Coffee On Tap Keg Packages | Nitro Coffee Kegs | Stout Keg Systems

1. The more empty space in the keg the more gas you need to pressurise it. Was the keg pressurised before you left it, or did you just put some gas into the empty space? (pull the release valve briefly, gas should rush out)
2. Liquid absorbs the gas. Pure nitrogen especially will dissolve into the coffee, this is what gives it the cascading bubbles effect when poured. Pressure will drop as the gas dissolves into the liquid.
3. You have a leak. Check all connections, nuts etc are tight and not leaking (put soapy water on any suspect spots or hold the pressurised keg underwater to look for bubbles)

1. Pull pressure release valve, if no gas comes out put in a new bulb or two
2. If gas comes out the pressure release, unscrew the spout of the tap and check that the metal plate is clean and the 5 tiny holes are not blocked
3. If the metal plate and holes are clear take them out and try pouring with just the white plastic piece in the spout. If it is restricting flow too much you can cut a little notch in the side to allow more liquid through or contact us for a replacement if you are not comfortable doing that.

We provide 2 different gases for use when producing coffee, cocktails etc. These are pure nitrogen (N2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Either can be used, it's up to personal preference however they behave slightly differently and it may take some experimentation to get the outcome you are looking for.

1. Pure Nitrogen (N2) is available in a few different forms. We sell 2g disposable bulbs in packs of 10 (for use with the bulb injector packages). We also have 2.2L disposable gas bottles (with around 280g of Nitrogen) that use our M10 threaded regulators. You can also get a gas bottle filled with nitrogen by your local gas supplier and use one of our dual gauge regulators that usually have a type 30 thread on them (however you will probably need to have this changed to a type 50 thread which is what most nitrogen bottles are in Australia).
2. Nitrous Oxide (N2O) we only sell in 8g disposable bulbs (the same size as the 2g N2 bulbs) so you can use either option in the bulb injector system.

I personally use the N2O bulbs for all my nitro drinks for the following reasons

1. They give immediate results. You simply inject the bulb(s), shake and pour. Using pure nitrogen you will get better results after leaving for at least a few hours for the gas to dissolve into the liquid.
2. You use less bulbs. 8g of N2O is in the same size and price bulb of N2 that only contains 2g. You need many more bulbs to dispense the same amount of liquid using pure nitrogen than using nitrous oxide.
3. I'm generally pouring either for myself (I keep a keg of cold brew next to my desk at work) or I'm using it at parties for espresso martini so I don't care about the cascading bubbles which look nice visually (see below).

Some of the coffee roasters / cafes that we deal with do not like to use N2O however for 2 reasons.

1. We've been told that N2O imparts a slight sweetness to the beverage (I don't notice but I'm not a coffee person).
2. The foam that N2O creates is not so much like the cascading bubbles of a Guinness but more the dense head of an espresso martini. If you are specifically after the cascading bubbles you need to use pure nitrogen.

These are all a matter of personal preference depending on what you want to achieve with your system and will likely require some experimentation on your part as things like coffee blend, strength, type of gas, pressure used, temperature served at, length of shaking and resting time will all alter the final product.

In general I personally use the following method:

1. Make a batch of cold brew coffee using 80g of course ground coffee per litre of water infusing for 12 hours in the fridge before straining.
2. Pour the chilled, carefully strained cold brew into a keg leaving 1L of free space (4L of coffee in a 5L keg for example).
3. Screw on lid and inject one bulb of N2O before shaking well. I listen for the sound to change as the drink becomes frothy in the keg.
4. Inject another bulb to provide plenty of pouring pressure
5. Attach tap and pour as needed, you can detach the tap to store the system when not needed.
6. If the flow slows down, inject further bulbs as needed (I find that 2-3 bulbs is plenty for the 5L keg, 3-4 bulbs for the 10L keg).

If you are using pure nitrogen (N2) bulbs you will need to use more bulbs than this. I personally have not had enough experience to say how many, but on the packet it says one bulb per 500ml of coffee (I think that is an over estimation though).

If you are using a bottle of N2 gas then I attach the gas disconnect to the keg and turn the pressure up to 45psi (3bar). Shake well and then leave to sit for a couple of hours with the pressure still set to 45psi. You will also pour at 45psi so just check how the brew looks after a few hours by pouring a small amount. You can always speed up absorption by shaking the keg for longer or more vigorously.