What's wrong with Guiness?
Michael Johnson
(Colleen Wirth) writes:
> For years I avoided this beer because it had been slammed so badly in
> this newsgroup. However, my husband bought a six-pack of Guiness Stout
> the other day and it was very good dark beer.
>
> Is it simply a case of "once you've had the draught, the bottled stuff
> tastes awful" (kind of like water chestnuts) or is there something else
> wrong with the bottled beer?
>
> Just curious, if you haven't tried it do, it's very good.
> Colleen
>
I personally find the draft to be really weak and flavorless, but I am told
that improper storage and handling is the cause of this. IMO the bottled
Guinness Stout is great--I _like_ the bitter, burned-tasting flavors of the
bottled stout. If anyone knows of a good pulled pint in the Boston area,
please divulge the location!
Red Sonja
>In article <1993Mar23....@Princeton.EDU> wi...@fine.Princeton.EDU
>(Colleen Wirth) writes:
>> For years I avoided this beer because it had been slammed so badly in
>> this newsgroup. However, my husband bought a six-pack of Guiness Stout
>> the other day and it was very good dark beer.
>>
>> Is it simply a case of "once you've had the draught, the bottled stuff
>> tastes awful" (kind of like water chestnuts) or is there something else
>> wrong with the bottled beer?
>>
>> Just curious, if you haven't tried it do, it's very good.
>
>that improper storage and handling is the cause of this. IMO the bottled
>Guinness Stout is great--I _like_ the bitter, burned-tasting flavors of the
>bottled stout. If anyone knows of a good pulled pint in the Boston area,
>please divulge the location!
I never liked Guinness much until I had some (draft) at a place in Germany.
The barmaid (from Ireland) explained that they had put in some nitrogen-
pumping thing that made the beer taste better...and it sure did! "This is
the way it's 'supposed' to be done, the way they do it in Ireland," she
said. (Apparently it was a very Big Deal.) It did taste remarkably better
than any draft or bottled that I have had in the US. I am also told they
use nitrogen in the cans, although that might be a rumor...anywhoo, the
cans are back in the NY area, so the closest we'll get to nitrogen-Guinness
is that if the rumor is true. Give the cans a try!
--
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Steve Lamont
> ...anywhoo, the
>cans are back in the NY area, so the closest we'll get to nitrogen-Guinness
>is that if the rumor is true. Give the cans a try!
I've had the canned stuff and it's pretty good. Not quite pub quality
but damned near. My only complaint, so far, is that it appears that
every once and a while the little pressurizer doohickey fails (this
happened yesterday) and you end up with flat beer quite similar to the
bottle stuff. Yuck!
spl
--
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ster...@woods.ulowell.edu
> In article <C4EJ3...@monitor.com> mic...@monitor.com (Michael Johnson) writes:
>>In article <1993Mar23....@Princeton.EDU> wi...@fine.Princeton.EDU
>>(Colleen Wirth) writes:
>>> For years I avoided this beer because it had been slammed so badly in
>>> this newsgroup. However, my husband bought a six-pack of Guiness Stout
>>> the other day and it was very good dark beer.
>>>
>>> Is it simply a case of "once you've had the draught, the bottled stuff
>>> tastes awful" (kind of like water chestnuts) or is there something else
>>> wrong with the bottled beer?
>>>
>>> Just curious, if you haven't tried it do, it's very good.
>>
>>I personally find the draft to be really weak and flavorless, but I am told
>>that improper storage and handling is the cause of this. IMO the bottled
>>Guinness Stout is great--I _like_ the bitter, burned-tasting flavors of the
>>bottled stout. If anyone knows of a good pulled pint in the Boston area,
>>please divulge the location!
Right next to UMass Lowell's North Campus: Astro's $2.25 draft
Also in Lowell: the Tavern at the Bridge on Rt 38
(two bits of heaven so close to school!)
>
> I never liked Guinness much until I had some (draft) at a place in Germany.
> The barmaid (from Ireland) explained that they had put in some nitrogen-
> pumping thing that made the beer taste better...and it sure did! "This is
> the way it's 'supposed' to be done, the way they do it in Ireland," she
> said. (Apparently it was a very Big Deal.) It did taste remarkably better
> than any draft or bottled that I have had in the US. I am also told they
> use nitrogen in the cans, although that might be a rumor...anywhoo, the
> cans are back in the NY area, so the closest we'll get to nitrogen-Guinness
> is that if the rumor is true. Give the cans a try!
>
Most draft beer uses carbon diox to pressurize the taps
(as with soft drinks)
Guiness is so thick that nitrous oxide is needed
and even then it gets too thick to pour
Also, give Black and Tans a try
Ron Steriti
UMass Lowell
Rob Bradley
>Most draft beer uses carbon diox to pressurize the taps
>(as with soft drinks)
>Guiness is so thick that nitrous oxide is needed
I don't think this is the reason at all. Guinness has a final
gravity of 1010 or so - even less in Ireland and the UK. It's
thicker than Lite (tm), sure, but it's less heavy than many ales.
Guinness _chooses_ to use a nitrogen gas to deliver the beer
because it gives a thicker and whiter head.
Anyway, I don't see why CO2 at a given pressure would be any less
able to push a thick liquid than nitrous oxide at the same pressure.
Chemists?
In England, kegs of Guinness have a chamber for pressurized nitrogen
gas built right into the keg structure. Is that true anywhere else
in the world?
--
Rob Bradley --> bra...@adx.adelphi.edu <-- "For a quart of ale
Dept of Math & Computer Science (516)877-4496 is a dish for a king."
Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530 William Shakespeare
u...@dlva.dl.ac.uk
The nitrogen is nowt to do with thickness ...
The main reason for it's use is to improve (sic) the head.
Nitrogen (a) is less soluble than CO2 and hence breaks out into the head
faster when served and (b) forms smaller bubbles and hence a thicker,
creamier, head.
As a by-product, the reduced CO2 means that there is less dissolved in
the beer and hence a less "metallic" tang.
Cheers,
Mark
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The integral nitrogen chambers are now a thing of the past. Following
Ireland's lead, Guinness in the UK have been convering outlets to use
external gas cylinders ... they worked out that this way the
landlord pays for the gas and not Guinness !!!
sco...@vax.sbu.ac.uk
> In article <1993Mar29...@woods.ulowell.edu> ster...@woods.ulowell.edu writes:
>>Most draft beer uses carbon diox to pressurize the taps
>>(as with soft drinks)
>>Guiness is so thick that nitrous oxide is needed
>
> I don't think this is the reason at all. Guinness has a final
> gravity of 1010 or so - even less in Ireland and the UK. It's
> thicker than Lite (tm), sure, but it's less heavy than many ales.
> Guinness _chooses_ to use a nitrogen gas to deliver the beer
> because it gives a thicker and whiter head.
>
> Anyway, I don't see why CO2 at a given pressure would be any less
> able to push a thick liquid than nitrous oxide at the same pressure.
> Chemists?
This is absolutely correct. Nitrogen forms far, far smaller bubbles than CO2,
hence the thick creamy head. In the North of England and the Midlands, hand
pumped Bitter/Ale is pulled through a sprinkler tap (a bit like a tiny shower
head). This has a very similar effect. It mixes lots of air (main constituent
Nitrogen) with the beer, in tiny bubbles and gives the beer that distinctive
thick creamy head - without a gas cylinder in sight you will notice. I am
pleased to see that beers from the North are increasingly being served this way
here in the South, the way they are supposed to be served.
Tony Scott South Bank University, London sco...@vax.sbu.ac.uk
A.Wainwright
But then again, they serve the best Guiness in Dublin..;)
Adda 8o)
scott murphy
>
> But then again, they serve the best Guiness in Dublin..;)
>
> Adda 8o)
--
Actually some of the worst Guiness is served right at the brewery in Dublin.
__________________________________________________
| |
| homebrew is the elixir of the gods |
| |
--------------------------------------------------
Ulick Stafford
>--
>Actually some of the worst Guiness is served right at the brewery in Dublin.
>
I was rather disappointed when I visited Dublin this Christmas and went with
my girlfriend to Guinness to find that they were charging #2 or so to see
theri stupid film show. Naturally, I didn't give the blood sucking English
whisky company anything. When I went before it was free and, of course, in
the old days one actually got a brewery tour (before my days unfortunately).
If in Dublin Guinness is well worth a miss. Drink the stuff, but the present
day antics of the company was enough to drive me to drink any
reasonable alternative for the rest of my stay (unfortunately those are few
thanks to their monopolistic practices over the years).
Does anyone have a good memory of the Guinness Light story?
__________________________________________________________________________
'Heineken!?! ... F#$% that s@&* ... | Ulick Stafford, Dept of Chem. Eng.
Pabst Blue Ribbon!' | Notre Dame IN 46556
| ul...@bach.helios.nd.edu
BT...@auvm.american.edu
ad they ran in South Africa stated this:
Black Is Beautiful
But White Always Rises To The Top.
-barry-
Starcap'n Ra
Surely you don't think anyone in this
newsgroup is as naive as you are and will
actually believe this nonsense, do you?
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{allegra,decvax,ihnp4,oddjob}--^
^---------------The Wrong Choice
internet: ken...@asuvax.asu.edu
John T Swyt
Would the nitrous oxide produce a sweeter taste than C02?
Just curious,
The Dog
We're wanted men,
We'll strike again,
But first, let's have a beer!
-J. Buffett
Steve Lamont
> Would the nitrous oxide produce a sweeter taste than C02?
John Palkovic
1992 St. Petersburg (FL) Times (I saved it). It seems you can get a
properly poured pint of Guiness at the four green fields pub in St.
Petersburg (never been there).
---------------------------------snip snip---------------------------------
[According to] Rick Winel, national draught training manager for
Guiness Import Company [here in the USA].
"There are no bad pints of Guiness, there are just some that are
better than others." This does not happen by accident. There are
myriad ways to ruin a pint: fail to clean the pipes that carry the
beer from the keg, pour it too quickly, pour stale beer at the
wrong temp., or even use the wrong kind of gas to tap the keg. [...]
In Winel's gospel of Guiness, there are a variety of commandments,
all of which must be observed with the diligence of a novitiate
monk.
This is what he tells his pupils:
Guiness must be pulled from the keg using a mixture of 75 percent
nitrogen and 25 percent carbon dioxide. (CO2)
Most domestic draught beers are poured using CO2 gas. The bubbles
are large which gives the beer its frothy head, a head which
evaporates quickly.
Nitrogen, on the other hand, is an inert gas with smaller bubbles.
Pull a pint using a majority of nitrogen and the head will be
denser than other beers. [...] The pint must be poured slowly and
in stages, allowing the creamy head to form to its requisite half
inch thickness.
"Pull a pint in one draw and it's just dog breath," Winel sneers.
The temp. must be right -- 45 to 47 degrees F. This is warmer than
most beers which are served at about 38 degrees F.
Taken together, these rules will bring the pint to a state of
aethetic grace, Winel believes. After all, he says, "You must drink
it with your eyes before you taste it with your lips."
---------------------------------snip snip---------------------------------
--
j...@ssc.gov || jo...@phc.org
"I ask each of you to be intolerant of creeping bureaucracy." - Bob Wilson
Nick Zentena
>
> Most draft beer uses carbon diox to pressurize the taps
> (as with soft drinks)
> Guiness is so thick that nitrous oxide is needed
Sorry they use nitrogen because it won't dissolve
into the beer. That allows much higher pressure
levels then with pure CO2. Thick? I always though
dry stouts were mostly on the thin side-) I guess it
depends on the comparison.
Nick
*****************************************************************************
I drink Beer I don't collect cute bottles!
zen%hop...@canrem.com
*****************************************************************************
Conor Macken
>In article <1993Apr1.1...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> js...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John T Swyt) writes:
>> Would the nitrous oxide produce a sweeter taste than C02?
>
>Perhaps, but I thought that it was nitrogen, not nitrous oxide.
Wrong on both counts. Guinness Group Sales Ireland use a mix of 70%
Nitrogen and 30% Carbon Dioxide. It is used to push the beer through the
lines though obviously some of the gas gets absorbed by the beer.
Conor Macken
--
E-mail: cma...@unix2.tcd.ie
Dept of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering,
Trinity College, Dublin 2.
IRELAND
SONIER SERGE
>From: u...@dlva.dl.ac.uk ()
>Subject: Re: What's wrong with Guiness? Nothing
>Date: 30 Mar 1993 08:02:48 GMT
SONIER SERGE
>From: u...@dlva.dl.ac.uk ()
>Subject: Re: What's wrong with Guiness? Nothing
Eric J. Holtman
>Perhaps, but I thought that it was nitrogen, not nitrous oxide.
Well, if it is nitrous oxide, screw the beer and hand me the gas, please!!
(nitrous oxide == N20 == laughing gas, much better than beer)
sco...@vax.sbu.ac.uk
>
> Would the nitrous oxide produce a sweeter taste than C02?
>
> Just curious,
> The Dog
I don't think it would actually make the beer taste sweeter, but CO2 does tend
to give the beer a slightly metallic taste. The absence of this may make the
beer seem to be sweeter.
Tony Scott South Bank University sco...@vax.sbu.ac.uk
Marc Haartsen
>From: er...@access.digex.com (Eric J. Holtman)
>Subject: Re: What's wrong with Guiness? Nothing
>Keywords: Ignore this fool, he knows not what he thinks!
Sharen A. Rund
read the news net crashed so I lost it, please repost it, thank you
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Rob Davis
er...@access.digex.com (Eric J. Holtman @ Express Access Online Communication)
writes:
>Perhaps, but I thought that it was nitrogen, not nitrous oxide.
>Well, if it is nitrous oxide, screw the beer and hand me the gas, please!!
>(nitrous oxide == N20 == laughing gas, much better than beer)
Obviously, you think everybody drinks beer to get F&*#@d up. Thank you for
the comparison, though... Now go suffocate yourself slowly and enjoy.
-Rob Davis
Joel Plutchak
>I don't think it would actually make the beer taste sweeter, but CO2 does tend
>to give the beer a slightly metallic taste. The absence of this may make the
>beer seem to be sweeter.
Isn't CO2 a byproduct of fermentation, and as such one would expect
to find it in any beer?
--
Joel Plutchak, Research Programmer/Analyst for hire
"Dies ist meine 12305te Nacht/Die erste paar tausend,
die kannst du vergessen/ich hab' es auch getan" - EN
Daniel R. Juliano
>In article <1s654e$9...@cat.cis.Brown.EDU>, plut...@pilsner.geo.brown.edu
>(Joel Plutchak) wrote:
>Yesss... but there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between natural carbonation due to
>krausening (and other preps for bottle conditioning) and artifical
>carbonation. The latter produces larger bubbles, a noticeable bite to the
>beer, and can disturb a delicate flavor.
>I honestly don't know why Guinness uses diatomic Nitrogen and NOT CO2...
>perhaps the N2...
> - produces smaller bubbles?
I believe this is correct ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm not sure where I heard it though, so no flames please!
> - is more compatible with the brew?
>Anyone, anyone?
>joe.kus...@mail.trincoll.edu
--
Daniel Juliano
Internet: drj2...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Conor Macken
>() writes:
>>In article <1s654e$9...@cat.cis.Brown.EDU>, plut...@pilsner.geo.brown.edu
>>(Joel Plutchak) wrote:
>>Yesss... but there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between natural carbonation due to
>>krausening (and other preps for bottle conditioning) and artifical
>>carbonation. The latter produces larger bubbles, a noticeable bite to the
>>beer, and can disturb a delicate flavor.
>>I honestly don't know why Guinness uses diatomic Nitrogen and NOT CO2...
>>perhaps the N2...
>> - produces smaller bubbles?
>I believe this is correct ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>I'm not sure where I heard it though, so no flames please!
>> - is more compatible with the brew?
>>Anyone, anyone?
Guinness, and all other beers in this country, is driven through the
lines with a mix of 70% Nitrogen and 30% Carbon Dioxide.
'Nuff sed.
>>joe.kus...@mail.trincoll.edu
>--
>Daniel Juliano
>Internet: drj2...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Conor Macken