Stout tap and mixed (pub gas)- worth it?

[Jingram's_brews]

Good morning gents,

Been busy brewing and improving my set up since my last post- poured my first pint by tap the other day which was a thing of beauty.

Having said that, I've currently got a stout conditioning that I'll be looking to keg soon, and I was wondering what your opinions were on stout taps. Obviously if you're a perfectionist, they're the way to go, but I'm curious as to how much difference they actually make in regards to the finished product. Was hoping you guys might have some first hand experience so I can avoid any obvious mistakes myself!

Also, I currently only have a co2 cylinder which I've been using to carb and push beer through the line; is it worth getting a cylinder of pub gas? Obviously they're better when it comes to pushing, but I don't know if it would contribute to the stout that much in regards to carbing. My plan was to just carb with co2 at a low PSI, but I don't know if that's some kind of brewing cardinal sin!

Thanks in advance for any guys who take the time to respond.

 

[LeeH]

I personally love a pint of creamflow stout, and for me it’s worth it. You cannot produce that slow cascading effect any other way.

It does mean an extra bottle and regulator so it does come at a cost.

You cannot use 100% CO2 as you need high pressure and low CO2 volumes.

 

[Jingram's_brews]

I personally love a pint of creamflow stout, and for me it’s worth it. You cannot produce that slow cascading effect any other way.

It's this sort of rhetoric that has been emptying my bank account as of late Unfortunately I'm a student, so I don't exactly have the cash to splash out.

You cannot use 100% CO2 as you need high pressure and low CO2 volumes.

Of course you're right, if I were to get a stout tap then beer gas would be pretty important, as I imagine the aggregate plate needs those high pressures to work. Having said that, as long as I apply enough pressure to get a seal, I don't see why a low PSI of co2 would be a problem provided the keg was fully purged before hand. Surely the low co2 volume would, after equilibration, mean the carbonation of the beer is sufficiently low? Then if I used some wide tubing (like with a party tap), the low resistance would allow easy dispensing and a decent head (providing its not all foam). In my head, the only problem I see is the lack of mouth feel that the nitrogen supposedly adds. Of course, I'm still new to all of this, so I might be wrong, and should probably read up a bit more.

 

[LeeH]

Using a stout tap with low pressure CO2 gives a thick head but that’s it. It does not produce that creamflow feel that you are after. If you could, Guinness and the likes would be using it as mixed gas is more expensive per kilo.

 

[Rento]

It’s worth it! I love the texture you get and for me it improves any dark ale as well as stout. The cascade I can take or leave, it’s the creamy head that gets me every time!

 

[BeerCat]

If you want more mouthfeel in a stout don't boil it. Saying that though i really want a nitrogen setup too.

 

[Joust]

I used a 60% nitrogen and 40% co2 for a while and the difference was very noticeable. Especially in my darker beers.

Thick tight creamy head. A long cascade of tiny bubbles that took a while to settle and a nice creamy texture. And obviously less carbonation.

Splitting a brew and doing one keg with co2 and the other with a mostly nitrogen mix made a world of difference to the beers.

 

[Joust]

**** for a lager though.

 

[LeeH]

**** for a lager though.

Carling Premier was the gear back in the 90's!

 

[Jingram's_brews]

If you want more mouthfeel in a stout don't boil it. Saying that though i really want a nitrogen setup too.

Could you elaborate on this, I'm curious

Also thank you everyone else for your responses, I guess I'm gonna have to invest in another rig at some point. RIP my savings.

 

[gavp1979]

I bought a stout tap/mixed gas bottle/regulator when I was mid way through my first keg of stout and it definitely improved the beer

 

[BeerCat]

Could you elaborate on this, I'm curious

Also thank you everyone else for your responses, I guess I'm gonna have to invest in another rig at some point. RIP my savings.

Basically instead of boiling you pastereurise the wort during mashout .Have a look at this, explains the method really well

 

[BridgeBrew]

I've brewed a couple of Cooper's Irish stouts recently, with the addition of some cold steeped chocolate malt, and they've been lovely. But lacking that really creamy texture. I use king kegs, with S30 valves. If I used the coffee creamer capsules instead of the CO2 capsules would I achieve the creamflow affect ?

 

[samale]

I bought a stout tap/mixed gas bottle/regulator when I was mid way through my first keg of stout and it definitely improved the beer

What method do you use. Carbonate using co2 then switch gas to the nitro mix for serving

 

[gavp1979]

What method do you use. Carbonate using co2 then switch gas to the nitro mix for serving

I have only ever used it for half a keg, I had already carbonated with CO2 and started drinking it when I decided that o needed a full nitro setup just switching the already carbonated keg over to nitro worked fine

 

[LeeH]

I've brewed a couple of Cooper's Irish stouts recently, with the addition of some cold steeped chocolate malt, and they've been lovely. But lacking that really creamy texture. I use king kegs, with S30 valves. If I used the coffee creamer capsules instead of the CO2 capsules would I achieve the creamflow affect ?

No it wouldn’t

 

[BridgeBrew]

Why ?

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I guess I'm gonna have to invest in another rig at some point. RIP my savings.

The answer is not always to spend £££. A lot depends on what your expectations of "stout" are - if you only think of it as Guinness then nitro is pretty much the only way to go, but don't forget that Guinness only invented nitro kegs as an attempt to replicate The One True Dispense, namely cask-conditioned stout.

Cask/bottle-conditioned beer isn't the same as nitro - but is arguably "better" for many stouts. So unless you need to replicate the Guinness thing at home, then I'd keep your hand in your pocket for now.