What Is Beer Gas?

Beer gas is an essential element in your pub or bar dispensing system that pumps the beer from the keg to the tap while maintaining the proper carbonation.

It is a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2). The carbon dioxide gas makes beers and ciders taste fizzy with a prickling sensation on your tongue when you drink them. Nitrogen, meanwhile, creates a creamy beer and when the liquid is poured into a beer glass it will have a beautiful swirling effect.

The Oxford Companion to Beer (Garrett Oliver, 2011) explains the science behind beer gas: “There are two reasons mixed gases are used to dispense beer: either because the beer comes from the brewery with a mixture of N2 and CO2 already dissolved in the beer (as is the case with Guinness and other nitrogenated beers) or because extra pressure is required to push beer from the cellar through a very long draught line to the tap.”