Perhaps the absence of the surname Guinness may be the reason why the famous beer brand is not even mentioned in the history section. But without his contribution Michael Ash It was unthinkable that an Irish man could go this far.

Born in 1927, this British mathematician was almost unknown outside the Guinness brewery, but in 2015 the company’s archivist decided to contact the brewer again. He was 88 years old and had not set foot in the Dublin factory for over 50 years. His figure only appeared in some files, but his work marked a before and after.

Ash, who graduated from Cambridge with a degree in mathematics, worked as a financier at a brewery in Park Royal, west London, before joining Guinness in 1951. In less than a decade, he mathematician turned brewer He revolutionized the company with an idea that would go down in the history of not only Guinness but the entire beer world.

It was Ash creator of nitro beersThese are beers that have been injected with nitrogen gas, which gives a special consistency to the foam and gives the feeling that the beer is much more dense and full-bodied.

Guinness Stout was first made according to the recipe preserved today in 1821, but it was nitrogenated and sold in barrels like today in 1959. The thing is, Guinness on tap was very popular in Ireland but was sold in bottles outsideThis was because barrel storage was very complex and specialized.

Project Blueprint was entrusted to Ash and a group of 20 engineers to find a solution. The mathematician had only been with the company for four years and had just finished training as a brewer when he was asked to lead the research team.

At the time, carbonated beer was already common. Ash suggested using a mixture of CO2 and nitrogen. A solution that not only kept beer better in kegs but also increased its creaminess.

Unlike carbon dioxide Nitrogen does not occur naturally in beer. It is a natural gas and we breathe it regularly but it is not produced during fermentation. Nitrogen had to be introduced manually.

The system was called “Easy Service” and within months the old taps were being replaced with taps for the new system. By the late 1959 to early 1960s more than half of Guinness outlets had switched to the nitro system.

For a time the problem was that the nitrogen from the more delicate foam also led to a softer beer, something that did not please many Irish drinkers. However, nitrogenated dark ale became the standard and is still used today. characteristic foam it has become a classic.

Ash soon left the Dublin factory and became CEO of Crookes Laboratories (owned by Guinness) in 1962. He devoted himself to business education, founding Templeton College in Oxford in 1970.

Guinness spent around £20,000 researching this solution. What Ash’s team ended up with was a method that not only made Guinness money, but also millions in profits. by breweries around the world Like O’Haras, Kasteel, Petrus, and even Estrella Galicia. Ash passed away in 2016, just a year after stepping back into the factory he helped reinvent.

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