I can't get a good nitro pour

6Trails · Nov 13, 2024

And it's driving me mad.

I'm on 75/25 gas (everything from 25 to 40psi), about 5 beers on it now and the general way it goes is that it will pour a stout very white looking initially, it'll start to cascade to black but about half way up the glass it'll slow down and the head will sort of lower to meet it. Leaves me with about 2 - 2.5 inches of head every time. The head itself looks good and tight/creamy.
Anyone perfect this setup that can advise? Cheers.

Rodcx500z · Nov 13, 2024

How much head do you need

YeastFace · Nov 14, 2024

How are you nitrogenating it?

Some suggest carbing with Co² to a level and then puttting it on mixed gas. I found that to be too foamy.

Now I just use mixed gas from the off, with a carbonation stone. Takes longer but end result is worth it to me.

In terms of pressure, as you're using 75/25 you'll need to set your pressure to 4 times what you would using Co2.

So aiming for 2 vols at 5°c you'd use 7.3psi, with your mixed gas you'd need 29.2

This article is useful - https://beersmith.com/blog/2023/02/14/carbonating-your-beer-with-stout-mix-gas/

Frisp · Nov 14, 2024

6Trails said:
And it's driving me mad.

I'm on 75/25 gas (everything from 25 to 40psi), about 5 beers on it now and the general way it goes is that it will pour a stout very white looking initially, it'll start to cascade to black but about half way up the glass it'll slow down and the head will sort of lower to meet it. Leaves me with about 2 - 2.5 inches of head every time. The head itself looks good and tight/creamy.
Anyone perfect this setup that can advise? Cheers.

I have a similar issue, 10m 3/16 line 32psi 70/30 and a stout tap. on a Keezer. 1st pint is always livelier. Best I have managed is on 2nd pint pour 1/3 with tap pulled toward me down the side of the glass and let it settle. then still pouring down the side of the glass push the tap handle away. however as I have to level the glass the head starts to expand and ends up more that 1" thick. the more pints I pull the better it pours though.

6Trails · Nov 14, 2024

YeastFace said:
How are you nitrogenating it?

Some suggest carbing with Co² to a level and then puttting it on mixed gas. I found that to be too foamy.

Now I just use mixed gas from the off, with a carbonation stone. Takes longer but end result is worth it to me.

In terms of pressure, as you're using 75/25 you'll need to set your pressure to 4 times what you would using Co2.

So aiming for 2 vols at 5°c you'd use 7.3psi, with your mixed gas you'd need 29.2

This article is useful - https://beersmith.com/blog/2023/02/14/carbonating-your-beer-with-stout-mix-gas/

The first time round I did the CO2 thing but after that didn't work I've just started putting it straight on the 75/25 as soon as it's kegged. I've tried 25, 30, and 40 psi so far but they're all giving me the same pour. Does it improve with time? This latest one is kegged and on gas a month now.

I took a video yesterday, as good a one as I could get with phone/tap/glass and 2 hands - if I get it uploaded somewhere I'll post it up here too.

6Trails · Nov 14, 2024

The resolution might be a bit messed up to get it down to size.

Frisp · Nov 14, 2024

6Trails said:
The resolution might be a bit messed up to get it down to size.

Yep try pouring 1/4 a glass pulling yhe handle . Let it settle out. Then finish the pour pushing yhe handle away from you. Im told the push doesn't use as much gas as the pull does in the pour

LeeH · Nov 14, 2024

How can that be when the gas is already in the solution and is connected to the keg.

Solutions are;
Never pre gas with CO2
Use 70/30
Control your keg temp well
Use 3/16 line on a homebrew set up
Unsure the lines are cool, as a solution warms it will release the absorbed gas
Nitrogen takes longer to absorbs so use a carbonation chart, Google jolly good beer, and give it time. 2 weeks even at the correct temp and pressure.
30 PSI at around 5 degs is a sensible target I think.

RoomWithABrew · Nov 17, 2024

You don't need to balance the beer line as you would for CO2 served beer. The stout spout/ faucet has a restriction plate in it.
My setup is 85cm of 5mm internal beer line.
Set reg to about 30 to 35 psi, ensure beer is cool and does not have CO2 above about 1.3 vols.
The usual reason for foamy stout pours on beer gas is too much CO2.

Rento · Nov 17, 2024

LeeH said:
How can that be when the gas is already in the solution and is connected to the keg.

Solutions are;
Never pre gas with CO2
Use 70/30
Control your keg temp well
Use 3/16 line on a homebrew set up
Unsure the lines are cool, as a solution warms it will release the absorbed gas
Nitrogen takes longer to absorbs so use a carbonation chart, Google jolly good beer, and give it time. 2 weeks even at the correct temp and pressure.
30 PSI at around 5 degs is a sensible target I think.

I agree…after far too long trying to get a decent pour I had a chat with the guys at malt miller as I thought it may just be my nukatap that was garbage. But after the chat I reduced the temp on my fridge to 6c and put the tap on the door with half a meter of 3/16 rather than on a remote line. I then put a newly brewed stout straight on the 70/30 and left for a week…..it poured perfect first time!

6Trails · Nov 17, 2024

Is that the really tiny line, the one that you can't use with CO2 pours? How did you do the connections from that to the tap & keg?

Rento · Nov 17, 2024

6Trails said:
Is that the really tiny line, the one that you can't use with CO2 pours? How did you do the connections from that to the tap & keg?

Yes, just use step down JG fittings. You can use it for anything, I also use it for co2

RoomWithABrew · Nov 18, 2024

6Trails said:
Is that the really tiny line, the one that you can't use with CO2 pours? How did you do the connections from that to the tap & keg?

I use a 3mm 4mm external 2mm internal beer line for my saison keg at 3.5 vols. Using the adapters from John Guest to fit into the tap and ball lock.

6Trails · Nov 19, 2024

I've ordered some 8mm to 3/16 push-in reducers and some 3/16 beer line, fingers crossed.

RoomWithABrew · Nov 19, 2024

You really don't need to worry about the beer line diameter or length too much. It's getting a stable temp and the correct amount of CO2 vols in your beer, pressure of about 35psi with 70% nitrogen and 30%CO2 and a stout faucet with restrictor plate.
I use a very small line for my high volume CO2 beers but the beer line to my stout faucet is about a metre and 5mm internal.

6Trails · Nov 20, 2024

I've never been able to pick up 70/30 here, not in a small enough size to handle anyway. Always seems to be 75/25, but you'd think that would be even safer as there's even less CO2 in the mix.

The only carbonation that would be in my beer when it goes into the keg would be whatever gets in to it from pressurising the fermenter during cold crash (I don't pressure ferment other than that, it's only to stop the fermenter imploding - I add 10psi when I set it to crash and end up displaying around 4psi in the fermenter by the time it's at 2C), and I've just been setting the beer on different PSI's to see can I get it working (25, 30, 35, 40 on different brews), but I found it didn't work for me at any of them (kegerator set to 4C). I might need to hook up an external gauge to see if my regulator is showing correctly, I've tried the Nukatap with stout spout in place of my stout tap but they both pour the same way.

RoomWithABrew · Nov 21, 2024

You just burst it to 10psi I'm assuming?
Dropping from 10 psi to 4 psi does mean you will be increasing the CO2 vols to perhaps 1.9 vols at that temp.
When you warm the beer to 5 or 6 and set reg to say 30psi you'll have 7.5 psi of CO2. That would be just about the same vols.
An inch of head is about right in a pint glass. I still think your issue is too much CO2.

6Trails · Nov 21, 2024

RoomWithABrew said:
You just burst it to 10psi I'm assuming?
Dropping from 10 psi to 4 psi does mean you will be increasing the CO2 vols to perhaps 1.9 vols at that temp.
When you warm the beer to 5 or 6 and set reg to say 30psi you'll have 7.5 psi of CO2. That would be just about the same vols.
An inch of head is about right in a pint glass. I still think your issue is too much CO2.

It could well be, though possibly due to my regulator.
I'm only connecting the CO2 to the fermenter to pressurise to 10psi and then removing it, not leaving it on a constant pressure for the 2 days it takes to chill down. Considering it takes over a week of constant CO2 on a keg to reach carbonation it couldn't be adding much I'd have thought?

RoomWithABrew · Nov 22, 2024

Nitrogen is very difficult to dissolve in beer. CO2 a lot easier.
CO2 causes the foam. Nitrogen causes the cascade.

6Trails · Nov 25, 2024

The 3/16 made no difference to the head size anyway. I have noticed that different beer line diameters and lengths can have a very big affect on the quality of the nitro head, but not on the size. Smaller overall sizes (L x D) definitely make it more light and bubbly as opposed to dense and creamy.
Anyway, I've given up on this current batch and just put it down to over carbonated. I'll try the next one with no cold crash.

I can't get a good nitro pour

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