How to Install Guinness Taps

Guinness draft requires a different set-up than most draft beers.

Guinness is a popular Irish beer that is famous for its dark color and tight, creamy head. Many Guinness connoisseurs claim that the Guinness draft at their local bar isn't the same as those in other bars, but often the problem isn't with the beer. If a Guinness keg is attached to a traditional draft beer tap it will come out much different. Gas mixture, pressure and faucet style are all integral to the Guinness draft experience.

Things You'll Need

• 5-lb. compressed gas cylinder
• Regulator
• Crescent wrench
• Air line
• U system keg coupler
• Keg of Guinness
• Beer line
• Shank
• European specialty faucet

Instructions

1. Contact local gas suppliers and find a supplier that can offer a mix of 75 percent nitrogen to 25 percent carbon dioxide. The nitrogen is one of the keys to Guinness' famous creamy head. Get a tank filled with this mixture.

2. Place the gas cylinder in an area where it is out of danger from being bumped or knocked over, so it won't get damaged. Attach the regulator to the cylinder and tighten the locking nut with a crescent wrench. Set the regulator to 30 PSI.

3. Attach the U system keg coupler to the keg of Guinness. Run the air line between the keg coupler and the regulator, then push down on the hose clamps to hold it in place.

4. Attach a beer line to the top of the U system keg coupler and tighten it down with a crescent wrench. Attach a shank to the other end of the line and tighten it down as well.

5. Attach a European specialty faucet to the end of the shank. Tighten the locking nut down with a crescent wrench. Tap the keg and pour a Guinness.

Tips & Warnings

• The regulator on a Guinness tap needs to be set to 30 PSI in order to push the nitrogen through the tubes. If the regulator is switched over to a tap for a traditional beer, change the settings back to 16 to 18 PSI to prevent a massive mess.

• The air line and beer line look very similar, so remember that the beer line is the line with locking nuts attached to either end, while the air line uses clamps to keep it in place. Also, the inner diameter of the beer line is 1/8-inch smaller than the inner diameter of the air line.

References

• Kegworks: Guinness on Tap
• Kegworks: How Draft Beer Systems Work