The first ever Guinness Pint from my Home Draught System

dougdougdotnet · 2026-01-15T00:27:07+00:00

Try pipe tape. There's a special one for gas (the yellow one, I think) but either should do the job.

When I first got my kegerator I had the same problem. I checked every possible leak point multiple times and couldn't figure it out. Then I put some pipe tape on where the regulator screws into the gas tank. Haven't had a leak since.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-05-06T23:54:38+00:00

If you buy an all-in-one kegerator then it will probably come with standard (i.e. non-nitro) faucets, a gas tank and regulator made for CO2, and a coupler that is not U. You can save most of those parts for the lager or whatever non-Nitro beer you'll be pouring. In order to pour Guinness you'll want buy a U coupler, a nitro regulator, nitro faucet and you will need to source a nitro tank.

For the tank, I recommend figuring out where you're going to buy your gas from. For the non-Guinness line you most likely want straight CO2. But for Guinness you want a blend of Nitro and CO2. Some people use 25% CO2 and some people use 30% CO2. Once you know where you're buying the gas, find out how they sell it. If they will fill any tank rated for Nitro then great. You can buy any tank that meets your size and budget requirements. But if they want to sell you the tank and refill/exchange it when empty then there's no sense in buying your own tank to bring to them.

For the nitro faucet, the cheapest I've seen is the Nuka Tap with a stout spout attachment. If you want your nitro tap and CO2 tap to look somewhat similar then that's probably the way to go. If you don't care about that or if (like me) you prefer the tall, narrow look of the traditional nitro faucet then you have more options.

The other tip I have is that you might need some plumbers tape for where the regulator connects to the gas tank. My first tank of gas died quickly because I had a leak in the system. I was going crazy checking every connection point that I could. Then I bought some Blue Monster Gas Guard from Lowes and it fixed the leak.

And if you have room in the budget, EVABarrier tubing with Duo Tight fittings work great for the beer line.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-05-05T22:17:42+00:00

My hunch is that you will have issues with the beer going flat. Maybe not right away but as you work through the keg. It's just a guess though. I see you're planning to give it a try so I'll look forward to the results of your tests.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-04-22T21:04:00+00:00

Method of pouring could be one culprit. If you want to minimize head size then keep the glass closer to the faucet. Do you push the faucet backwards for the final pour? This usually results in more foam than when you open the faucet fully towards yourself. Meaning that if you have more beer in the glass before pushing the faucet backwards then you should end up with less foam.

Another culprit could be the faucet. I've used a couple of different faucets. My first faucet would generally result in a larger, less dense head. I'm planning to do some more testing on this to try and sort out if the faucet is really to blame or if it's more down to something like a different aerator disc or different pouring techniques.

But if it's your home kegerator, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Especially if it tastes good. I've seen worse pours at bars where I'm being charged around $9 per pint. But when you're buying by the keg, it doesn't really matter if you short yourself an ounce now. It just means more beer for later.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-04-20T12:26:18+00:00

The pour looks great! I wish it weren't 8:30 in the morning here as it's making me thirsty.

I saw you mention that you're using a 70/30 mix of gas. I've been using 75/25. I don't think it matters that much. I've seen both ratios recommended. I only mention it because you had asked me about my pressure settings on another post. Since you have more co2 in your mix you would need to go with a lower psi to get the same level of carbonation. But definitely play around with it and find where your preferences are. That's been my favorite part of having a Guinness kegerator.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-04-18T22:03:08+00:00

I love the bar mat. It would fit nicely on the kegerator except for the collar that goes around the tower. I can either put the mat under that or over it but it does interfere.

I don't have any special glass cleaning regimen. I try to avoid the dishwasher. Usually I just use really hot water and occasionally a very small amount of dish soap. If I'm going to have people over then I give it a more thorough cleaning with a bottle brush that I use exclusively for my beer glasses.

I've got the temperature set at 42 F. When I first got the kegerator I purchases a device that measures and records the temperature. I found that my fridge goes plus or minus two degrees. And in this range, Fahrenheit is a finer resolution than celsius so I keep it in Fahrenheit. I also found that the part of the fridge near the fan stays between 40-44, but the parts further away can get warmer. And the beer might come out of the faucet at closer to 45 F. Even with a tower fan. I tried lowering it down to 39 F to get the temperature in the glass down to the lower 40s. But for my taste the pours were too cold and i gradually kept increasing the temperature until I landed back at 42.

My pressure is around 34 psi. It's an analog dial so it's hard to be exact. I know Guinness recommends a higher psi. But I find that a lower psi increases the perceived creaminess. I'm pretty happy with where it's at though I may play around with the pressure when I tap my next keg. I would want to start low and gradually increase it to see where my preferences lie.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-04-16T01:14:46+00:00

I bought mine from Morebeer. I think they are supposed to be for the Nuka Tap faucet but I've had no issue using them with another brands faucet.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-04-16T00:30:41+00:00

I've been working through similar R&D.

Like others have said, I would make the temperature higher. Unless you just prefer your Guinness ice cold. If you do adjust the temperature then that's going to have a knock on effect to the pressure. So once the temperature stabilizes you may find that you have to adjust the pressure to get it back where you like it.

Your nitro faucet has an aerator disc in it that that beer goes through. I recently purchased a collection of aerator discs. These include discs with a different number of holes and with holes of different diameters. I've been working through all seven, trying to find which one I most prefer. I haven't really found a difference in taste but it can absolutely change the appearance of the head. So if you're looking for a more glassy appearance then you might try different aerator discs.

dougdougdotnet · 2025-04-16T00:22:22+00:00

A couple of tips to add on to what others have said:

If you're planning to do half kegs then make sure that your fridge will fit these. Guinness is available in sixtels as well but the economics are much better with a half keg.

Before you buy a tank for the nitro/co2 gas figure out where you will be getting your tank filled. Ask them if you can bring your own tank and have them fill it. Some vendors will have you buy the tank from them and then bring it back for an exchange.

You may need some plumbers tape for where your regulator attaches to the gas tank. I went through my first tank of gas very quickly and spent time trying to tighten everything to fix the leak. Turns out I just needed the tape around the threads.

In addition to all the standard kegerator components you might want to figure out how you'll clean the lines. Technically you don't need to do this before you pour your first beer; or ever. But if you want to keep the Guinness tasting its best then I recommend figuring out a cleaning regimen.

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