Liquid nitrogen can serve as a packaging solution for brewers making a variety of styles. “But now you’re seeing IPAs, Reds, Browns, Cream Ales, and even the occasional Lager, there are a lot of options.” “Traditionally, liquid nitrogen was only used in stout and porters,” says Christina Marrick, Chart Industries’ Business Development Manager. But, there’s been a recent push toward experimenting with liquid nitrogen beyond the world of dark beer. There are still those that continue to beat the drum of nitro beer.īreweries like Guinness, and more recently Left Hand, popularized nitro beer in stout form. Though, the similarities in lush mouthfeels and engaging visuals are remarkable. It’s true that nitro beer hasn’t caught on in the same way that hazy IPAs have. (You’ll likely hear a pop when you open a nitro beer.) And, with a hard pour, you can create that swirling nitro beer effect as the nitrogen dances down and out of your glass. But, when you open that can of Guinness, pressure drops and the nitrogen escapes from the widget. When Guinness infused liquid nitrogen into its stout while packaging, the nitrogen would rush into the widget and would stay relatively well pressurized. To recreate that experience in a packaged product, Guinness placed a widget in its bottles and cans. It’s a stunning visual effect that leaves you with a glass of frothy beer. So, nitrogen rushes down, that fluffy, fragrant foam forms up top, and then nitrogen escapes up and out the sides of your glass. What’s happening is, because the glass is not pressurized or cold enough, nitrogen is trying to escape.
If you’ve ordered a nitro beer, you’ll likely recall that whirlpool effect - tiny bubbles dancing in a typhoon of a creamy dark stout.
This is what creates the stunning cascade effect that forms immediately in the glass. And dedicated nitro drafts feature a restrictor plate, which serves to force the beer through tiny holes and allow the dissolved N2 gas in the beer to escape quickly. Nitro beers are nitrogenated either prior to packaging in pressure-sealed kegs or in-line on the way to a draft system. So, to serve nitro beer on draft, you need pressure. “To get it to dissolve, you need to pressurize it, and you need to keep it cold.” “Nitrogen is very insoluble in liquid,” Cain states. Liquid nitrogen is commonly used in packaging, for instance in the broader food and beverage industries, and its uses in craft beer have developed significantly over the past few years.īut how does liquid nitrogen actually work? “Breweries like Guiness have used nitrogen as a way of ensuring consistency from pint to pint,” Cain says.
Nitrogen could be a good way to prevent that. Understandably, this could lead to instances of human error. There were instances in the long history of cask ale where breweries would send “unfinished” beer to a pub and on-site cellarmen would finish fermenting the beer before serving. Anectodally, serving cask ale required work of the pub. Not only was Guinness interested in the flavor benefits of nitrogenated beer, but also the brewery sought a way to create consistency. And eventualy developing a nitro bottled and canned beer.Ĭain looks to Guinness as the godfather of the nitro beer practice. So, to recreate this experience, Guinness began experimenting with nitrogenating their beers. You can’t exactly bottle up cask ale and enjoy it at home. While this method was extremely popular, and still remains in use, it requires both human interaction and on-site consumption.
NRITO TAPLY FULL
Traditionally, cask ale has a smooth, full texture and, because there’s no interaction with CO2, the beer will go flat pretty quickly.
Rather than pushed out of a keg with CO2, cask ale is pumped out manually. Traditional brewpubs in Europe would serve beer from casks and on draft. “Nitrogen was originally designed as a way to mimic hand-pulled beers,” says James Cain, Chart Industries’ Liquid Nitrogen Dosing Specialist. But, it was Guinness that popularized and proliferated nitro stouts. Chart Industries had been experimenting with liquid nitrogen dosing since the ’80s. Before we look at modern applications, it’s important to understand where nitro beer developed.
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