Stout/Porter on tap

All,
I have just brewed a Bourbon Porter been fermenting only 2 days so far. My question is I plan on kegging it. Should I invest in a Stout faucet and Nitrogen? (I have a 2 tap tower) How much better does it make the beer? I do love Porters and Stouts so I will probably have one on tap most of the year so I am thinking about pulling the trigger on the tap/nitro, just wanted to get the boards opinions?
Second question if I go the nitro route do I still force carb it with CO2 then connect the nitro?

Thanks

It’s just my personal opinion but I don’t really prefer beers on nitro other than Guinness but that’s just cause that’s how I’m used to it. I’ve had other beers on both nitro and regular CO2 and always preferred the CO2. Just a personal preference though.

I agree with Matt that it comes down to personal preference. I like to have an English ale (bitter, stout or porter) on nitro much of the year. To me it was worth the investment for those styles. I prefer CO2 for all other styles.

Thanks for the replies so looks like a personal preference. Maybe this one I will use CO2 and then next porter/stout get the nitrogen.
Should I still get the stout tap?
And either way do I still force carb with CO2?

Thanks

I went the stout faucet route but use beer gas instead of all out nitro. You still need to carb the stout with co2 but to a much lower volume than your regular beers. You really need two regulators, one for the beer gas or nitro and one for your co2 for serving your other beers. The faucet works ok for serving regular ales or lagers you just remove the restrictor plate. To be honest I liked the route I took but it takes a lot of dialing in to get that Guinness pour just right. It’s enough of a pain that I have not used it since last winter.

You can also use the syringe method to get a Guinness like pour.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=124581&p=1086823#p1086823

If you have a craft beer bar nearby see if you can try some other nitro pushed beers. Or try some of Left Hand brewings Nitro bottles. I have a couple of stout taps and while they pour a nice stout without, it is way better on nitro. I used to be able to get one of my regular CO2 tanks filled with nitrogen mix but only one place in town and they were very expensive. It meant no more equipment though so ask around any CO2 suppliers nearby.

Thanks all for your replies. I have had many beers on nitro, the left hand milk stout is very rich and creamy.
I think I have decided to go with the nitrogen (beer gas mix), I contacted a home brew store that fills the nitrogen tanks with beer gas so I am good to go.
My kegarator has the CO2 tank inside since it has a regulator for 2 kegs so I can use the pass through hole on the back of the fridge for the beer gas tube.
Now all I have to do is be able to wait until mid December when the beer is ready to be kegged.

You can carbonate with nitro (in this context we mean beer gas, of course), but it takes longer and is more expensive. I’ve found that carbonating with CO2 at 5psi for about a week (plus or minus a few days) gets me to the right level, then hook up the nitro and serve. Your system will likely need some tuning to find the right serving pressure and line length.

You do need to use a stout faucet. I’ve used a couple different ones, and think this one is worth the extra cost especially if you plan to use it regularly: http://www.micromatic.com/draft-beer/st … ody-jesf-4. Don’t let the plastic spout scare you away. After all the Guinness spouts in Ireland are plastic.

Also, I highly recommend removing and rinsing the faucet spout each night after using it. This will prevent buildup of mold behind the restrictor plate. It will also prevent attracting fruit flies in the warmer months. I also give mine a squirt with StarSan after rinsing.