Nitrogen bulbs

[Darren Jeory]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd ask the brain trust this one. Trying to get my first keg dispense on the go and will be using soda stream regulator for CO2 and am gonna use oxebar PET "kegs" so that I can split my beer into smaller batches and not have to use it all in one go.

Here's the question...is it possible to somehow use nitrogen bulbs with this set up to serve stout?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rwilts]

What would be the benefit of just serving using nitrogen? I wouldn't think you would get any of the benefits of nitro if it's not been carbonated using nitro.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I'm not sure this is a good idea, for a few reasons.

Stout isn't served on pure nitrogen, usually it's 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2, pressures to serve this are about 35psi which is at the upper limit of the PRV in a fermentasaurus. I'm not sure the levels with the Oxebar.

Using just nitrogen you will end up with uncarbonated beer after a while.

I think the only way to do this welland safely with a PET keg would be to use a low pressure regulator to supply CO2 only at say 1.3 vols ( not as easy as dialling your reg down), then use something like a micronitrobrew that injects air ( 80% nitrogen) inline just before the tap and doesn't contaminate the keg. However this is an expensive piece of kit!

I'd go beer gas cylinder,beer gas regulator, dedicated keg, tap and stout spout not cheap either but you will get the proper pour and effect.

 

[Darren Jeory]

Weirdly just round this

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/nitrogen-mini-regulator/

 

[An Ankoù]

I'm not sure this is a good idea, for a few reasons.

Stout isn't served on pure nitrogen, usually it's 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2, pressures to serve this are about 35psi which is at the upper limit of the PRV in a fermentasaurus. I'm not sure the levels with the Oxebar.

Using just nitrogen you will end up with uncarbonated beer after a while.

I think the only way to do this welland safely with a PET keg would be to use a low pressure regulator to supply CO2 only at say 1.3 vols ( not as easy as dialling your reg down), then use something like a micronitrobrew that injects air ( 80% nitrogen) inline just before the tap and doesn't contaminate the keg. However this is an expensive piece of kit!

I'd go beer gas cylinder,beer gas regulator, dedicated keg, tap and stout spout not cheap either but you will get the proper pour and effect.

A like, even though you lost me in the detail.
For about 40 quid, I've invested in a dedicated nitrogen injector and some 2 gram bulbs. I'm dying to see what happens. My understanding is that the beer is normally carbonated and then the N2 is squirted in- which isn't very soluble in the beer anyway- and the dispense is like creamflow. We'll see.
Note (to those not living in NZ) that HBC are selling N2O bulbs and they seem to think its N2. No idea how this works in beer- they're for cream!!!
Interestingly, a bottle of homebrew stout split between two glasses and each topped up from a can of "draught" Guinness, makes it all taste like draught Guinness. I don't think much N2 is needed.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Using laughing gas in your stout would not be a good idea. It's would oxidise your stout very quickly.

If you want the stout nitro pour " cheap " put some stout in a glass and then suck up some stout in a syringe, inject this forcefully into the bottom of the glass and then top up from the can.
Another option is pour the stout and stand it in a cheap ultrasonic jewellery cleaner with a bit of water in the cleaner bath and a few seconds gives the nucleation.

Nitrogen is much much less soluble than CO2

 

[Dark Arts]

The nitro bulbs aren't very cost effective, I was using a mini nitro regulator from MM and the 2g bulbs and dispensing from 2ltr pop bottle and basically to get the cascading effect was having to use 1x bulb per pint poured?

Current set up is a 4ltr oxi bottle, kegland regular and disposable beer gas canister 70/30 set to 35-40psi pushing though a tap with stout nozzle, gives a lovely pint...the head size seems to be in relation to how carbonated the beer is?

Random try for a sudo handpull finish on your beer, 500ml pop bottle with the lid/cap poked with holes, stick in the top of you part poured pint squeeze bottle(syringe up some beer) then squeeze it back out, knocks out some of the co2 and as air is 70% nitrogen possibly has a slight nitro pour effect? What ever it is it makes the pint taste smoother.

 

[An Ankoù]

Random try for a sudo handpull finish on your beer, 500ml pop bottle with the lid/cap poked with holes, stick in the top of you part poured pint squeeze bottle(syringe up some beer) then squeeze it back out, knocks out some of the co2 and as air is 70% nitrogen possibly has a slight nitro pour effect? What ever it is it makes the pint taste smoother.

Yep.
I've done it with a turkey baster. It's like using a sparkler on a hand pump.

 

[Laner]

Weirdly just round this

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/nitrogen-mini-regulator/

£21 on Temu for the same item, if money is tight and time rich

 

[tondy79]

This youtube video shows a method to lightly carb with co2, then switch over to nitrogen using the mini regulator.