Name: 70 Acre Brew Co.s Nitro Cream Ale Recipe
Cook time: 48 h
Total time: 48 h
Yield: 20 servings
Ingredients: 5 l Cold-fermented ale (finished beer keg/bright); 2 each Nitrogen cartridge (2,000 psi, 16 g or appropriate for dispenser); 1 each Nitro faucet or stout faucet with restrictor plate; 1 each CO2 cylinder (for initial serving pressure adjustments); 1 set Food-grade beer line and fittings; 1 tsp Irish moss or kettle finings (for clarity, optional if already clear); 0 to taste Cold crash (no ingredient - process step for clarity); 4 each Serving glass (nitro-friendly tulip or pint)

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

We have cold fermented this ale and allowed it to condition to give it lager-like qualities. We have also nitrified this beer which gives it an incredibly smooth mouthfeel and cascading foam. One would almost say- it’s creamy.

Ensure your ale has completed primary and cold conditioning/secondary fermentation and has been cold-conditioned for at least 2–4 weeks to develop lager-like crispness. Target final temperature around 34–40°F (1–4°C) before nitrification. Confirm fermentation is complete and beer is clear/stable.

Prepare finished beer

Sanitize a Cornelius or commercial beer keg and all fittings. Transfer the cold, conditioned beer gently to the keg using CO2 pressure or closed transfer to avoid oxygen pickup.

Transfer beer to keg

Install a nitro faucet (stout faucet with restrictor plate) on your dispensing line. Ensure you have a nitrogen gas source or nitrogen cartridges suitable for beer service. Use a dedicated line or ensure lines are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

Set up nitrogen dispensing hardware

If using 16 g nitrogen cartridges, attach the cartridge to an approved cartridge adapter on the keg coupler or a nitro charger head. Charge the keg with one cartridge at a time, waiting 5–10 minutes between cartridges to allow gas to dissolve. For a 5 L keg, start with one cartridge, test pour, and add a second if more cascading/head is desired. Do not overpressurize; follow cartridge/head manufacturer guidance.

Nitrogen charging (cartridge method)

If using a nitrogen tank, set regulator to a serving pressure of 30–40 psi for force-nitro dispense lines (this is significantly higher than CO2 to push through restrictor plate). For long-term balancing, combine low CO2 (5–10 psi) with nitrogen to maintain beer carbonation level and head. Slowly introduce nitrogen while the keg is cold to maximize solubility.

Nitrogen charging (tank method)

After charging, allow the keg to settle upright and cold for 24–48 hours to let nitrogen integrate and any initial large bubbles dissipate. Adjust regulator/pressure so beer dispenses smoothly; goal is a creamy, cascading pour with a dense, long-lasting head. Typical dispense pressure range for nitro is 20–40 psi depending on system and length of beer line.

Set serving pressure and condition

Use a nitro faucet: hold glass at a 45° angle, open tap fully, and pour swiftly to one-third full. Then let beer settle for a few seconds and top up by holding glass upright and pouring into the center to create the cascading effect and creamy head. Avoid partial openings or slow pours which reduce cascade and crema.

Dispense technique

If clarity is not to your liking, you may add a small amount of Irish moss or similar finings during the boil (if brewing yourself) or cold crash the finished beer at near-freezing temperatures for 48–72 hours to drop particulate matter before transferring to keg. This step should be completed prior to nitrification.

Optional clarification

Serve very cold (36–44°F / 2–7°C) in a nitro-friendly glass (stout pint or tulip). Rinse glass with cold water before pouring to reduce excessive head from residues. For best mouthfeel and visual effects, present immediately after pour; the creamy head and cascading bubbles are signature features of the nitro cream ale.

Glass prep and serving

If head is weak or not cascading: verify restrictor plate/faucet, ensure nitrogen charge is adequate, check line length/resistance, and confirm beer is cold. If over-carbonated or foamy: reduce pressure or release excess gas, let beer settle cold for longer, and purge headspace carefully to avoid oxidation.

Troubleshooting tips

Cold-fermented ale (finished beer keg/bright)

Nitrogen cartridge (2,000 psi, 16 g or appropriate for dispenser)

Nitro faucet or stout faucet with restrictor plate

CO2 cylinder (for initial serving pressure adjustments)

Food-grade beer line and fittings

Irish moss or kettle finings (for clarity, optional if already clear)

Cold crash (no ingredient - process step for clarity)

Serving glass (nitro-friendly tulip or pint)

Nitro Cream Ale

Make Nitro Cream Ale Recipe in just 48h . We have cold fermented this ale and allowed it to condition to give it lager-like qualities. We have also nitrified this beer which gives it an incredibly smooth mouthfeel and cascading foam. One would almost say- it’s creamy.

Nitro Cream Ale

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

You might also like