They already do this. They just mostly don't sell the results in Ireland.
Dunnes will have them next week. They should be everywhere though. Big push on these from diageo.
Pffft. Only coffee. Needs some elderflower, Wham! Bar and raw dangleberry notes to be hip enough for some of the folk on here.
Press thingy just finished. So...
There is 558ml of beer in the can and no widget. They have deliberately made it slightly more than a pint glass holds when there's a nitro head involved. The amount of head depends on temperature and they wanted to ensure that even if your can is at 2 or 3 degrees you'll still get the dome on top in a pint glass. At normal fridge temp or higher you get a bigger head and there's actually too much beer to pour in one go; you either spill it or leave some to top up.
The reasoning is primarily to recreate the two-part pour experience at home. It surges like pub Guinness, you have the pause to settle and then the top-up for which you don't surge, like pushing the tap back for draught. There is a knack to it, just like being a barman, and learning that is part of the experience. There will even be an online community to share pouring tips and whatnot. The other claimed advantages over standard widget cans is smoother mouthfeel and better visuals.
The unit itself is USB charged and pulses as you pour which they say is better for pulling the gas out of solution than the jewellery cleaner method. It comes with a charging cable and a dinky cleaning brush.
Price will be €25 for the unit and six-packs of the cans for €15.
Personally, I am always sceptical of buying hardware which is only useful while the product it's intended for is available, and €25 is a tidy amount for something that may not have a purpose in a year or two's time. But I get what they're trying to do: the result does look like a pub pint as it pours and when it's finished, so if all of that is what you value about Guinness then it might be worth your while. In the end it tastes like draught Guinness, like the widget cans do, like every pub pint does.
More importantly, will it work with normal cans like with the jewellery cleaner.?
What's a "normal" can?
With a widget can, the widget pulls out the nitrogen when you open it, so when you set the device on it, it won't have much dissolved gas to work on. With one of the Nitrosurge cans it will pulse as you pour; with a widget can (they said) the pulsing will stop quickly because there's no more dissolved nitrogen.
With a carbonated can, the gas merrily escapes on its own so the device isn't going to do anything there either.
If you have a stock of UK Surger cans, I guess it will work with those, but I don't know how big they are so your all-important dome may not form.
I imagine it will work with all nitro stout cans, unless they've designed it in a way that will only fit their cans
It won't do anything if the nitrogen has already been shaken out by a widget.
Sticking a thumbtack into the regular can releases pressure slowly, thus not activating the widget. This allows normal cans to surge on a surger/jewellery cleaner.
So, in theory, a normal can would work with one of these things. The unanswered questions there would be around do you create a mess because the can doesn't fit right into this device, or because you've poked a little hole in the top of your can. I would guess that Diageo have ensured normal cans can't be used, plus maybe these cans are designed differently so that this device can attach to them better.
The device fits onto a widget can. Even Diageo doesn't have the power to commission a proprietary can lid.
Jesus, sounds like something from Fisher price. A silly amount of fuckery for what will turn out to be a pint of normal beer
It is very much designed for the True Believer rather than the casual drinker. Well, the True Believer who can't be arsed going to the pub.
So I assume this device won’t do anything on a can of Leann Folain or Wrasslers XXXX?
I was looking to check that, but couldn't find a picture of the top of the can anywhere.
It won't. It shakes nitrogen out of solution. When there's no dissolved nitrogen there's nothing for it to do.
Ok thanks. It’s an interesting concept anyway, I’d be keen if I could get the same effect with different stouts. Guinness is fine but doesn’t excite me too much.
I'm sure there's loads of gear produced for home brewers that can do that, like this, but I can't vouch for any of it.
Personally I don't understand the trend for nitrogenation at all. It kills flavour. Why is a beer feeling nice more important than tasting nice?
I don't get this either.
It's crept in the craft market, too, which I thought was actually about flavour. Irish people seem to just love creamy!
Is it 25 quid for the unit and 15 quid for 6 cans?
I thought there was no more scope left for expansion of the sacred Guinness alchemy mumbo jumbo but there obviously is.
Its actually genius in a way. More power to Diageo.
I'm surprised they haven't come up with a promotion to bundle the device with cans at no extra cost. Surely the high margin on the cans would cover the cost pretty quick. I guess there'll be some Chinese knock-offs along soon.
Why would anyone bother with this when a jewellery cleaner does the exact same thing?
The price of these new surge cans is madness altogether.
You can achieve the exact same result by slowly releasing the gas from the standard can with a thumbtack or something else pointy.
People buys silly things though I suppose. Fools and their money and all that.
Those can toppers are around ages. They're used mainly to give carbonated beers a bit of a lift.
The Guinness one is probably a beefier one, as I think you need a minimum of around 40khz to activate the nitrogen bubbles in the stout.
Probably no difference to a jewellery cleaner, just the can topper is portable, so handy to bring if you're going to a party or something like that.
To answer another poster, i've tried some non nitro stouts in a jewellery cleaner and it does give it a bit of a lift (more head), but this is only for aesthetics really.
Any word on when these cans and unit will be on sale?
Not quite, it might knock all of the CO2 out of solution at once!
Years ago I tried the old Guinness syringe my dad had left in a kitchen drawer since the early 80s on a pint of Bulmers with predictable results - most of it rapidly departed the glass 😦
Thanks nialler24. Almost time to go shopping.
First time I've seen the top of the can.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thisiscrossy/video/7005969943086779654
Contains 558ml of Guinness, confirms the info on https://www.codecheck.info/getraenke/bier/lagerbier/ean_5000213026038/id_2842105137/Guinness_NitroSurge_Stout_Beer_Cans_For_use_with_Guinness_NitroSurge_Device_6X558ml_Can.pro
Yes it’s purely about mouthfeel isn’t it. That said I do enjoy Left Hands nitro stout and the new O’Haras nitro stout is decent.
Trends in beer are usually a race to the bottom from what I’ve seen. You start with fruit adjuncts and you end up with a can of Club Rock Shandy IPA.
Major fan of O Haras Nitro. Simply delicious stuff.
Yeah I really like it and don't believe I'm tasting something less flavoursome than the bottled version. I'm not a fan of prickly carbonation in dark beers. I also really like leann follain and dark arts porter but I sense these have very low carbonation levels.
Ultimately mouthfeel is a pretty important part of the experience of eating and drinking.
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