How do you explain Nitro Beers to n00bs?

About the creamy head of nitro beers-
https://byo.com/videos/item/1181-nitro-beers--low-carb-beers

 

that's the conclusion I came to, although its only "merit" is how much cheaper it is than cask conditioning.

Having said that, there are some stouts that show a very interesting side that is otherwise squelched by carbonation. Adding nitro to any beer style other than some stouts is, however, as Marquis said, a crime against humanity.

 

I suggest something like, "It means smaller bubbles ya dummy," and then slap them in the back of the head.

 

I would start by explaining the most beer are carbonated during the brewing process by introducing sugar to beer mix right as it is bottled, but with nitrogen you are instead introducing the gas into the beer much like soda gets carbonated. The process is tricky because while CO2 will last a long time relatively in the bottle, N2 dissipates quickly so normally a bottled nitro beer will have some sort of widget that introduces the gas to the mix at the time of the opening of the bottle. I would explain that this will produce a "cascading" effect in the beer where bubbles travel downward on the exterior of the gas and upward in the center so it appears to "settle". I would also explain that settling process needs to complete for the beer to fully be enjoyed so you have to wait for that motion to stop before tasting. The taste note should be more subtle. Nitro mutes the hop notes, but will enhance the malt/barley notes. Because N2 is insoluble it will lend itself to the total thickness and mouthfeel resulting in a milk like consistency. There will also be some oxidation so there will be a notable Nitro taste note that isn't present. I would say because of that thickening mouthfeel effect and enhancement to malt/barley on taste, Nitro lends itself to stouts and other malty beers. For someone trying Nitro I would start with Guinness, but I would also make sure they tried Old Speckled Hen or Left Hand Nitro Stout depending on whether they are a light or dark beer drinker. I personally like Nitro beer and while I will admit CO2 lends a more pure taste as well as more complex profile, Nitro has its place as well and can especially from the draught be enjoyed during any drinking session with its CO2 cousins interchangeably.

 

Left Hand Brewing's Milk Stout is the only nitro I've ever had without a widget in the bottle... How do they do that?

 

You know... IDK... haahahah.... all I can find is articles saying "It took them a long time to figure out".

 

http://blogs.denverpost.com/beer/2014/03/14/brewer-americas-stout-still-stand-alone/13207/

Left Hand – which exclusively uses bottles – uses no widget. The brewery tinkered around until it found the proper gas mix – nitro beers are in fact a blend of nitro and Co2 – spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on research and development and poured out a lot of beer before finding the right formula, Schirardi said.

 

I tell them its gonna look like Guinness but taste better.

 

Creamy mouthfeel. Although that may sound a bit risque.

 

*Fluffy beer treat. Not all should be condemned.

 

Anyone complaining about nitro wasn't at FOBAB this year drinking BCBS Nitro. A heavenly experience.

 

I don't think you're as cool as you think you are.

 

At which it fails dismally. Mouthfeel perhaps if you enjoy shaving cream but whereas cask beer has more flavour than when it leaves the brewery (it has the chance to develop extra flavour levels and nuances) nitro has significantly less because it dumbs down taste.I can't understand why devotees of so-called "craft" beer wax lyrical about the fact it has flavour and then accept such a dilution of flavour by drinking nitro.
When Guinness changed from bottle condition to nitro it was tasted by Jilly Goulden and Oz Clarke on BBC's "Food and Drink", their verdict was that the new version wasn't fit to carry Guinness's name on the label."This simply won't do"

 

"Most Beer" is carbonated via bottle conditioning by adding sugar? I doubt that. Probably "most" beers on the US market are force carbed these days.

Bottled Guinness Draught dropped the widget before Left Hand's "nitro" beer was released, back around 2010-11 based on the comments via Google.

 

I personally like a nitro every now and then to mix things up. However, my only objection is that the head is so thick and dense that it "burries" the aromas. Is this just my imagination or does anyone else find this?

 

The work of the Devil.

 

Isn't "Diageo" the Gaelic word for "Devil"? Or maybe it's in Esparanto?

(Yes, yes - Guinness developed the nitro process before their merger with Grand Met - but maybe it was the inspiration?)

 

Wow, never knew such nitro hate existed in the shadows of BA. To the original post I would have the noob try a nitro or even better a side by side w/say Left Hand's milk stout.

 

And fail miserably.

It looks like most posters agree that Nitro is a gimmick that most would want to disappear.

 

Next level carbonation brah!