They say the mouth of a perfectly happy gentleman is filled with cold beer.

Nothing beats that feeling of waiting to taste your freshly poured beer, especially if it’s coming from a nitro tap. Watching the small profuse bubbles slowly give way to the fluffy and thick white brew is pure bliss, to say the least. 

You’ve probably heard about nitro beer, but what is it and is it different from regular beer?

Well, when it comes to carbonating beer, two major options are used. This type of beverage is using either carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas. Most regular beers are carbonated using carbon dioxide. It is the CO2 gas that gives beer that effervescent look and aroma as well. Using nitrogen to carbonate beer on the other hand was not a very common practice. 

A Flight Of Beers

For many years, the Guinness beer company enjoyed a near monopoly by being the only producer of nitrogen-carbonated beer. This has since changed as the craft beer industry continues to grow in leaps and bounds. 

How Does Nitrogen Change Your Beer?

Nitro beer as the name suggests is a beer that is nitrogenated. The nitrogenating process happens either before the packaging happens or when they are on their way to the draft system. Nitro beers are 70% nitrogen gas and 30% carbon dioxide gas. Since nitro beers contain no oxygen, they can retain their flavors for longer as oxidation is reduced. 

To make nitro beer, the use of nitrogen gas is indispensable.

Nitrogen gas is used in various stages of beer making including eliminating gaseous impurities which result in oxidative reactions and pressurizing kegs during transport and use. Therefore, if you are looking to set up a microbrewery, consider investing in Nitrogen Generators instead of ordering nitrogen in bulk every time.

A nitrogen generator will eliminate the hassle of having to deal with empty cylinders, organizing deliveries, and running late in production especially when vendors don’t keep time. A nitrogen generator will help you save time and reduce costs in the long run as you will eliminate recurring costs. 

Having your onsite generator will also reduce gas wastage and promote efficient gas usage. This is because only the required amount of gas will be produced when needed. Check out the onsitegas.com website to see which nitrogen generators will deliver nitrogen purity grades that are perfect for your beer production. 

What advantages do nitro beers have as compared to regular beer?

Nitro Beer Is Silkier, Creamier, And Easier to Digest

Nitrogen does not dissolve as fast as CO2. This is why nitro beer produces many tiny bubbles which result in a creamy and smooth beer. When you pour yourself a glass of nitro beer, you will notice the tiny bubbles going down into the beer. Beer enthusiasts call this phenomenon cascading and it is very impressive. 

Nitro beers are also less acidic because as compared to carbon dioxide, nitrogen does not react with beer. This is why nitro beers are not as bitter and they are easier to digest. The human digestive system isn’t as easily able to digest beer. If you already have stomach issues, regular drinking of beer can cause flatulence and can aggravate acid re-flux therefore enjoy your drink in moderation or in an outdoor beer garden.  

Do you have a favorite nitro beer? We would love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below.