What Beers on Nitrogen besides Stouts, pub ales?

[Kazi the Younger]

I'm pretty sold on investing in a nitrogen tank setup to serve a stout that I have been perfecting for while. I think
nitrogen will give it just the right creamy mouthfeel.

However, I know it's a big expense to get the tank, the faucet, the regulator, drill for a new shank in my kegerator, etc. So I'm wondering a few things:

1. What beers have people done well on nitro?
2. Can you serve beers on nitro with a standard faucet?

Ideally, I'd like to have my stout on the nitro faucet, and another nitro beer on a standard faucet.
Can I do this? I'd like to do something Naughty and experimental on the nitro thru standard tap, like
a Belgian Strong Dark or Wiezenbock.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

I love your enthusiasm for nitro, and am considering a nitro tap (maybe) in the future.... but beware the shit storm you might catch over the whole nitro thing.

Regardless, I'm curious as well! What can you all do w/ nitro?

Quick note about the stout your perfecting... nitro can greatly affect the flavor as well as the mouthfeel... so you'll still have tweaking to do, once you get it on nitro (it can reduce roasted character, IMO).

[Mylo]

2. Can you serve beers on nitro with a standard faucet?

Weeeeeelllllll.... you can - but there is no point, and if you left your beer on beergas at the lower pressure needed for a regular faucet - it would eventually be really flat. The point of the nitrogen in the beergas mix is to provide a gas that is negligibly soluable in beer, that you can keep at 30 PSI - and not overcarbonate your beer. Beergas is 1/3 CO2, 2/3 Nitrogen. When you keep it at 30 PSI, you are actually providing 10 PSI of CO2, and 20 PSI of Nitrogen. Your beer will maintain the level of carb (as if you were keeping it on 10 PSI of pure CO2), and you can force the beer through the restrictor plate at 30PSI. This essentially pulls most of the CO2 out of the beer and you get the nice, tight head. In order to pour correctly through a standard faucet - you would have to dial your beergas down to 10-12 PSI (resulting in 2.5 to 3 PSI of CO2 = flat beer).

The nitrogen doesn't provide any "flavor" per se, but since it does affect the amount of CO2 left in the beer (under the thick head), it will affect the mouthfeel.

Can you dispense any style with beergas and a nitro faucet? Sure! I'm sure some english pale styles would be great (similar to firkin/hand pump dispensing - without the hassle of keg conditioning).


Mylo

[Nate Diggler]

I've never put any of my own beers on nitro, but I've had a few commercials and other people's homebrew done with it. Pretty much any low to moderate strength English/Irish/Scottish style would do well on nitro. I'm not sure how IPA, or Old Ale or RIS would do with it... but the others would be fine.

Styles I have personally had on nitro and enjoyed:
Dry Irish Stout (obviously)
Blonde Ale (Wexford Irish Cream Ale... they also have an IPA smooth, but I haven't had it)
Bitter (Tomos Watkin Whoosh, Felinfoel Best Bitter and Double Dragon)
IRA (homebrewed)

[Chris_J]

Try different kinds of bitter on nitro. They really are delicious. I think the idea behind nitro was to simulate the mouthfeel of a cask ale without the quickened spoilage. I don't think it really does that, I think it's just a whole other technique. So try some english styles. Bitters, porters, brown ales. I'm sure they'll all be good!

[Irish Kevin]

1. What beers have people done well on nitro?

I have enjoyed several pale ales on nitro at different pubs and breweries. The creamy mouthfeel and thicker head compliments the style nicely. At Pyramid Brewing they serve a "DPA" Draught Pale Ale that is one of their better standard offerings. I say go the experimental route and throw a bunch of different styles on your nitrogen set up. This is home brewing, you never know when you might "discover" the next amazing thing, at the very least, you may create something that you think is the best thing ever!
Good luck with it and tell us how it went.

[BDawg]

+1 on Bitters/Pale Ales.

In addition to their awesome Oatmeal Stout, the local micro-brewery (Snoqualmie Falls) has their American Pale Ale (aka Copperhead Pale Ale) on tap both with and without Nitrogen. It's interesting enough that I'll buy one every now and then, though I admit I prefer the "normal carbonation" form a bit more.

[Lewybrewing]

I have done a Red Ale, You just have to think out the box. Porter, Some light beers (think Boddintons SP?) If you get the Nitro set-up you will never look back.

Lewy