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The Perfect Guinness

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  • 15-11-2008 2:34am
    #1
    Red Sleeping Beauty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,443 ✭✭✭


    How do you get it ? I've heard from a friend who worked in the Storehouse that it's the glass and how it's washed, it's the keg and the pipes and the temp said keg is and of course the pouring technique. Think he might've added more, can't remember.

    In Grogans there a few months ago I went in on a fairly quiet Monday (few auld lads reading the paper, not too busy) and got an amazing Guinness, gorgeous. The way they all should be. Then on the following Saturday I went in and it was jammers - tourists, indy scenesters and even Sat. afternoon shoppers. The guinness was not very nice. It tasted like the kind of pint you'd get in a nightclub. I remember hearing one of the auld lads at the bar talking to the barman on the monday about what makes a good pint and the barman said something about how long the keg is connected to the taps or something :confused:

    Thoughts ? Any Guinness drinkers here?
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    #2
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,471 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    alan dunne 27 wrote: »
    How do you get it ? I've heard from a friend who worked in the Storehouse that it's the glass and how it's washed, it's the keg and the pipes and the temp said keg is and of course the pouring technique. Think he might've added more, can't remember.

    In Grogans there a few months ago I went in on a fairly quiet Monday (few auld lads reading the paper, not too busy) and got an amazing Guinness, gorgeous. The way they all should be. Then on the following Saturday I went in and it was jammers - tourists, indy scenesters and even Sat. afternoon shoppers. The guinness was not very nice. It tasted like the kind of pint you'd get in a nightclub. I remember hearing one of the auld lads at the bar talking to the barman on the monday about what makes a good pint and the barman said something about how long the keg is connected to the taps or something :confused:

    Thoughts ? Any Guinness drinkers here?

    There's a lot of things that make a good guinness, and it also depends how you like your guinness (some pints have a strong, almost bitter flavour while others tast like drinking a pint of cream). The most important things, as far as I'm aware, are how fresh the guinness is (from james gate to being opened), how much of a flow there is, the tilt, how long it settles after the first pour and a number of other things such as hygene etc.

    Suffice it to say that the guinness will be better in pubs where there are a lot of guinness drinkers. This is a self fulfilling prophecy.


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    #3
    killwill
    Registered Users Posts: 2,785 ✭✭✭killwill


    Don't know how to make the best Guinness but if you want to taste it, Mill's bar in Ballina, Co. Tipp has it!!!


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    #4
    Red Sleeping Beauty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,443 ✭✭✭Red Sleeping Beauty


    johnnyskeleton wrote: »

    Suffice it to say that the guinness will be better in pubs where there are a lot of guinness drinkers. This is a self fulfilling prophecy.

    I've heard that a lot and I suppose it's usually true. Your local GAA club will probably have some excellent Guinness (mind does) . But it just bugs me that when I get a Guinness in Grogans during the week it's lovely, then on a busy Saturday it's crap, probably have something to do with the pour but still, it's a pain in the arse.


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    #5
    Mr Magnolia
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,429 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mr Magnolia


    Properly maintained lines, short lines, a short travelled keg, sufficient/correct gas, temperature, correct pouring and resting time, clean glasses, a good 'run' on line. It's all I can think of at the minute.


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    #6
    toiletduck
    Registered Users Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭toiletduck


    alan dunne 27 wrote: »
    nd of course the pouring technique.

    Doesn't make any difference to the taste tbh.


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    #7
    PrivateEye
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,283 ✭✭✭PrivateEye


    Best one going (in my opinion anyway!): Mulligans, Poolbeg Street.

    Honourable mentions: Gravediggers out in Glasnevin, Toners on Baggot Street.

    Can't believe its not better here than it is: O' Donoghues, pure slop lately.

    Jesus thats piss: Temple Bar spots in general. Ironically, normally the dearest pints.

    As the sig says, a pint of plain is your only man


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    #8
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    The obvious things are all mentioned but also the keg has to be let settle after delivery, as most take a hell of a battering in getting into the pub, dropped of the back of a lorry, rolled down the sreet to the pub, dropped into a celler and rolled into place. After this a keg should be left for 24 hours till its tapped up.

    If a place has too many Guinness drinkers then that can be just as bad as too few because the Guinness doesnt get chilled properly in the lines (if the pub has a cold storeroom then this wont make a difference but most pubs dont).

    A pint of Guinness can be a tempramental wee beggar when it wants to be.


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    #9
    Red Sleeping Beauty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,443 ✭✭✭Red Sleeping Beauty


    PrivateEye wrote: »
    Best one going (in my opinion anyway!): Mulligans, Poolbeg Street.

    Honourable mentions: Gravediggers out in Glasnevin, Toners on Baggot Street.

    Can't believe its not better here than it is: O' Donoghues, pure slop lately.

    Jesus thats piss: Temple Bar spots in general. Ironically, normally the dearest pints.

    As the sig says, a pint of plain is your only man

    Haven't tried Gravediggers, never heard of it/don't be out that far. I think I was in Toners once years ago. Good auld pub actually, must go back. O' Donoghues/Thing Mote can sometimes be hit or miss. Usually I get a quality pint out of there and would be shocked if I didn't, but they're pandering to the tourist crowd a bit though. Temple Bar pubs are indeed rubbish for teh Guinness. The only pub in Temple Bar I'd get a (good)Guinness from is Karma, formerly Handles on Fishambles St. It used to be €3 for a pint then up to €3.30 now it's about €3.60..


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    #10
    Mimikyu
    Registered Users Posts: 18,907 ✭✭✭✭Mimikyu


    This post has been deleted.


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    #11
    Red Sleeping Beauty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,443 ✭✭✭Red Sleeping Beauty


    Solitaryman666 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Doesn't surprise me really. It's a lovely little pub that hardly does any business save for some wierd disco nights at the weekend. It's attached to a hotel so I'm assuming that's how they're still going/have cheap pints.

    Here's one for yis, has anyone noticed that Hotel Guinness is better/wores ?

    And does anybody refuse to accept a poor Guinness and demand a refund/replacement ? I'd assume that it's within our consumer rights ? Although yes taste subjective but sometimes you just know when you've handed a rotten one.


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    #12
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,471 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    toiletduck wrote: »
    Doesn't make any difference to the taste tbh.

    Not so sure about that - one pub I was in had 2 barpeople serve 2 noticably different pints from the same tap. I think it was how long they let it settle before the second pour. Also, I've seen barmen pour pints of guinness straight up and it tastes awful. Whether there is something psychological about that or not is a different story, but I certainly want my pints poured correctly.


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    #13
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,373 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    toiletduck wrote: »
    Doesn't make any difference to the taste tbh.
    It can effect the head and appearance, if you had some tasting machine it might technically be the same, but there is a sensation with a well poured pint. And appearance is very important, why else would chefs bother with it.
    Solitaryman666 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.
    You say it is not the bar, but then went on to say the bar put the price up too, which is nearly always the case, and then they point the finger at the breweries.


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    #14
    cavedave
    Registered Users Posts: 2,164 ✭✭✭cavedave


    One idea might be to try other stouts. The burntness of Beamish. The creamyness of Murphys. If you try a few stouts in direct competition/comparison with Guinness you could get a better handle on what it is you like about Guinness. Which will mena youll appreciate guinness more.


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    #15
    Red Sleeping Beauty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,443 ✭✭✭Red Sleeping Beauty


    Hey, I know what it is I like about teh Guinness :pac:

    I know that the taste varies in different pubs and I do enjoy that too. I just hate getting weak, manky watery pints with little or no head . Or at least with no consistency to the head


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    #16
    cavedave
    Registered Users Posts: 2,164 ✭✭✭cavedave


    alan dunne 27 Hey, I know what it is I like about teh Guinness

    You could prove it.... Go into O'Neils Suffolk Street with a friend. Get him to get you a glass of each of the four stouts in unmarked glasses. And see if you can spot the Guinness.


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    #17
    Red Sleeping Beauty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,443 ✭✭✭Red Sleeping Beauty


    cavedave wrote: »
    You could prove it.... Go into O'Neils Suffolk Street with a friend. Get him to get you a glass of each of the four stouts in unmarked glasses. And see if you can spot the Guinness.

    Tell you what, if I can spot the Guinness then you can pay for em :D


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    #18
    Quint
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,407 ✭✭✭Quint


    I agree that the pour is just for appearence. It effects how the head looks.
    But in general I find it's far easier to get a good guinness than larger in pubs.

    I think the glass is very important. Some people mentioned that when their local is busy the guinness isn't as nice. I think this is because the glass hasn't cooled down from the washer. Glass washers should rinse glasses down with cold water before the wash cycle is finished.


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