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Author Topic: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness  (Read 2173 times)

Offline JoePan

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Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« on: December 10, 2018, 09:31:06 am »
I just got a Kegerator. I want to pour Guinness Stout and I purchased the Nitro Regulator and the keg coupler from Kegerator. Where would I purchase a 20 cu. ft Nitro tank for this process? How much should I expect to pay? What is the proper Pressure I should set the regulator at? I was told I can use CO2 but after drinking many a pints in Ireland I prefer to try to keep the experience as original as possible.
thank you for your help on this one.

Offline denny

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2018, 10:20:33 am »
I just got a Kegerator. I want to pour Guinness Stout and I purchased the Nitro Regulator and the keg coupler from Kegerator. Where would I purchase a 20 cu. ft Nitro tank for this process? How much should I expect to pay? What is the proper Pressure I should set the regulator at? I was told I can use CO2 but after drinking many a pints in Ireland I prefer to try to keep the experience as original as possible.
thank you for your help on this one.

You want beer gas, a CO2/nitro mix, rather than straight nitro.
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Offline KellerBrauer

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2018, 06:34:29 am »
I just got a Kegerator. I want to pour Guinness Stout and I purchased the Nitro Regulator and the keg coupler from Kegerator. Where would I purchase a 20 cu. ft Nitro tank for this process? How much should I expect to pay? What is the proper Pressure I should set the regulator at? I was told I can use CO2 but after drinking many a pints in Ireland I prefer to try to keep the experience as original as possible.
thank you for your help on this one.

You want beer gas, a CO2/nitro mix, rather than straight nitro.

+1 denny

I might be mistaken, but I believe a special faucet is needed also.  As far as the gas, you might find the gas at a welding supply shop.  Or, you might try asking your local beer distributor.
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Offline goose

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2018, 07:21:16 am »
I just got a Kegerator. I want to pour Guinness Stout and I purchased the Nitro Regulator and the keg coupler from Kegerator. Where would I purchase a 20 cu. ft Nitro tank for this process? How much should I expect to pay? What is the proper Pressure I should set the regulator at? I was told I can use CO2 but after drinking many a pints in Ireland I prefer to try to keep the experience as original as possible.
thank you for your help on this one.

You want beer gas, a CO2/nitro mix, rather than straight nitro.

+1 denny

I might be mistaken, but I believe a special faucet is needed also.  As far as the gas, you might find the gas at a welding supply shop.  Or, you might try asking your local beer distributor.

Yes, you need a special faucet to dispense beer on beer gas.

Regarding purchasing beer gas, my local welding shop will fill cylinders of it for me.  You just need to tell them the mixture of CO2 to N2 which I don't recall at the moment. They will fill it by weight.
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Offline Visor

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2018, 09:36:19 am »
I have seen different mix ratios, kind of depends on why you're using beer gas, and the length of your lines - I think.
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Offline Robert

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2018, 11:08:55 am »
You'll find all you need to know and then some in the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual which you can download from this page:  http://www.draughtquality.org/
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Offline BrewBama

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2018, 01:56:13 pm »
You'll find all you need to know and then some in the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual which you can download from this page:  http://www.draughtquality.org/

I have not read this, but I certainly hope this does not include the same rubbish presented to the homebrewer from AHA in Zymurgy and on their website.  I apologize for the negative tone but despite what one would expect, the AHA (and therefore by extension the BA) is not a very reliable source of accurate information.  I’d double check their info with a more reputable source.

Offline denny

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2018, 02:06:16 pm »
You'll find all you need to know and then some in the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual which you can download from this page:  http://www.draughtquality.org/

I have not read this, but I certainly hope this does not include the same rubbish presented to the homebrewer from AHA in Zymurgy and on their website.  I apologize for the negative tone but despite what one would expect, the AHA (and therefore by extension the BA) is not a very reliable source of accurate information.  I’d double check their info with a more reputable source.

I'd be curious to know what inaccuracies you found so they can be corrected.  Feel free to PM or email me.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Robert

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2018, 03:24:03 pm »
You'll find all you need to know and then some in the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual which you can download from this page:  http://www.draughtquality.org/

I have not read this, but I certainly hope this does not include the same rubbish presented to the homebrewer from AHA in Zymurgy and on their website.  I apologize for the negative tone but despite what one would expect, the AHA (and therefore by extension the BA) is not a very reliable source of accurate information.  I’d double check their info with a more reputable source.
I'm not sure what specific information you refer to in Zymurgy, but I do share your cautious approach to it and the AHA website based on on past experience.  But the DBQM really is the reputable (professional, not homebrew) resource for all things draught.  It should provide a solid foundation for this topic, mixed gas dispense presenting as it does a number of peculiar and potentially expensive challenges, above and beyond normal (homebrew or other direct draw) draught systems.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2018, 03:32:06 pm by Robert »
Rob Stein
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Offline BrewBama

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2018, 06:35:05 pm »
You'll find all you need to know and then some in the Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual which you can download from this page:  http://www.draughtquality.org/

I have not read this, but I certainly hope this does not include the same rubbish presented to the homebrewer from AHA in Zymurgy and on their website.  I apologize for the negative tone but despite what one would expect, the AHA (and therefore by extension the BA) is not a very reliable source of accurate information.  I’d double check their info with a more reputable source.

I'd be curious to know what inaccuracies you found so they can be corrected.  Feel free to PM or email me.

Well, it’s all been posted on here but let’s see... there was the article on kegging repeated from the 90(s) or so that had outdated info in it (which is what I was referring to above), then there was the article on Scottish Ale that Ron P pointed out all sorts of inaccuracies, and there was the jacked up info (was it this month?) that our crew in the edit dept pointed out.... I’m sure there are more but that ought to get you started if interested.  They are developing (or have developed depending on your perspective) a reputation for inaccurate information.  Which is a shame really because in my opinion (as I’ve said and took a cpl shots for before) they should be the go-to source for Homebrew info.

Offline Robert

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2018, 07:02:24 pm »
^^^^
BrewBama, those are just the things (some of them at least) that have made me wary.  But the BA to their credit are separate from the AHA and Zymurgy (which since taking on Gordon Strong as technical editor we may hope will be more reliable.)  The DBQM was prepared with the help of a body of commercial brewers and other industry partners to ensure best practices in the beverage trade.  I assume that the BA is generally a reliable source of technical support to the brewing industry.  But I should note that the rote perpetuation of misinformation happens even on the professional level,  probably in every field.   No excuse, but.  I recall that I was floored a few months back by a study promulgated by the MBAA showing that iodophor was basically useless.  Then someone here on the forum pointed out that the whole study depended on fundamentally flawed methodology,  a real schoolboy mistake.   We can be appalled,  but we can also serve as a corrective.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2018, 10:09:44 pm by Robert »
Rob Stein
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Offline LeeH

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Re: Tapping a Keg Of Guinness
« Reply #11 on: December 12, 2018, 02:43:40 pm »
70/30 Nitrogen CO2 here in the U.K.

20-30 PSI


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