Over 40,000 happy iKegger owners agree. This is not just a gadget for craft beer fans. It will slot into your lifestyle and you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Whoever you are, we guarantee you'll love the simplicity having your favourite drink on tap. Perfectly poured. Fresh till the last drop, and icy cold all day*
iKegger Mini Keg Benefits
How will an iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg benefit you? It depends who you are.
Beers with the boys: Your own pub at home. Draft beer on tap without the extra fridge, mess of hoses, gas bottle refills and huge 50L kegs.
Caffeine fueled office worker: Nitro coffee on demand, without wasting your lunch break in line to pay cafe prices.
Cleansed and zen yogi: Post workout craft soda or fresh kombucha for the collective.
Party planner extraordinaire: Effortless events! Pre-batched cocktails plus beer on tap. Socialising instead of making drinks all night, plus no bottles and cans everywhere.
Parent paying for plastic bottles of fizz: It is only ever half drunk. Have plastic-free sodawater on tap instead.
Outdoor explorer: No more dragging around the rubbish, cooler and ice!
4WD or Vanlifer: Half the size and weight of beer bottles. 6 beers in a keg the size of a milk bottle.
Backyard pool lounger: No glass to break!
How will an iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg benefit you? It depends who you are.
Beers with the boys: Your own pub at home. Draft beer on tap without the extra fridge, mess of hoses, gas bottle refills and huge 50L kegs.
Caffeine fueled office worker: Nitro coffee on demand, without wasting your lunch break in line to pay cafe prices.
Cleansed and zen yogi: Post workout craft soda or fresh kombucha for the collective.
Party planner extraordinaire: Effortless events! Pre-batched cocktails plus beer on tap. Socialising instead of making drinks all night, plus no bottles and cans everywhere.
Parent paying for plastic bottles of fizz: It is only ever half drunk. Have plastic-free sodawater on tap instead.
Outdoor explorer: No more dragging around the rubbish, cooler and ice!
4WD or Vanlifer: Half the size and weight of beer bottles. 6 beers in a keg the size of a milk bottle.
The iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg System was designed from the ground up to store and pour your favourite drink perfectly.
The 2.0 System consists of 3 core components, no matter what drink you want to use it for.
An iKegger Mini Keg: Made of virtually unbreakable 304 grade stainless steel and coming in a range of sizes from 2L up to 10L. The brushed steel (silver coloured) ones are a standard single wall keg. These are great for taking up minimal space in your fridge or cooler. The matte black kegs are our premium version and are constructed with 2 walls with a vacuum between them giving excellent insulating properties. Put in your icy cold beer and it'll still be crisp and refreshing up to 12 hours later, even on a hot Aussies summer day.
The Push-Button Tap: This patented keg tap fits any of our mini kegs and simply replaces the screwcap that comes with them. It is where most of our R&D time and money was spent. We wanted it to be lightweight and small, intuitive to use, and be able to pour any drink perfectly, even if the keg was lying on it's side in your fridge!
The Multi-Gas Mini Regulator: unlike copycat products ours can use virtually any source of gas, from disposable bulbs to refillable gas bottles. It will pressurise your keg to exactly the right level needed so your drink is fresh and pours exactly like it should till the last drop.
The only thing that has to change, when you switch between different drinks, is the type of gas you use.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is for fizzy / carbonated drinks like beer and soda.
Nitrogen (N2) or Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is for creamy / foamy drinks like stout, espresso martinis or nitro coffee.
The iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg System was designed from the ground up to store and pour your favourite drink perfectly.
The 2.0 System consists of 3 core components, no matter what drink you want to use it for.
An iKegger Mini Keg: Made of virtually unbreakable 304 grade stainless steel and coming in a range of sizes from 2L up to 10L. The brushed steel (silver coloured) ones are a standard single wall keg. These are great for taking up minimal space in your fridge or cooler. The matte black kegs are our premium version and are constructed with 2 walls with a vacuum between them giving excellent insulating properties. Put in your icy cold beer and it'll still be crisp and refreshing up to 12 hours later, even on a hot Aussies summer day.
The Push-Button Tap: This patented keg tap fits any of our mini kegs and simply replaces the screwcap that comes with them. It is where most of our R&D time and money was spent. We wanted it to be lightweight and small, intuitive to use, and be able to pour any drink perfectly, even if the keg was lying on it's side in your fridge!
The Multi-Gas Mini Regulator: unlike copycat products ours can use virtually any source of gas, from disposable bulbs to refillable gas bottles. It will pressurise your keg to exactly the right level needed so your drink is fresh and pours exactly like it should till the last drop.
The only thing that has to change, when you switch between different drinks, is the type of gas you use.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is for fizzy / carbonated drinks like beer and soda.
Nitrogen (N2) or Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is for creamy / foamy drinks like stout, espresso martinis or nitro coffee.
The Drinks Menu: Anything On Tap
Quite literally anything!*
Beer / cider / rum & coke / gin & tonic etc from cans and bottles.
Craft beer refills at a brewery near you.
Your own spirit & mixer combos, cold or hot. (We love hot Fireball & Spiced Apple Juice in winter!)
Kombucha, iced teas, cold brew coffee.
Batches of your favourite cocktails so they are on tap whenver you want one.
Creamy nitro coffee
*The only exception is if it has thick pulp or bits that will clog the tap.
Quite literally anything!*
Beer / cider / rum & coke / gin & tonic etc from cans and bottles.
Craft beer refills at a brewery near you.
Your own spirit & mixer combos, cold or hot. (We love hot Fireball & Spiced Apple Juice in winter!)
Kombucha, iced teas, cold brew coffee.
Batches of your favourite cocktails so they are on tap whenver you want one.
Creamy nitro coffee
*The only exception is if it has thick pulp or bits that will clog the tap.
Chill Man! Stay Cool All Day
We have 2 types of mini kegs.
Premium Matte Black Insulated (2L, 4L and 5L)
The black kegs are made with 2 walls of stainless steel and a vacuum in-between them. They are made the same way a thermos is, and will maintain the temperature of the contents for many hours, even on a hot Aussies summer day.
Standard Single Wall Silver (2L, 5L and 10L)
The silver kegs have a single stainless steel wall. These aren't insulated but take up less room in your esky or fridge for the same volume of drinks. Because they use half the steel of the black ones, and don't have the complexity of being manufactured in a vacuum, they are also easier on the wallet.
Temperature Change Test:
On a 30deg day starting with the same temperature water in both kegs.
The water in the Black Keg went up 2 degrees in 7 hours
The water in the Silver keg went up 15 degrees in the same time.
The black kegs are made with 2 walls of stainless steel and a vacuum in-between them. They are made the same way a thermos is, and will maintain the temperature of the contents for many hours, even on a hot Aussies summer day.
Standard Single Wall Silver (2L, 5L and 10L)
The silver kegs have a single stainless steel wall. These aren't insulated but take up less room in your esky or fridge for the same volume of drinks. Because they use half the steel of the black ones, and don't have the complexity of being manufactured in a vacuum, they are also easier on the wallet.
Temperature Change Test:
On a 30deg day starting with the same temperature water in both kegs.
The water in the Black Keg went up 2 degrees in 7 hours
The water in the Silver keg went up 15 degrees in the same time.
The answer ranges from 24 hours to months, or even years. It depends on what drink it is, how the keg was filled, and how you treat the keg afterwards.
Some common scenarios include:
Craft beer poured in from cans or bottles or filled from a tap into open keg (48 hours+)
Mass-produced beer or craft beer filled properly with our filling kit (7-30 days)
Spirits & Mixers (forever)
Coffee / Coffee Cocktails (7 days+)
Fruit Juice / Cocktails Like Margaritas (7 days+)
Why the variation?
Bacteria and oxygen contact will affect some drinks, particularly craft beer or fruit juices. If your keg and whatever equipment is used to transfer the liquid from the source are sanitised, and there is no contact between the drink and air/oxygen in the process, then your keg will last as long as the drink would have where it came from. For rum and coke or soda water, that is virtually forever. If it's a hoppy craft beer it will become less aromatic at the same rate it would normally.
The main times a drink will not maintain it's freshness is if there is a live yeast or bacteria in it, or it contains ingredients that you would expect to go off fairly quickly, like fresh juices.
For craft beers, that haven't been heat-treated like mass-produced beer is, exposing it to air, or putting it in a keg with other bacteria in it, will speed up the process of it getting off flavours.
Generally, the more care you take when filling, the longer your drink will last.
Sometimes it doesn't matter. If you want to put 15 cans of beer into an insulated keg and take it to the park where you will drink it that day, you can just rinse your keg and chuck them in. Job done.
If you are paying for an expensive, high-alcohol, craft beer refill from a brewery, that you intend to drink over a few weeks, it's wise to make sure the keg is cleaned and sanitised and flushed with CO2 before they fill it so there is minimal chance of any contamination or contact with oxygen.
CO2 is heavier than air, so if you flush your keg with it, it doesn't all rush out just because the lid is open. You can put a hose to the bottom of the keg and fill it and liquid won't touch oxygen as there is a layer of CO2 on top of the liquid as it fills.
The best option for filling your keg with beer or other carbonated drinks is to use our auto-stop keg filler. This prevents any oxygen contact, while also maintaining the pressure while filling so there is no foaming or loss of carbonation. It also stops automatically when the keg is full.
How long will drinks stay fresh in an iKegger?
The answer ranges from 24 hours to months, or even years. It depends on what drink it is, how the keg was filled, and how you treat the keg afterwards.
Some common scenarios include:
Craft beer poured in from cans or bottles or filled from a tap into open keg (48 hours+)
Mass-produced beer or craft beer filled properly with our filling kit (7-30 days)
Spirits & Mixers (forever)
Coffee / Coffee Cocktails (7 days+)
Fruit Juice / Cocktails Like Margaritas (7 days+)
Why the variation?
Bacteria and oxygen contact will affect some drinks, particularly craft beer or fruit juices. If your keg and whatever equipment is used to transfer the liquid from the source are sanitised, and there is no contact between the drink and air/oxygen in the process, then your keg will last as long as the drink would have where it came from. For rum and coke or soda water, that is virtually forever. If it's a hoppy craft beer it will become less aromatic at the same rate it would normally.
The main times a drink will not maintain it's freshness is if there is a live yeast or bacteria in it, or it contains ingredients that you would expect to go off fairly quickly, like fresh juices.
For craft beers, that haven't been heat-treated like mass-produced beer is, exposing it to air, or putting it in a keg with other bacteria in it, will speed up the process of it getting off flavours.
Generally, the more care you take when filling, the longer your drink will last.
Sometimes it doesn't matter. If you want to put 15 cans of beer into an insulated keg and take it to the park where you will drink it that day, you can just rinse your keg and chuck them in. Job done.
If you are paying for an expensive, high-alcohol, craft beer refill from a brewery, that you intend to drink over a few weeks, it's wise to make sure the keg is cleaned and sanitised and flushed with CO2 before they fill it so there is minimal chance of any contamination or contact with oxygen.
CO2 is heavier than air, so if you flush your keg with it, it doesn't all rush out just because the lid is open. You can put a hose to the bottom of the keg and fill it and liquid won't touch oxygen as there is a layer of CO2 on top of the liquid as it fills.
The best option for filling your keg with beer or other carbonated drinks is to use our auto-stop keg filler. This prevents any oxygen contact, while also maintaining the pressure while filling so there is no foaming or loss of carbonation. It also stops automatically when the keg is full.
Who Is iKegger?
iKegger is a small Aussie company. It was started by 2 mates (Dave and Oner) in a Sydney garage in 2015.
The initial idea was simple, but along the way it's developed and grown to be something they are very proud to have built together.
Reducing waste. By removing the need for packaging for takeaway drinks they've prevented tons of glass, aluminium, plastic and carboard being used each year.
Supporting small business. By getting a refills from local producers, instead of buying the same products from Dans and Colesworth, iKegger owners put more money directly in the pockets of the peole who make our drinks rather than resellers taking a cut.
Reducing Emissions. By refilling locally you prevent a ridiculous cycle. Buying locally made drinks, wrapped in Australian aluminium, that was trucked, trained and shipped via China to be turned into cans. Read more about the life of a beer can here
Charity donations. We've donated over $80,000 (as of Oct 2025) of iKeggers income to Clean Up Australia (removing existing rubbish from our bushland and beaches) & The Cancer Council (for research into treatment and cures)
Dave and Oner have lived and breathed mini kegs for over a decade, and there isn't anyone on the planet who knows more about them.
In 2023, they took the knowledge acquired from the customer feedback and personal experience gained from selling tens of thousands of mini kegs, and went to the drawing board.
Hundreds of hours of R&D and testing later, the prototype for the iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg System was born.
This new tap system was designed from scratch to improve on prior iKegger models, plus tick off a wish list of unique features. These could only be only achieved by starting with a clean slate, rather than changing existing keg tap designs.
When the iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg System launched on Kickstarter in 2023, it hit 100% of it's funding target in less than 24 hours, and ended up reaching 1000% in 21 days.
iKegger is a small Aussie company. It was started by 2 mates (Dave and Oner) in a Sydney garage in 2015.
The initial idea was simple, but along the way it's developed and grown to be something they are very proud to have built together.
Reducing waste. By removing the need for packaging for takeaway drinks they've prevented tons of glass, aluminium, plastic and carboard being used each year.
Supporting small business. By getting a refills from local producers, instead of buying the same products from Dans and Colesworth, iKegger owners put more money directly in the pockets of the peole who make our drinks rather than resellers taking a cut.
Reducing Emissions. By refilling locally you prevent a ridiculous cycle. Buying locally made drinks, wrapped in Australian aluminium, that was trucked, trained and shipped via China to be turned into cans. Read more about the life of a beer can here
Charity donations. We've donated over $80,000 (as of Oct 2025) of iKeggers income to Clean Up Australia (removing existing rubbish from our bushland and beaches) & The Cancer Council (for research into treatment and cures)
Dave and Oner have lived and breathed mini kegs for over a decade, and there isn't anyone on the planet who knows more about them.
In 2023, they took the knowledge acquired from the customer feedback and personal experience gained from selling tens of thousands of mini kegs, and went to the drawing board.
Hundreds of hours of R&D and testing later, the prototype for the iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg System was born.
This new tap system was designed from scratch to improve on prior iKegger models, plus tick off a wish list of unique features. These could only be only achieved by starting with a clean slate, rather than changing existing keg tap designs.
When the iKegger 2.0 Mini Keg System launched on Kickstarter in 2023, it hit 100% of it's funding target in less than 24 hours, and ended up reaching 1000% in 21 days.
iKegger Vs Copy Cat Products
iKegger is the number one mini keg system in the world, bar none. We have no hesitation saying this.
There are cheaper mini kegs out there, and unless you know what to look for they look the same, or at least similar.
iKeggers earlier models especially were and are still copied and sold around the world. Most are shipped direct from China after being sold via ebay or Amazon, but iKegger is the original and best for a reason.
The biggest difference? iKeggers do what they say they will. More than 8000 product reviews, plus hundreds of genuine public reviews on Google, Facebook and Trustpilot agree.
If you want
Metallic tasting drinks
Nothing but foam
Constantly leaking taps
Flat beer that goes bad in 2 days
No customer support
No ability to pour nitro drinks
Potentially dangerous regulators
Buy a copy-cat and save yourself some money.
Most likely you'll end up coming us to fix it later, or give up on mini kegs and throw it in the back of a cupboard.
iKegger is the number one mini keg system in the world, bar none. We have no hesitation saying this.
There are cheaper mini kegs out there, and unless you know what to look for they look the same, or at least similar.
iKeggers earlier models especially were and are still copied and sold around the world. Most are shipped direct from China after being sold via ebay or Amazon, but iKegger is the original and best for a reason.
The biggest difference? iKeggers do what they say they will. More than 8000 product reviews, plus hundreds of genuine public reviews on Google, Facebook and Trustpilot agree.
If you want
Metallic tasting drinks
Nothing but foam
Constantly leaking taps
Flat beer that goes bad in 2 days
No customer support
No ability to pour nitro drinks
Potentially dangerous regulators
Buy a copy-cat and save yourself some money.
Most likely you'll end up coming us to fix it later, or give up on mini kegs and throw it in the back of a cupboard.
You've unpacked it, admired the sleek look and flicked through the full colour manual and recipe book. We've put together videos and guides with more detailed information on how to assemble, fill and pour your favourite drink perfectly below. Read on!
Important: Read This First!
Our gear is virtually bulletproof, with one necessary exception, The iKegger 2.0 Multi-Gas Mini Regulator.
This is because it is a finely tuned feat of engineering and has many small delicate parts in it.
There are many other mini regulators out there that look similar. They are not in the same league, we promise you this because we've tested them all.
To turn the regulator off, turn the dial ANTI-CLOCKWISE all the way.
Always TURN OFF your regulator before you screw in, or unscrew, a gas bulb or gas bottle from it.
Always TURN OFF your regulator before you connect or disconnect it from a pressurised keg.
If the needle on the regulator gauge is stuck off zero when nothing is connected to the outlet of it, you didn't follow the above, and have damaged the gauge.
Where the needle is now is your new zero. In some cases you can use the regulator like this. If the needle is stuck at 5psi for instance then 10psi is approximately your new 5psi. However we can't guarantee this is accurate
Our gear is virtually bulletproof, with one necessary exception, The iKegger 2.0 Multi-Gas Mini Regulator.
This is because it is a finely tuned feat of engineering and has many small delicate parts in it.
There are many other mini regulators out there that look similar. They are not in the same league, we promise you this because we've tested them all.
To turn the regulator off, turn the dial ANTI-CLOCKWISE all the way.
Always TURN OFF your regulator before you screw in, or unscrew, a gas bulb or gas bottle from it.
Always TURN OFF your regulator before you connect or disconnect it from a pressurised keg.
If the needle on the regulator gauge is stuck off zero when nothing is connected to the outlet of it, you didn't follow the above, and have damaged the gauge.
Where the needle is now is your new zero. In some cases you can use the regulator like this. If the needle is stuck at 5psi for instance then 10psi is approximately your new 5psi. However we can't guarantee this is accurate
When you first get your keg you should at least fill it with hot water and run that through the tap system to rinse that too. Ideally you should use our sodium percarbonate keg cleaner and run it through the system to clean it. Cleaner is included in our bundles other than the Build-Your-Own Keg Package.
Avoid submerging the mini regulator in liquid.
Subsequent Uses
For most drinks and most scenarios just rinsing the keg with hot water and running it through the tap system when you finish the keg (straight away) is enough.
For a more thorough clean (if you didn't rinse it for instance) use sodium percarbonate according to the directions. This actively removes any caked on substances.
Using lubricant on seals and o-rings will extend their life and make attaching and detaching disconnects easier. A full set of seals and o-rings is already installed and a replacement set is included.
For an absolute best practice clean see this video on youtube (it shows one of our older models but the theory is the same). In our opinion this level of cleaning and flushing with CO2 is only needed for filling with craft beer or homebrew, and only if you intend to store it for more than a couple of days.
Homebrew & craft beers haven't been heat-treated and may have live yeast or bacteria in them. Mass produced beer is heat-treated so has nothing living in it and spirits are themselves sanitisers (rum & coke especially) so will kill anything that was in your keg ;-)
First Use
When you first get your keg you should at least fill it with hot water and run that through the tap system to rinse that too. Ideally you should use our sodium percarbonate keg cleaner and run it through the system to clean it. Cleaner is included in our bundles other than the Build-Your-Own Keg Package.
Avoid submerging the mini regulator in liquid.
Subsequent Uses
For most drinks and most scenarios just rinsing the keg with hot water and running it through the tap system when you finish the keg (straight away) is enough.
For a more thorough clean (if you didn't rinse it for instance) use sodium percarbonate according to the directions. This actively removes any caked on substances.
Using lubricant on seals and o-rings will extend their life and make attaching and detaching disconnects easier. A full set of seals and o-rings is already installed and a replacement set is included.
For an absolute best practice clean see this video on youtube (it shows one of our older models but the theory is the same). In our opinion this level of cleaning and flushing with CO2 is only needed for filling with craft beer or homebrew, and only if you intend to store it for more than a couple of days.
Homebrew & craft beers haven't been heat-treated and may have live yeast or bacteria in them. Mass produced beer is heat-treated so has nothing living in it and spirits are themselves sanitisers (rum & coke especially) so will kill anything that was in your keg ;-)
Assemble The 2.0 Tap
Assemble The Optional Button Upgrade
The Optional Kegerator Add-On
Assemble The 2.0 Regulator
Using Gas Bottles With Optional Adapters
The Pressure Release Valve
Got a question about your iKegger?
Something not working as you expected?
Our gear is virtually indestructible. For any parts that will wear over time (like o-rings and seals) a complete set of spares is included with your purchase and more are available on the site for when you eventually need them (in years time if you follow our care instructions).
If something isn't working for you as you expected, it's generally a simple tweak we've come across before and the answer is below!
Leaking or Dripping Tap
Some drips are normal, here's why and a fix. Our packages other than the Build Your Own include the custom mini drip tray to prevent any stray drips in your fridge.
When you release the button on the tap it's the same as sticking your finger over the end of a straw and lifting it out of the glass. The spout remains full of liquid. This will slowly drip out unless you either pull the spout off the tap briefly so the liquid empties into your glass, or twist the spout to upright so it doesn't drip.
If you do this and the tap continues dripping you should disassemble the tap, rinse it, check the o-rings for visible damage, and then reassemble it. Sometimes a small bit of coffee / yeast sediment etc prevents it sealing properly and simply taking it apart, rinsing and putting back together will fix it.
Some drips are normal, here's why and a fix. Our packages other than the Build Your Own include the custom mini drip tray to prevent any stray drips in your fridge.
When you release the button on the tap it's the same as sticking your finger over the end of a straw and lifting it out of the glass. The spout remains full of liquid. This will slowly drip out unless you either pull the spout off the tap briefly so the liquid empties into your glass, or twist the spout to upright so it doesn't drip.
If you do this and the tap continues dripping you should disassemble the tap, rinse it, check the o-rings for visible damage, and then reassemble it. Sometimes a small bit of coffee / yeast sediment etc prevents it sealing properly and simply taking it apart, rinsing and putting back together will fix it.
The first time you use the adapter for a gas bottle you may need to adjust the length of the pin in the adapter that presses down on the valve on the gas bottle.
If a tool (a small screwdriver or Allan key) came with your adapter, it is used to change the length of the pin. Follow the below steps to do this.
Put the tool in the opposite end to where the gas bottle goes and unscrew the pin (anti-clockwise) a couple of turns.
Screw the adapter onto the gas bottle and screw the pin in (clockwise) carefully, till it touches the valve.
Remove the adapter from the gas bottle and screw the pin in a further half turn (so that next time it is screwed onto the gas bottle it will press the valve down).
Screw the adapter into the regulator finger tight.
Ensure the regulator is turned off!
Screw the regulator and the adapter onto the gas bottle together till it just touches the valve.
Give one firm and quick twist to pierce the valve and seal the adapter to the gas bottle. Using a spanner or wrench is best (adapter to bottle, not regulator to adapter).
Now when you turn the regulator on, gas will come out.
The first time you use the adapter for a gas bottle you may need to adjust the length of the pin in the adapter that presses down on the valve on the gas bottle.
If a tool (a small screwdriver or Allan key) came with your adapter, it is used to change the length of the pin. Follow the below steps to do this.
Put the tool in the opposite end to where the gas bottle goes and unscrew the pin (anti-clockwise) a couple of turns.
Screw the adapter onto the gas bottle and screw the pin in (clockwise) carefully, till it touches the valve.
Remove the adapter from the gas bottle and screw the pin in a further half turn (so that next time it is screwed onto the gas bottle it will press the valve down).
Screw the adapter into the regulator finger tight.
Ensure the regulator is turned off!
Screw the regulator and the adapter onto the gas bottle together till it just touches the valve.
Give one firm and quick twist to pierce the valve and seal the adapter to the gas bottle. Using a spanner or wrench is best (adapter to bottle, not regulator to adapter).
Now when you turn the regulator on, gas will come out.
How Many Gas Bulbs Should I Be Using?
This is one question that is a little more complex to answer as it varies a lot depending on the drink, keg size, volume of liquid, its temperature and the expected outcome.
In General:
For CO2 (fizzy / carbonated drinks like beer, soda, gin & tonic etc)
You need approximately 4g of CO2 gas to carbonate 1L of flat liquid (like water to make soda).
You need about 4g of CO2 to dispense a carbonated drink from a keg while maintaining the pressure inside (which stops the rest going flat).
So for an already carbonated drink (like beer, rum & coke, soda etc) 1 x 8g bulb will dispense 2L, a 16g bulb 4L and a 25g bulb 6L.
The regulators job is to release gas as needed, in order to maintain the pressure inside the keg at the level you set.
It doesn't use all the gas at once. You can use a larger bulb on a smaller keg. You will waste the gas inside the keg when you open it to clean and refill, but the gas still in the bulb or gas bottle can be saved for the next keg.
For Pure Nitrogen(coffee and creamy / shaken style cocktails)
Pure nitrogen give a lovely dense creme on drinks when used correctly, without any change of flavour.
You need to dissolve the gas into the liquid, then dislodge it from the liquid as you pour. The gas leaving the liquid is what gives the iconic Guinness stout its cascading bubbles and creamy head.
It requires specific conditions to absorb nitrogen into the liquid, without all these no gas will enter the liquid at all and the drink will pour flat.
High pressure: 50psi+
Cold Temperature: As close to 0degC as possible
Maximum Contact Area: Ideally shake the keg to mix the liquid and gas otherwise you need to leave for many hours to slowly absorb through the contact between liquid and gas in the keg.
Due to higher storage pressure of nitrogen you can fit less gas per bulb.
The same size bulb that holds 8g of CO2 only holds 2g of Nitrogen and will dispense about 500-750ml.
This is why our espresso martini package only has the option of 2L kegs, we feel that 15 cocktails is a good amount for nearly any situation, and if you have a larger keg you will either have to make up a LOT of cocktail mix to fill it, then swap bulbs regularly to dispense, or you would use a lot of bulbs trying to pressurise the empty space up to 50+psi if you only half filled the keg.
For Nitrous Oxide (also coffee and creamy / shaken cocktails)
Otherwise known as creamer bulbs, whippets (or nangs) are usually used to make whipped cream.
The gas dissolves easily and quickly and has a similar effect to pure nitrogen on drinks but with a slight sweet taste.
The downside is that bubble texture can vary over time, sometimes drinks left in a keg for too long with nitrous oxide pour with larger, less atttractive bubbles on top. We also found the foam was affected by alcohol content more than pure nitrogen.
However the bulbs have 8g of gas (so pour 2L per bulb) and are much easier and quicker to dissolve than pure nitrogen.
If you add a couple of drops of our Wonderfoam cocktail foamer additive with nitrous oxide the creme comes out perfectly even with high alcohol. We recommend this combo as the best solution for espresso martinis!
This is one question that is a little more complex to answer as it varies a lot depending on the drink, keg size, volume of liquid, its temperature and the expected outcome.
In General:
For CO2 (fizzy / carbonated drinks like beer, soda, gin & tonic etc)
You need approximately 4g of CO2 gas to carbonate 1L of flat liquid (like water to make soda).
You need about 4g of CO2 to dispense a carbonated drink from a keg while maintaining the pressure inside (which stops the rest going flat).
So for an already carbonated drink (like beer, rum & coke, soda etc) 1 x 8g bulb will dispense 2L, a 16g bulb 4L and a 25g bulb 6L.
The regulators job is to release gas as needed, in order to maintain the pressure inside the keg at the level you set.
It doesn't use all the gas at once. You can use a larger bulb on a smaller keg. You will waste the gas inside the keg when you open it to clean and refill, but the gas still in the bulb or gas bottle can be saved for the next keg.
For Pure Nitrogen(coffee and creamy / shaken style cocktails)
Pure nitrogen give a lovely dense creme on drinks when used correctly, without any change of flavour.
You need to dissolve the gas into the liquid, then dislodge it from the liquid as you pour. The gas leaving the liquid is what gives the iconic Guinness stout its cascading bubbles and creamy head.
It requires specific conditions to absorb nitrogen into the liquid, without all these no gas will enter the liquid at all and the drink will pour flat.
High pressure: 50psi+
Cold Temperature: As close to 0degC as possible
Maximum Contact Area: Ideally shake the keg to mix the liquid and gas otherwise you need to leave for many hours to slowly absorb through the contact between liquid and gas in the keg.
Due to higher storage pressure of nitrogen you can fit less gas per bulb.
The same size bulb that holds 8g of CO2 only holds 2g of Nitrogen and will dispense about 500-750ml.
This is why our espresso martini package only has the option of 2L kegs, we feel that 15 cocktails is a good amount for nearly any situation, and if you have a larger keg you will either have to make up a LOT of cocktail mix to fill it, then swap bulbs regularly to dispense, or you would use a lot of bulbs trying to pressurise the empty space up to 50+psi if you only half filled the keg.
For Nitrous Oxide (also coffee and creamy / shaken cocktails)
Otherwise known as creamer bulbs, whippets (or nangs) are usually used to make whipped cream.
The gas dissolves easily and quickly and has a similar effect to pure nitrogen on drinks but with a slight sweet taste.
The downside is that bubble texture can vary over time, sometimes drinks left in a keg for too long with nitrous oxide pour with larger, less atttractive bubbles on top. We also found the foam was affected by alcohol content more than pure nitrogen.
However the bulbs have 8g of gas (so pour 2L per bulb) and are much easier and quicker to dissolve than pure nitrogen.
If you add a couple of drops of our Wonderfoam cocktail foamer additive with nitrous oxide the creme comes out perfectly even with high alcohol. We recommend this combo as the best solution for espresso martinis!
My Beer Is Pouring Foamy
There are many reasons you may be getting a lot of foam coming out your tap. Without being there to see your system setup and what you are doing it's very difficult for us to give an answer as to why it might be. We've tried to cover the main ones below, along with what you can do about them.
Under carbonated - strange but true, if you are getting a lot of foam but it is flat when you taste it your drink may be under carbonated - let it sit for a day or so at the pressures recommended on carbonation page.
Over carbonated - if you are getting a lot of foam and the drink has carbonation when you taste it it may be over carbonated. You can adjust it by releasing some pressure, letting it sit for an hour then releasing some more pressure. Then set the regulator to the level recommended in the table on the carbonation page to get the correct level.
A warm glass or tap - Often the 1st pour will be foamy as the cold liquid with lots of dissolved CO2 loses the CO2 when it hits a warm surface like the inside of a tap or a glass. Keep your glass in the fridge or cool it with water before pouring if it's warm. Keep your tap in the fridge if possible (like with our mini kegs), ensure any liquid lines outside a fridge are well insulated and ensure a font fan is blowing cold air inside the font to cool it if you have a bar top font.
Pouring onto foam causes more foam - You will often see the bar tender at a bar put the glass under the tap after only a bit of beer has come through the tap and gone into the drip tray or they will pour out the bit in the glass if it is foamy before starting again. This is because if you have some foamy beer in the glass it causes the rest to foam as it pours onto it. Better to waste the first 30mls than have a whole glass of froth!
Not enough beer line - Beer line is measured depending on it's internal diameter. We provide minimum 1.5m of 4mm internal beer line with our kegerator packages etc as this is the length needed to slow the liquid enough that it pours well when it reaches the tap, if you cut it short and don't have a flow control tap it will pour to quickly and cause foaming.
Too much pressure - If your pressure is set too high the beer will flow too fast and cause it to be agitated and foamy when it pours. If you have a flow control tap or a kegerator with correct length lines you should set your pressure at the recommended one from the carbonation page.
Too little pressure - If your keg has too little pressure in it it will cause the dissolved CO2 to free itself from the liquid. This causes gas bubbles in the beer lines or tap. If you can see bubbles in your beer line this is a likely cause. Your beer may also be pouring heady but flat as it is becoming under carbonated due to not enough pressure to keep it carbonated.
Beer hasn't settled - If your keg has just been filled from a tap, then driven home, carried inside and plonked on the table it has been shaken, agitated and been through temperature changes. It will pour foamy unless you let it sit for at least 30min. We had someone wonder why their 50L keg was pouring foamy after rolling it from the pub to car, car to a speed boat, boat to party on an island and then tried to tap it 15min later.
An interruption in the flow - This is something more equipment-based you can look for if you think everything above is correct. A rough edge inside a hose where it was cut, a steel burr inside a tap etc. will interrupt the smooth flow of liquid and can make it pour foamy
There are many reasons you may be getting a lot of foam coming out your tap. Without being there to see your system setup and what you are doing it's very difficult for us to give an answer as to why it might be. We've tried to cover the main ones below, along with what you can do about them.
Under carbonated - strange but true, if you are getting a lot of foam but it is flat when you taste it your drink may be under carbonated - let it sit for a day or so at the pressures recommended on carbonation page.
Over carbonated - if you are getting a lot of foam and the drink has carbonation when you taste it it may be over carbonated. You can adjust it by releasing some pressure, letting it sit for an hour then releasing some more pressure. Then set the regulator to the level recommended in the table on the carbonation page to get the correct level.
A warm glass or tap - Often the 1st pour will be foamy as the cold liquid with lots of dissolved CO2 loses the CO2 when it hits a warm surface like the inside of a tap or a glass. Keep your glass in the fridge or cool it with water before pouring if it's warm. Keep your tap in the fridge if possible (like with our mini kegs), ensure any liquid lines outside a fridge are well insulated and ensure a font fan is blowing cold air inside the font to cool it if you have a bar top font.
Pouring onto foam causes more foam - You will often see the bar tender at a bar put the glass under the tap after only a bit of beer has come through the tap and gone into the drip tray or they will pour out the bit in the glass if it is foamy before starting again. This is because if you have some foamy beer in the glass it causes the rest to foam as it pours onto it. Better to waste the first 30mls than have a whole glass of froth!
Not enough beer line - Beer line is measured depending on it's internal diameter. We provide minimum 1.5m of 4mm internal beer line with our kegerator packages etc as this is the length needed to slow the liquid enough that it pours well when it reaches the tap, if you cut it short and don't have a flow control tap it will pour to quickly and cause foaming.
Too much pressure - If your pressure is set too high the beer will flow too fast and cause it to be agitated and foamy when it pours. If you have a flow control tap or a kegerator with correct length lines you should set your pressure at the recommended one from the carbonation page.
Too little pressure - If your keg has too little pressure in it it will cause the dissolved CO2 to free itself from the liquid. This causes gas bubbles in the beer lines or tap. If you can see bubbles in your beer line this is a likely cause. Your beer may also be pouring heady but flat as it is becoming under carbonated due to not enough pressure to keep it carbonated.
Beer hasn't settled - If your keg has just been filled from a tap, then driven home, carried inside and plonked on the table it has been shaken, agitated and been through temperature changes. It will pour foamy unless you let it sit for at least 30min. We had someone wonder why their 50L keg was pouring foamy after rolling it from the pub to car, car to a speed boat, boat to party on an island and then tried to tap it 15min later.
An interruption in the flow - This is something more equipment-based you can look for if you think everything above is correct. A rough edge inside a hose where it was cut, a steel burr inside a tap etc. will interrupt the smooth flow of liquid and can make it pour foamy
Fizzy Drinks Pouring Flat
This information applies to storing and pouring pre-carbonated drinks (like a beer refill, or rum & coke) and for making your own soda from water / carbonating homebrew beer.
In Short
If a drink tastes flat, you can increase the carbonation in it by setting the pressure to about 15psi and leaving it in the fridge for a few hours to absorb more CO2.
If a drink is too fizzy for your liking, you can turn the regulator off and release some pressure from the keg. This will allow some of the gas in the liquid to escape and it will become flatter.
In order to answer more in-depth questions about pressure and carbonation, you need to have some understanding of how CO2 (carbon dioxide, the gas that causes carbonation or fizz) absorption into liquid works.
We've tried to give you a crash course below, and the answers to common questions, so that you get the perfect carbonation level to suit your tastes.
Liquid will absorb CO2 from the environment it is in (in this case a keg or other pressurised vessel).
The colder the liquid the faster CO2 will be absorbed into it and the more CO2 will stay absorbed.
The higher the pressure the faster CO2 will be absorbed and the more CO2 will stay absorbed.
The larger the surface area between the CO2 and the liquid the faster the CO2 will absorb.
The liquid can hold a maximum amount of CO2 at any fixed temperature and pressure, once it reaches that no more will absorb, so long as the pressure and temperature don't change.
The fastest way to make a flat liquid carbonated is to chill it, put it in a closed vessel with high pressure CO2 and shake it (which maximises the surface area of liquid and gas touching each other).
Many people at least start the carbonation process like this to speed up the overall time taken. The problem is you have very little control of how carbonated the liquid will become.
A much more accurate method is to know exactly how much CO2 you want in your drink (how fizzy you want it - measured in volumes of dissolved CO2 for those with some chemistry background) and then store you drink at a temperature and pressure where it will stop absorbing CO2 when it gets to that point.
This is what is shown on this carbonation level table. The colour coding is for various levels of carbonation, depending on the beer style (sodas are highly carbonated so treat rum and coke or soda water like the orange band)
The most common styles (lager, ale, amber) have around 2.5 volumes of CO2 dissolved in them to be perfectly carbonated and are represented by the yellow band across the centre.
After deciding which colour band you need, choose the temperature your liquid is being stored at (example a fridge at 5 deg).
Find this temperature on the left side and follow it across till you hit the colour of your beer style (in our case we would hit the yellow band in the 5 columns just to the left of centre).
This tells us that we would need to set our CO2 pressure to 9-13 PSI to get the correct level of carbonation by looking at the x-axis along the bottom.
With this method you will never over carbonate your drink, whether you bought it already carbonated or you are carbonating your own it doesn't matter.
If you are carbonating with this method a chilled 19L keg will take a few days, smaller kegs will take less.
It will take longer to carbonate than if you used high pressure and shook or rolled the chilled keg.
Once it reaches the right level (or if your drink was already carbonated), your regulator will stop injecting gas until you remove some liquid.
When liquid is removed, the regulator will add more gas to keep the pressure and carbonation level constant.
You can try a bit of your drink to see if it is carbonated enough at any point.
Once it reaches the right level you can either leave the regulator attached and turned on or remove it and only attach it again when you want to pour drinks from the keg.
You will not use any less gas by removing the regulator EXCEPT if you have a gas leak.
NOTE: If using a check valve (either a check valve disconnect or an inline check valve on the gas line) the regulator is not showing you the pressure in the keg. It is showing you the pressure in the space between the regulator and the check-valve. If the pressure in the keg rises due to increased temperature it will not register on the regulator dial as the check-valve is preventing it.
If it falls it will need to fall by a few psi below the set pressure on the regulator before the valve will open to let more gas in. In short, if you are using a check valve you will not have an accurate reading on the gauge of the regulator.
We suggest using the check valve only when needed (the keg is lying down) to prevent inaccuracies in your pressure setting.
This information applies to storing and pouring pre-carbonated drinks (like a beer refill, or rum & coke) and for making your own soda from water / carbonating homebrew beer.
In Short
If a drink tastes flat, you can increase the carbonation in it by setting the pressure to about 15psi and leaving it in the fridge for a few hours to absorb more CO2.
If a drink is too fizzy for your liking, you can turn the regulator off and release some pressure from the keg. This will allow some of the gas in the liquid to escape and it will become flatter.
In order to answer more in-depth questions about pressure and carbonation, you need to have some understanding of how CO2 (carbon dioxide, the gas that causes carbonation or fizz) absorption into liquid works.
We've tried to give you a crash course below, and the answers to common questions, so that you get the perfect carbonation level to suit your tastes.
Liquid will absorb CO2 from the environment it is in (in this case a keg or other pressurised vessel).
The colder the liquid the faster CO2 will be absorbed into it and the more CO2 will stay absorbed.
The higher the pressure the faster CO2 will be absorbed and the more CO2 will stay absorbed.
The larger the surface area between the CO2 and the liquid the faster the CO2 will absorb.
The liquid can hold a maximum amount of CO2 at any fixed temperature and pressure, once it reaches that no more will absorb, so long as the pressure and temperature don't change.
The fastest way to make a flat liquid carbonated is to chill it, put it in a closed vessel with high pressure CO2 and shake it (which maximises the surface area of liquid and gas touching each other).
Many people at least start the carbonation process like this to speed up the overall time taken. The problem is you have very little control of how carbonated the liquid will become.
A much more accurate method is to know exactly how much CO2 you want in your drink (how fizzy you want it - measured in volumes of dissolved CO2 for those with some chemistry background) and then store you drink at a temperature and pressure where it will stop absorbing CO2 when it gets to that point.
This is what is shown on this carbonation level table. The colour coding is for various levels of carbonation, depending on the beer style (sodas are highly carbonated so treat rum and coke or soda water like the orange band)
The most common styles (lager, ale, amber) have around 2.5 volumes of CO2 dissolved in them to be perfectly carbonated and are represented by the yellow band across the centre.
After deciding which colour band you need, choose the temperature your liquid is being stored at (example a fridge at 5 deg).
Find this temperature on the left side and follow it across till you hit the colour of your beer style (in our case we would hit the yellow band in the 5 columns just to the left of centre).
This tells us that we would need to set our CO2 pressure to 9-13 PSI to get the correct level of carbonation by looking at the x-axis along the bottom.
With this method you will never over carbonate your drink, whether you bought it already carbonated or you are carbonating your own it doesn't matter.
If you are carbonating with this method a chilled 19L keg will take a few days, smaller kegs will take less.
It will take longer to carbonate than if you used high pressure and shook or rolled the chilled keg.
Once it reaches the right level (or if your drink was already carbonated), your regulator will stop injecting gas until you remove some liquid.
When liquid is removed, the regulator will add more gas to keep the pressure and carbonation level constant.
You can try a bit of your drink to see if it is carbonated enough at any point.
Once it reaches the right level you can either leave the regulator attached and turned on or remove it and only attach it again when you want to pour drinks from the keg.
You will not use any less gas by removing the regulator EXCEPT if you have a gas leak.
NOTE: If using a check valve (either a check valve disconnect or an inline check valve on the gas line) the regulator is not showing you the pressure in the keg. It is showing you the pressure in the space between the regulator and the check-valve. If the pressure in the keg rises due to increased temperature it will not register on the regulator dial as the check-valve is preventing it.
If it falls it will need to fall by a few psi below the set pressure on the regulator before the valve will open to let more gas in. In short, if you are using a check valve you will not have an accurate reading on the gauge of the regulator.
We suggest using the check valve only when needed (the keg is lying down) to prevent inaccuracies in your pressure setting.
Inconsistent Creme On Nitro Drinks
Dissolving nitrogen or nitrous oxide into a drink, then dislodging it from the liquid as you pour it into a glass is what causes the iconic Guinness cascading head, it is also great for coffee and batching up shaken cocktails like espresso martini and sours.
Successful Pure Nitrogen infusion into a drink relies on 3 conditions:
The liquid must be near 0 deg C for gas to start absorbing into it. You can put room temperature ingredients in a keg, turn the presure up and put it in the fridge but no nitrogen will absorb into the liquid till the temperature gets down to below 5 deg C
The pressure must be high (50psi +) to push the gas into the liquid. If you have a lot of empty space in a keg you will use up gas bringing the empty space up to 50psi+
Maximum possible surface contact between the liquid and gas. Shaking with ice is fastest! It is important to leave some empty space in the keg so there is plenty of surface area in contact between the liquid and gas. It also means shaking the keg mixes the ingredients well, as there is room for them to move.
Nitrous Oxide is easier to work with as it dissolves more easily and quickly than Pure Nitrogen. However it adds a slight sweet flavour which may not be ideal depending on your drink, and the creme can be less stable. To fix this add a few drops of Wonderfoam additive to the mix.
When Using Pure Nitrogen
Chilling
Chill all the ingredients before putting them into the keg. This is doubly important using the insulated black kegs. The colder the liquid, the more nitrogen can absorb into it.
The black kegs are insulated and will stay cold all day out of the fridge. The same works in reverse, if you put room temperature liquid in and then put the keg in the fridge it will be at least 24 hours before it is cold and only then will it start absorbing gas.
Best practice: swirl some ice water around in the black keg to chill it before filling with chilled ingredients.
If a recipe calls for ice cubes, this is an important part of the recipe so don't leave them out.
Absorbing:
Always double check the regulator is turned off before screwing in or unscrewing a gas bulb and also before connecting or disconnecting the regulator from a keg, both result in a sudden change in gas pressure that can damage the regulator.
Insert a bulb and connect the regulator to the keg filled with martini mix and ice cubes.
Turn the pressure up to 50psi and shake the keg well for about 30 seconds. Shaking like a cocktail shaker where the liquid and ice smash backward and forward is more effective than the liquid swirling as it "beats" the gas into the liquid.
If your mix is ice cold and the pressure is high enough, nitrogen will slowly absorb into the liquid just by leaving the keg in the fridge overnight with the regulator turned on, however it's not as effective as shaking.
Pouring:
With more than 20psi of pressure in the keg it is harder to control the flow rate as you have to push quite hard on the button. It's also worth noting that the first time you press the button for each round of drinks it will require a little more pressure and may "stick" for a second then release, which the following pours won't do.
Personally I turn the regulator off and then do a test pour into a tumbler or water glass to see if the foam is looking good, at the same time as reducing the pressure and "unsticking" the button.
After that it's a lot easier to control the flow rate depending on how hard you push the button so you can pour into martini glasses without it shooting up the other side.
You can either do what I do, or turn the regulator off and release some pressure using the ring pull valve till the needle drops to 20psi, then turn up the regulator till the needle moves upward a little indicating the regulator will now hold the pressure steady at 20psi.
When you pour your martini into a glass, what was a black liquid should now pour as a creamy paler colour. This will settle in the glass to form a dense foam on top and black base over about 10-25 seconds. The lighter the colour the more nitrogen has dissolved and the better the effect will be and the longer to settle.
You can keep pouring drinks now until you see the pressure start to drop, ie the needle moves down, indicating the bulb is empty.
Turn the regulator off, insert a new bulb and turn the pressure back up to 20psi to continue pouring.
If you won't be pouring anymore drinks for a while turn the pressure back up to 50psi while storing to keep the gas dissolved in the mix.
When you next go to pour a drink (whether it's a few hours, a day or a week later) give the keg a quick shake before dropping the pressure again to pour.
Trouble Shooting
We have tested hundreds of brands of coffee, pre-made by other companies and by ourselves with various beans. Some just don't work well and the foam dissapates quickly, this could be due to oil content, strength of brew or other factors.
Boston Black is designed specifically for making espresso martinis by a crew in Melbourne and it's used in over 50 bars around Australia, they brew in large batches that are always exactly the same.
Chillbru have been using our kegs for years to demonstrate and run events with their coffee, it's made fresh weekly in small batches, it's delicious but has a shorter expiry period.
We are certain that if you follow the directions these will work correctly, we can't guarantee anything else you try will work as well.
Espresso or very strong cold brew concentrate generally will work fine though if you follow these instructions.
The ice is important for 3 reasons, it dilutes the mix to where it's supposed to be, it brings the temperature down to at or below 0 deg and it "smashes" the gas into the liquid when you give it a shake. Don't leave it out.
Higher alcohol content can impact the ability of the cocktail to hold foam sometimes, if the foam dissapates too quickly after following the instructions above try adding more coffee to the keg and infusing with nitrogen again.
Considering how easy it is to get your next cocktail it's not a bad idea to reduce the alcohol content a bit anyway ;-)
The Recipe (14 Martinis | 2L Keg)
1 unit - Boston Black Cold Brew (chilled)
1 unit - Vodka (from freezer)
1 unit - Kahlua (from freezer)
0.4 units - Ice cubes
Note: The number of cocktails you get depends on how generously you pour them.
In a 2L keg use 500ml of each liquid with one of our trays of ice (200ml). This leaves aroud 300ml empty space to aid shaking / gas dissolving.
You can increase or decrease the volume you make in a batch just maintain ratios the same or similar.
You can increase the ratio of coffee if you choose to. This will reduce the alcohol content per cocktail and help maintain creme.
Generally a 2L keg filled following the guide above will use 2-3 bulbs of pure nitrogen to dispense.
Nitrous oxide has much more gas per bulb (8g) than pure nitrogen (2g) and also absorbs more easily into liquid, but you need to use Wonderfoam additive to get a perfect creme when using it.
Dissolving nitrogen or nitrous oxide into a drink, then dislodging it from the liquid as you pour it into a glass is what causes the iconic Guinness cascading head, it is also great for coffee and batching up shaken cocktails like espresso martini and sours.
Successful Pure Nitrogen infusion into a drink relies on 3 conditions:
The liquid must be near 0 deg C for gas to start absorbing into it. You can put room temperature ingredients in a keg, turn the presure up and put it in the fridge but no nitrogen will absorb into the liquid till the temperature gets down to below 5 deg C
The pressure must be high (50psi +) to push the gas into the liquid. If you have a lot of empty space in a keg you will use up gas bringing the empty space up to 50psi+
Maximum possible surface contact between the liquid and gas. Shaking with ice is fastest! It is important to leave some empty space in the keg so there is plenty of surface area in contact between the liquid and gas. It also means shaking the keg mixes the ingredients well, as there is room for them to move.
Nitrous Oxide is easier to work with as it dissolves more easily and quickly than Pure Nitrogen. However it adds a slight sweet flavour which may not be ideal depending on your drink, and the creme can be less stable. To fix this add a few drops of Wonderfoam additive to the mix.
When Using Pure Nitrogen
Chilling
Chill all the ingredients before putting them into the keg. This is doubly important using the insulated black kegs. The colder the liquid, the more nitrogen can absorb into it.
The black kegs are insulated and will stay cold all day out of the fridge. The same works in reverse, if you put room temperature liquid in and then put the keg in the fridge it will be at least 24 hours before it is cold and only then will it start absorbing gas.
Best practice: swirl some ice water around in the black keg to chill it before filling with chilled ingredients.
If a recipe calls for ice cubes, this is an important part of the recipe so don't leave them out.
Absorbing:
Always double check the regulator is turned off before screwing in or unscrewing a gas bulb and also before connecting or disconnecting the regulator from a keg, both result in a sudden change in gas pressure that can damage the regulator.
Insert a bulb and connect the regulator to the keg filled with martini mix and ice cubes.
Turn the pressure up to 50psi and shake the keg well for about 30 seconds. Shaking like a cocktail shaker where the liquid and ice smash backward and forward is more effective than the liquid swirling as it "beats" the gas into the liquid.
If your mix is ice cold and the pressure is high enough, nitrogen will slowly absorb into the liquid just by leaving the keg in the fridge overnight with the regulator turned on, however it's not as effective as shaking.
Pouring:
With more than 20psi of pressure in the keg it is harder to control the flow rate as you have to push quite hard on the button. It's also worth noting that the first time you press the button for each round of drinks it will require a little more pressure and may "stick" for a second then release, which the following pours won't do.
Personally I turn the regulator off and then do a test pour into a tumbler or water glass to see if the foam is looking good, at the same time as reducing the pressure and "unsticking" the button.
After that it's a lot easier to control the flow rate depending on how hard you push the button so you can pour into martini glasses without it shooting up the other side.
You can either do what I do, or turn the regulator off and release some pressure using the ring pull valve till the needle drops to 20psi, then turn up the regulator till the needle moves upward a little indicating the regulator will now hold the pressure steady at 20psi.
When you pour your martini into a glass, what was a black liquid should now pour as a creamy paler colour. This will settle in the glass to form a dense foam on top and black base over about 10-25 seconds. The lighter the colour the more nitrogen has dissolved and the better the effect will be and the longer to settle.
You can keep pouring drinks now until you see the pressure start to drop, ie the needle moves down, indicating the bulb is empty.
Turn the regulator off, insert a new bulb and turn the pressure back up to 20psi to continue pouring.
If you won't be pouring anymore drinks for a while turn the pressure back up to 50psi while storing to keep the gas dissolved in the mix.
When you next go to pour a drink (whether it's a few hours, a day or a week later) give the keg a quick shake before dropping the pressure again to pour.
Trouble Shooting
We have tested hundreds of brands of coffee, pre-made by other companies and by ourselves with various beans. Some just don't work well and the foam dissapates quickly, this could be due to oil content, strength of brew or other factors.
Boston Black is designed specifically for making espresso martinis by a crew in Melbourne and it's used in over 50 bars around Australia, they brew in large batches that are always exactly the same.
Chillbru have been using our kegs for years to demonstrate and run events with their coffee, it's made fresh weekly in small batches, it's delicious but has a shorter expiry period.
We are certain that if you follow the directions these will work correctly, we can't guarantee anything else you try will work as well.
Espresso or very strong cold brew concentrate generally will work fine though if you follow these instructions.
The ice is important for 3 reasons, it dilutes the mix to where it's supposed to be, it brings the temperature down to at or below 0 deg and it "smashes" the gas into the liquid when you give it a shake. Don't leave it out.
Higher alcohol content can impact the ability of the cocktail to hold foam sometimes, if the foam dissapates too quickly after following the instructions above try adding more coffee to the keg and infusing with nitrogen again.
Considering how easy it is to get your next cocktail it's not a bad idea to reduce the alcohol content a bit anyway ;-)
The Recipe (14 Martinis | 2L Keg)
1 unit - Boston Black Cold Brew (chilled)
1 unit - Vodka (from freezer)
1 unit - Kahlua (from freezer)
0.4 units - Ice cubes
Note: The number of cocktails you get depends on how generously you pour them.
In a 2L keg use 500ml of each liquid with one of our trays of ice (200ml). This leaves aroud 300ml empty space to aid shaking / gas dissolving.
You can increase or decrease the volume you make in a batch just maintain ratios the same or similar.
You can increase the ratio of coffee if you choose to. This will reduce the alcohol content per cocktail and help maintain creme.
Generally a 2L keg filled following the guide above will use 2-3 bulbs of pure nitrogen to dispense.
Nitrous oxide has much more gas per bulb (8g) than pure nitrogen (2g) and also absorbs more easily into liquid, but you need to use Wonderfoam additive to get a perfect creme when using it.
The heights listed below are from the mouth of the keg to highest point of the lid / tap when it is attached to the keg. To get the total height / depth (if it's lying down) add them to the height of your chosen keg above.
You can remove the spout and regulator of the iKegger 2.0 at any point for even more compact storage.
With a ball lock spear you can also remove the liquid and gas connections at any time.
The heights listed below are from the mouth of the keg to highest point of the lid / tap when it is attached to the keg. To get the total height / depth (if it's lying down) add them to the height of your chosen keg above.
You can remove the spout and regulator of the iKegger 2.0 at any point for even more compact storage.
With a ball lock spear you can also remove the liquid and gas connections at any time.
