Who has experience setting up a Nitro dispense?

[KidHop]

I'm looking to include a Nitro dispense with my home-brew draft setup. I've been kegging for 5 years and have a three faucet tower on a converted Sanyo 4912. I have two CO2 lines running into the back of the kegerator (one with two ports for dispensing and one for carbonating).

I want to replace one of the standard faucets with a Nitro (or "Stout") faucet. I' plan on using one of the CO2 lines for supplying Nitrogen. I know I need a new faucet, Nitro tank and regulator. Anything else...special fittings, etc.?

Is it as simple as unscrewing the regular faucet and replacing with a Nitro faucet? How easy would it be to reverse the setup and go back to CO2?

Also, what kind of results have any of you had in setting up a Nitro dispense with homebrew?

[Misterworst]

i've done several batches of homebrew through my nitro set up. First off you need to get a blended gas mix of 75% nitrogen/25% Co2, commonly called Guinness Gas to replace your regular Co2 Canister. A gas blender is another option but they aren't cheap I recommend McDantim if you go that route.

As far as the nitro tap they are the same as a regular faucet only they contain a sprinkler plate inside with tiny holes. Because the pressures used with the guinness gas are around 35 psi i upgraded my regular vinyl gas line to a braided vinyl gas line.

As far as kegging goes i use the same method as a regular batch of beer, i set the pressure to 35 psi and come back to it in one week and you'll have a perfect guiness style pour. I've experimented with carbonation stones on the gas in line of the keg to get my nitro/carbonation faster but i've found no real difference between the two, just more risk of contamination with the stone

[Whitebeard_Brewer]

Looks like Misterworst covered all the bases.....that's what I do!

[Mylo]

FWIW, you don't have to use beer gas to force carbonate... it's a wasteful expense with no positive.

Carbonate with C02. A week or so at 10psi will do you fine. Then put it on the beergas to serve. Nitrogen is barely (if at all) soluable in beer. It's just there so that you can keep store and serve your beer at that pressure without overcarbonating. Law of partial pressures in this case means that although you have your beer under 35psi - since it's only 30% CO2, it's the same as if you stored it under 10psi of CO2.


Mylo

[mordantly]

"nitro" as in nitromethane, nitroglycerin, or co/25??

[KidHop]

Was thinking that nitroglycerin might limit head retention so I'll probably go with the mixed gas;).

Other than the obvious stouts, what beers have you tried and had success with "mixed gas".

[Misterworst]

I always force carbonate with the gas mix, i've tried force carbonating with Co2 and then dispensing with the mix and never had any luck with it, i'd rather use more guinness gas on my homebrew then end up being either too low or too high with force carbing with Co2 and switching to the gas mix. The head will end up disappearing if you don't get it right.

I've done many styles of beer with my nitrogen set-up, Several stouts, a boddington clone, a brown ale recipe i made up, and several attempts at a Caledonian 80/- with no luck on that one yet. I always keep the balance more to the malt side...i don't believe hoppy beers lend themselves well to the guinness gas.