeel is a bit of a one-trick pony.

Though I am curious to try some decent beers in nitro form for
comparison, I can only think of 1 or 2 UK craft-brewers that do
nitrokeg their stout or any beers. This is probably down to the
peculiarities of the UK pub beer market where almost all of the
domestic-brewed quality beer is served as cask beer.

> Why does the same beer taste so much better when its on tap as
compared
> to bottled? is it a freshness thing?

yes, probably - most bottled beer has gone thru more processing than
draft/draught beer (filtering, pasteurisation, etc) & possibly been
hanging around longer too (I've heard over here that supermarkets have
asked for 15 & 18 months shelf-life, many beers are not going to be
tip-top by then)

> Thanks for all the helpful (and even not so helpful) answers
everyone.
> drinkin oatmeal stout

had some great cask beers this week, including a top-notch stout from
E&S, Yorkshire; at one of UK's best beer pubs, Ship & Mitre, Dale
Street, Liverpool (www.shipandmitre.co.uk - I think)
cheers,
MikeMcG.

"MikeMcG" > wrote in
oups.com:

> wrote:
>> Can someone explain to me what exactly nitro means. Are
>> they
> injecting
>> nitrogen into the beer?
>
> basically, yes, the beer is driven to the bar using a mix
> of nitrogen & C02, both are dissolved into the beer,

Nitrogen is used because it does NOT dissolve in beer (at
least not to any significant degree). A mix of CO2 and N2
allows the system to deliver beer at a normal carbonation but
at high pressure. A sparkler head (or "widget") is required
to serve beer in this manner. The high pressure delivered
via showerhead all but completely knocks the CO2 out of the
beer and raises a whacking great head with a fine bead.

> In the 1990s, in the UK at least, nitrokeg ales such as
> Boddingtons, Caffreys & John Smith's cropped up with terms
> such as creamflow, smoothflow, etc, but they were simply
> fairly dull ales served in this manner.

Shit all. And still available today.

>> How is it different from the same beer "on tap"?

Depends on the beer, don' it?

> but the nitrogen helps to form
> a lasting creamy head, and as less C02 is present, the beer
> might not have the "bite" that C02 alone can give & it
> should feel less gassy than if it was just served under C02
> alone (the normal method of dispense for keg beer).

Yep.

> IMO some beers suit nitro better than others - stout does
> just seem to work,

Irish dry stout - that's about it AFAIK. I'm sure there is
the odd exception, but there can't be many.

Serving beer on "nitro" (a stupid ****ing term in and of
itself) is a fad that in my opinion is thankfully waning. I
grow more than a bit tired of West Coast IPAs et al served
"on nitro". Some, er, many, er, most beers don't adapt well
to this serving method.

I don't know how it does it, but "nitro" makes everything
from Bass-like to Barleywine to IPA taste same-same to me. I
wouldn't think an inert gas could add flavor (?) or character
but... If it ain't Guinness I no longer order beer on
"nitro."



Scott

"MikeMcG" > wrote in
oups.com:

> wrote:
>> Can someone explain to me what exactly nitro means. Are
>> they
> injecting
>> nitrogen into the beer?
>
> basically, yes, the beer is driven to the bar using a mix
> of nitrogen & C02, both are dissolved into the beer,

Nitrogen is used because it does NOT dissolve in beer (at
least not to any significant degree). A mix of CO2 and N2
allows the system to deliver beer at a normal carbonation but
at high pressure. A sparkler head (or "widget") is required
to serve beer in this manner. The high pressure delivered
via showerhead all but completely knocks the CO2 out of the
beer and raises a whacking great head with a fine bead.

> In the 1990s, in the UK at least, nitrokeg ales such as
> Boddingtons, Caffreys & John Smith's cropped up with terms
> such as creamflow, smoothflow, etc, but they were simply
> fairly dull ales served in this manner.

Shit all. And still available today.

>> How is it different from the same beer "on tap"?

Depends on the beer, don' it?

> but the nitrogen helps to form
> a lasting creamy head, and as less C02 is present, the beer
> might not have the "bite" that C02 alone can give & it
> should feel less gassy than if it was just served under C02
> alone (the normal method of dispense for keg beer).

Yep.

> IMO some beers suit nitro better than others - stout does
> just seem to work,

Irish dry stout - that's about it AFAIK. I'm sure there is
the odd exception, but there can't be many.

Serving beer on "nitro" (a stupid ****ing term in and of
itself) is a fad that in my opinion is thankfully waning. I
grow more than a bit tired of West Coast IPAs et al served
"on nitro". Some, er, many, er, most beers don't adapt well
to this serving method.

I don't know how it does it, but "nitro" makes everything
from Bass-like to Barleywine to IPA taste same-same to me. I
wouldn't think an inert gas could add flavor (?) or character
but... If it ain't Guinness I no longer order beer on
"nitro."



Scott

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

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

"Scott Kaczorowski" > wrote in message
...

> Nitrogen is used because it does NOT dissolve in beer (at
> least not to any significant degree). A mix of CO2 and N2
> allows the system to deliver beer at a normal carbonation but
> at high pressure. A sparkler head (or "widget") is required
> to serve beer in this manner.

Is that always the case? I know it is if you want the nitro effect in the
poured pint, but don't some places with really long tap lines use a
nitro/CO2 mix in order to push the beer a long distance without fizzing the
hell out of it?

>>> How is it different from the same beer "on tap"?
>
> Depends on the beer, don' it?

Not to mention, it's still on tap.

As you get to later, nitro-dispense works well for some styles. It's shit
for others.

> Irish dry stout - that's about it AFAIK. I'm sure there is
> the odd exception, but there can't be many.

I haven't run into any others.

>
> Serving beer on "nitro" (a stupid ****ing term in and of
> itself) is a fad that in my opinion is thankfully waning. I
> grow more than a bit tired of West Coast IPAs et al served
> "on nitro". Some, er, many, er, most beers don't adapt well
> to this serving method.

Serving IPAs on nitro is quite simply one of the most dumb-**** things I've
ever seen when it comes to beer. Nitro dispense - due largely to the
sparkler that's required, IIRC - strips aromatics from the beer. Half the
point of an American IPA is the huge hop nose. So, yeah, let's serve a
fragrant beer in a way that robs it of its aroma. That's smart.

Almost as dumb is serving many (most) American IPAs from a handpump. That's
a rant for another day, though.

-Steve

"Steve Jackson" > wrote in
news:SUVde.1263$Vu.30@trnddc07:

> "Scott Kaczorowski" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Nitrogen is used because it does NOT dissolve in beer (at
>> least not to any significant degree). A mix of CO2 and N2
>> allows the system to deliver beer at a normal carbonation
>> but at high pressure. A sparkler head (or "widget") is
>> required to serve beer in this manner.
>
> Is that always the case?

N2 does not dissolve in beer under normal (?) conditions.

The Yard House Long Beach has to run all of its beer lines
over at least 20 ft. So to deliver beer under normal (?)
carbonation over such distances requires a touch o' the N2.
Else, the frat boy wannabes couldn't pour it in the first
place.

Can I tell at the far end? No, I can't. As much as I think
"nitro" is same-same, I can't pick up the "nitro" delivery on
Yard House-served beers. But then again it's not a 60/40 or
40/60 "beer mix" is it?

>> Serving beer on "nitro" (a stupid ****ing term in and of
>> itself) is a fad that in my opinion is thankfully waning.
>> I grow more than a bit tired of West Coast IPAs et al
>> served "on nitro". Some, er, many, er, most beers don't
>> adapt well to this serving method.
>
> Serving IPAs on nitro is quite simply one of the most
> dumb-**** things I've ever seen when it comes to beer.
> Nitro dispense - due largely to the sparkler that's
> required, IIRC - strips aromatics from the beer. Half the
> point of an American IPA is the huge hop nose. So, yeah,
> let's serve a fragrant beer in a way that robs it of its
> aroma. That's smart.

Same-same. Like adding carrots to stew. Makes it taste like
carrots.

When I see a recipe call for carrots, I think "Why not just
buy this shit in a can?" Me, I substitute garlic for
carrots...

Serve beer on "nitro", and you might as well add carrots to
your stew... Works for a couple, but not for most.

> Almost as dumb is serving many (most) American IPAs from a
> handpump.

The effect is supposed to be similar, no? Meaning hand pump
v. "nitro."

> That's a rant for another day, though.

Rant: Go nuts. Please. The group needs it. Don't be such
a baby.

--

Dude: We just missed the LB Barleywine Festival.

****.

That.

Blame must be placed.

Bonus for all: LB finally *does* have a webpage:

http://www.luckybaldwins.com/mainpage.html



Scott