With an infinite number of alcoholic beverages available to beer lovers around the world， brewers are always looking for the next breakthrough to provide a more enjoyable drinking experience. The use of nitrogen in food products， such as nitrogen for modified atmosphere packaging， nitro cold brew coffee and nitro beer， has recently become very popular.

Traditionally， most beers have been infused with carbon dioxide (CO2) to create a lively bubbly effect. However， some brewers are replacing CO2 with nitrogen to create a different perspective for their favourite brews.

What is a nitro beer?

Nitro beers are beers that are finished with nitrogen rather than carbon dioxide. Beers injected with nitrogen have a smoother， more delicate appearance and flavour， mainly because the nitrogen produces smaller bubbles when it interacts with the beer. These characteristic effects are due to the fact that nitrogen is largely insoluble in liquids and therefore gives a "heavier" taste to those who taste nitrogen beers.

Carbonation versus nitrogenation

Completing a brewing process with carbonation or nitrogenation has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand， we have carbonation， which is a long-standing traditional method of beer making. Carbonation creates a beer with large bubbles that provide a lively， rough sensation on the tongue. In contrast， the nitrogen beer setting results in a beer with smaller bubbles than a carbonated beer.

The debate among experts about which process creates a quality beer is unlikely to end any time soon. If done correctly， either method will produce an excellent drink that consumers will rate based on their subjective expectations of how the beer will look and taste.

How to add nitrogen to a beer

By combining a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide under high pressure， brewers can create nitro beers. Compared to carbon dioxide， nitrogen is highly resistant to dissolution and this property is exploited to obtain beers with high barrel pressure but low carbonation. The pressure applied varies depending on the type of beer being nitrogenised. For stouts， a pressure of approximately 8 psi is sufficient to nitrogenate the beer.

The cascading effect seen in a glass of nitrided beer is due to the different dissolution rates when interacting with the beer liquid. When served， the nitrogen bubbles are pulled to the sides of the glass， while the carbon dioxide bubbles rise from the middle. In addition， the use of a restrictor plate placed in front of the tap creates very small bubbles in the beer being served， giving it a thick， creamy head and a smoother， less acidic taste.

Gaseous composition of nitro beers

The gas composition of nitro beers is usually 70% nitrogen and 30% carbon dioxide. The absence of oxygen in nitro beers allows them to retain their flavour for longer， as oxidation is minimised.

The use of nitrogen in breweries

Nitrogen is almost indispensable in the production of the brewing industry as it is used throughout all stages of the beer making process. Some of the main uses of nitrogen in breweries are outlined below.

Nitrogen flushing is used to eliminate gaseous impurities (carbon dioxide and oxygen) from brewery vessels and to inhibit the occurrence of undesirable oxidation reactions.

Nitrogen purging removes residual wort or malt slurry from previously brewed batches， preventing them from being oxidised and spoiling new brews.

Pressurised nitrogen can be used as a transport medium to push beer from one tank chamber to another.

Nitrogen is used to pressurise casks before transport， storage or use

Where to buy an on-site nitrogen generator for a brewery?

For large-scale， long-term brewery operations， it is a sensible business choice to invest in a nitrogen generator (PSA nitrogen machine， nitrogen plant) rather than relying on the use of nitrogen supplied through cylinders. However， there is quite a lot that should be taken into consideration when purchasing an on-site nitrogen system. It is recommended that you purchase your on-site nitrous beer generator from a trusted source.

Suzhou XITE Gases offers an impressive selection of nitrogen generators (PSA nitrogen generators， nitrogen equipment) to suit all your brewery needs. If your brewery only has temporary nitrogen production needs， consider our nitrogen generator procurement units before implementing nitrogen into your permanent process.

Benefits of using an on-site nitrogen generator in a brewery

The primary benefits of integrating nitrogen generators (PSA nitrogen generators， nitrogen plants) in your brewery are reduced overall production costs， efficient use of gas， no waste and reduced downtime.

Reduced operating costs

Although the cost of purchasing and installing an on-site nitrogen generator may seem high， in the long run it is much less expensive to run than what is spent on cylinder gas supply.

Efficient gas use

Using an on-site generator will allow the operator to produce only the required amount of gas when it is needed. This increases efficiency as all the gas produced is used for the process in question and nothing is wasted. You can also choose to offer an on-site generator with a nitrogen purity grade to suit your specific application.

Reduced costly supply downtime

Brewers using nitrogen supplied from cylinders may experience downtime where their production process is halted due to delays from the supplier. Purchasing a nitrogen generator (PSA nitrogen generator， nitrogen plant) can eliminate this problem as the required volume of gas can be generated 24/7 without interrupting the production cycle.

Advantages of owning a field nitrogen generator (nitrogen generator):

Before using the nitrogen generation system on site, many enterprises in the industry have no choice but to buy nitrogen elsewhere. However, the use of on-site nitrogen generator can eliminate all the troubles related to bulk purchase of nitrogen. Our nitrogen generator is an option with the greatest benefit: the average cost of producing nitrogen by ourselves is one-third to one-half lower than the relevant cost of purchasing nitrogen. Using the on-site nitrogen generator system, there is no need to pay the freight when purchasing nitrogen. Our nitrogen generator system usually allows you to recover the cost within 18 months.

In addition to economy, the nitrogen generator system of the on-site nitrogen generator also provides:

Reliability - the nitrogen generator system, that is, the on-site nitrogen generator system, uses the surrounding air to generate nitrogen. Therefore, our customers never have to worry about the shortage of nitrogen. Reduce stress - improve safety through storage. Simple - we make it easy for people without relevant equipment experience. The visual touch screen control can control the stability of gas purity. At the same time, it can operate self diagnosis, visual operation diagram and maintenance plan reminder on the screen. Flexibility - our equipment is small and can be transported under various conditions, so as long as there is air and electricity, the equipment can operate stably anywhere. Fully automatic - once a downstream request is detected, production begins.

Why use XITE nitrogen generator?   Our nitrogen generator system provides reliable on-site nitrogen supply for various industries, which is famous in China and Southeast Asia. Our on-site nitrogen system can produce nitrogen with purity up to 99.999%. For our nitrogen generator, it can meet the nitrogen production in any place and any complex environment. To learn more about the nitrogen generator system and the practical application demand scheme in your industry, please contact us immediately at + 86 18112526805 (consultant).