Even those who don’t like beer (I am told such people exist...) can’t help but admire the beauty of a fresh pint of jet-black stout with a creamy white head. And doing it at home is much easier than you might think.
Here’s how to bring the Irish pub experience to your own home bar.
Hardware
Let’s assume you already have a kegging system up and running. You need three additional items to serve nitrogenated beer:
- Nitrogen cylinder: Nitro-specific cylinders are designed to handle high pressure and are readily available at most homebrew stores. But before you go out and buy a new one, check with your local gas supplier first. Some vendors only exchange empty cylinders for full ones and won’t fill your shiny, new (expensive) tank.
- Nitrogen regulator: A nitrogen regulator handles much higher pressures than a regular CO2 regulator, and it mates to a nitro cylinder using a different kind of connection.
- Nitrogen (stout) faucet: A stout faucet is essential to pouring that beautiful pint. The secret is an internal plate that has been drilled with small holes. Beer is forced through these holes on its way to your glass, which knocks carbon dioxide out of solution and produces the famous cascade and creamy head. Nitro faucets couple to beer shanks just like standard CO2