Learn How to Get Guinness on Tap at Home
Friday, June 26th, 2009 by HannahFor some, Guinness is the end all, be all beer of choice, no matter what time of year it is. I’m a huge Guinness fan myself, and although I imbibe in a great number of other brews when the mood strikes (you know this if you’ve happened upon my beer reviews), Guinness is truly my favorite. For those of you out there like me, Guinness on draft is the way to go.
There’s three options to get Guinness flowing at home:
- Buy a Complete Draught Guinness Kegerator
- Build a draft system for Guinness
- Convert an existing draft beer system for Guinness
(you can switch it back whenever you like!)
The equipment that you already have (if you have any) and your budget will determine which you choose to get Guinness on tap at home. Whichever option you choose, there are three basic differences between a standard draft beer system and a stout system:
The Type of Gas Used
The Keg Coupler
The Faucet
Instead of CO2 like a traditional draft beer system, Guinness uses a nitrogen/CO2 blend to push the beer through the lines. Mixed gas comes in an all-in-one air tank that contains 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2. The nitrogen gives Guinness its creamy, tight head that makes it so unique. To find a mixed gas dealer in your area, simply check under "gas" in your local yellow pages or ask your local Guinness distributor who they recommend.
The Guinness Import Company goes to great lengths to make sure that gas dealers are properly blending mixed gas. Some gas dealers are particular and they will only fill a nitrogen tank with mixed gas. Other dealers will fill your regular CO2 tank with the mixed gas, as the only difference between the two types of tanks is the threads. You can use a standard CO2 regulator with a nitrogen tank but you will need a CO2/Nitrogen Adapter. Make sure to set the regulator for 30 psi.
The keg coupler you need depends on the brand of beer you want to serve. Kegs of Guinness, Harp and Kilkenny require a U System Keg Coupler, while other brands of stout may call for a different coupler. See our complete list of beers and matching couplers for details.
If you’ve ever watched a bartender pour a pint of Guinness, you’ve probably noticed that a stout faucet is different from other faucets. Sometimes called a European Specialty Faucet, the stout faucet has a different type of handle that pulls forward and down. There’s also a tiny restrictor disc inside of the faucet head. When Guinness and other stouts are forced through the disc, the beer forms the unique head that people love. To dispense any other type of beer (i.e. Bud, Miller, Coors etc.) with one of these specialty faucets, all you need to do is remove the restrictor disc.
Now, you’re armed with the knowledge of how to get Guinness on tap at home. So, what are you waiting for?
TAGS [ GUINNESS | GUINNESS DRAUGHT | GUINNESS ON TAP | GUINNESS KEGERATOR | GUINNESS CONVERSION KIT | STOUT FAUCET | STOUT FAUCETS ]
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May 11th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Do I need CO2 or N2 to be able to set up a draft beer system at home for SMITHWICK’s? I’ve already got a Kegerator set up for domestic beers but would very much like to drink draught Smithwick’s at home. I’m assuming I need the “U” type keg coupler?
Thanks-
Bill
May 11th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Bill Prentice - you do indeed need a U-coupler to dispense draught Smithwicks at home, but you do NOT need mixed gas. Just get yourself the CO2 tank and a regular (not stout) faucet, with a U-coupler, and you’ll be all set.
Let me know if I can help with anything else!