The Guinness Widget

[Butterfingers]

How the heck does this thing work?

[virus]

dont know.... dont care... long as i can grab a 6pack and sit in my comfy chair and watch the tube.... i'm happy =)


granted it took them long enough to come up with it... =)

[the JoKeR]

If I remember correctly, it's there to release nitrogen when the can is opened. The nitrogen is what makes those millions of tiny bubbles (compared against larger bubbles found in other beers). Their canning process must be pretty interesting to make it work. Try their website, they might have the info there.

[govnamac]

I think somehow popping the top of the can allows the pressure inside to decrease enough allowing the nitrogen to escape.

[Quiet]

Maybe it's just there to stir up sediment, so you don't have sludge at the bottom. Guinness is pretty thick.

[Jacob]

Guinness.com
That's what they say, but I think I'm on to something. They say it's "nitrogen." And what makes a mag work well? "Nitrogen" Of course we all know that magic elves make mags shoot better. So could this mean that one of the most important components of paintball could actually date back at least as far as 1759 when Guinness was first brewed at the St. James Gate brewery on the River Liffey in Dublin? Could this be Ireland's greatest contribution to civilization?

Curse you Butterfingers, now I want a Guinness and I don't have any.

[Butterfingers]

Ive come to the conclusion that nitrogen is a miracle gas.

Nitrogen makes everything better

The whole beer industry should make a switch from co2 to nitrogen.

Every can of guiness is so perfectly flavorful...

[-J�ker-]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?

[than205]

nitrogen = elves

[the JoKeR]

Originally posted by Jacob

Wow, I was pretty close! Guess I did learn something in college!

[oldsoldier]

Guinness contains no carbonation...obviously. The nitrogen produces the foaminess in the beer, as opposed to using CO2. Guinness, normally, doesnt have a head at all. It is flat. We just like bubbles in our beer.

[oldsoldier]

sorry, didnt read all the posts...as it was already explained

[TheTramp]

Guinness absolutly does have CO2 carbonation. It just doesn't have the same level of carbonation that drinkers of premium American beers are used to.

The Widget holds a small amount of beer and nitrogen. When the can is opened (pressure relesed), some CO2 is forced out through two pin holes. This knocks some CO2 (the carbonation)out of the solution and is why the head is unusualy thick and creamy (very small bubbles). The special tap used to dispence Guinness uses a similer process to knock some of the CO2 out of solution as it pours into your glass. Regular beer could be given this type of head by running it through a Guinness type tap. Of course the carbonation level would have to be reduced or there would be way more head then beer in the glass.

[bofh]

Originally posted by TheTramp
drinkers of premium American beers are used to.

Ha! *choke* ha! *choke* Ha! *passes out from laughing*...

I'm sorry, what were you saying? I lost you at premium.

[the JoKeR]

Weird part is that I didn't actually see the word "premium" when I read the post the first time. Maybe my brain was trying to save me from the same kind of laughing fits! OK, well maybe some of the microbrews that aren't rice based are fine... And some of the dopple bocks can be pretty good, but Miller and Bud? Yuck.