Now drinking

The Old Speckled Hen keg is ordered, as are the type G coupler, stout faucet, and nitrogen-to-CO2 regulator adapter. Unfortunately the adapter is backordered, so I may be forced to improvise a bit.

Some people claim that with a short line you can get the nitro bubble effect just using CO2 gas and a diffuser plate nozzle with high pressure, but then you have to burp the keg after you’re done drawing so it doesn’t get overcarbonated. 30/70 beer gas will apparently allow you to stay at high pressure without burping, and some claim it’s required to get the creamy head. I’m inclined to try the beer gas, but that would require the backordered adapter, or buying the beer gas in a CO2 bottle where you get less volume.

Truly the most first-world of first-world problems.
 
So I got the beer gas canister (25% CO2, 75% N2), but it’s a little too big for my kegerator, so I had to do minor surgery to run the gas line out through the top of the faucet tower instead. Then I got an N2 adapter for my CO2 regulator, but it required me to unscrew the CO2 connector, which seemed way too hard until I learned that it’s reverse-threaded for some reason. Got that thing off, but learned that my adapter is normal-threaded, so that’s no good. So I ordered a different adapter which should arrive tomorrow.

The Old Speckled Hen keg is getting picked up tonight, and the stout faucet and G coupler should arrive on Tuesday. Hopefully the hassle will be worth it in the end. I still have daydreams about that delicious nitro pour of the Hen that I got at a British pub a while back, and the nitro cans (which I can’t get locally anymore for some reason!) were almost as good, but not quite the same.
 
Just sunk a bottle of "Fyr & Flamme" IPA, 6,5% abv. Delicious. Have a bottle of a 12% ipa saved for later tonight, gotta eat dinner before drinking that ...!
 
That 12% was a monster of a beer. Lot of taste and of course with that proof value it lasted for a while as well. Fruitier and less bitter than a typical IPA, and kept me going through a number of great songs on the seond last night of my vacation :D
 
Got the full nitro hookup going with Old Speckled Hen this afternoon and it’s just as glorious as I remembered from the bar years ago. It’s the absolute opposite of today’s hop-forward IPA beer trend — malty, creamy, smooth and delicious. I still can’t believe I can pour myself a pint of heaven in my own basement. Fucking outstanding.
 
IMG_0331.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top