"MikeMcG" wrote in
oups.com:

wrote:
Can someone explain to me what exactly nitro means. Are
they
injecting
nitrogen into the beer?

basically, yes, the beer is driven to the bar using a mix
of nitrogen & C02, both are dissolved into the beer,

Nitrogen is used because it does NOT dissolve in beer (at
least not to any significant degree). A mix of CO2 and N2
allows the system to deliver beer at a normal carbonation but
at high pressure. A sparkler head (or "widget") is required
to serve beer in this manner. The high pressure delivered
via showerhead all but completely knocks the CO2 out of the
beer and raises a whacking great head with a fine bead.

In the 1990s, in the UK at least, nitrokeg ales such as
Boddingtons, Caffreys & John Smith's cropped up with terms
such as creamflow, smoothflow, etc, but they were simply
fairly dull ales served in this manner.

Shit all. And still available today.

How is it different from the same beer "on tap"?

Depends on the beer, don' it?

but the nitrogen helps to form
a lasting creamy head, and as less C02 is present, the beer
might not have the "bite" that C02 alone can give & it
should feel less gassy than if it was just served under C02
alone (the normal method of dispense for keg beer).

Yep.

IMO some beers suit nitro better than others - stout does
just seem to work,

Irish dry stout - that's about it AFAIK. I'm sure there is
the odd exception, but there can't be many.

Serving beer on "nitro" (a stupid ****ing term in and of
itself) is a fad that in my opinion is thankfully waning. I
grow more than a bit tired of West Coast IPAs et al served
"on nitro". Some, er, many, er, most beers don't adapt well
to this serving method.

I don't know how it does it, but "nitro" makes everything
from Bass-like to Barleywine to IPA taste same-same to me. I
wouldn't think an inert gas could add flavor (?) or character
but... If it ain't Guinness I no longer order beer on
"nitro."



Scott