deCypher said:

How do the bottom of the cups close up again after being filled? 

---

Patlal said:

That is brilliant!

---

tha_doctor said:

That's great

No more throthy beers

---

Quote:

When you think of a beer, you imagine the cold liquid beverage with a frothy foam topping that helps fill out the rest of your glass (like the beautiful picture to the left). This “beer head” is a symbol that helps us differentiate beer from the various array of carbonated beverages. Beer head is inviting, it represents a freshly poured brew that is ready for your taste buds to go to work.

The texture of the foam can be rocky and voluminous, racing up the sides of the beer glass, or it can be smooth a creamy, similar to those found in stouts like Guinness. You will often find that some beers’ head leaves rings around your glass marking each sip that you take, while others will leave spotty impressions less clearly defined.

Does beer head serve a purpose? Should we be judging good beer based on the frothy foam? Where does it come from?

Beer enthusiasts, who take pride in the presentation of beer, insist that the beer head is a necessary part of the beverage. When properly served in a clean glass (for more on this read our article: Glassware and Beer: The Little Things That Count), the head will hold the multifaceted aromatics within the beer helping a consumer embrace and relish the complexities found in each individual beer. The gases that are formed from the carbon dioxide help provide a subtle texture difference that you won’t be able to duplicate in any other beer.

Beer head is produced by bubbles of carbon dioxide (CO2) rising to the surface. There are two ways to get the foam: naturally through fermentation or by dissolving CO2 under pressure into the liquid.  The density and longevity of the beer head is determined by the type of malt and grains. In particular, heat malt, flaked barley, and flaked wheat when added to beers with a decent amount of foam boost the amount of head on a beer. The hops in many bitter ales actually help the foam to cling to the side of the glass (you may notice this with your favorite IPA). For our high ABV lovers, higher alcoholic concentrations actually kill the amount of foam that will be present.

But the ingredients aren’t the only thing that matters to a proper beer head. As we alluded to earlier though, glassware is an equally important component to head of a beer. Residual oil, grease or detergents can kill the frothy foam of any beer.

An example of proper beer head, where it is expected, includes Guinness. A nitrogen head is created by drawing beer from a keg using nitrogen or mixed gas (carbon dioxide and nitrogen), or by using a widget (in the canned version) or rocket widget (in bottled versions). Good head retention is when one-half of the height of the original head persists for at least one minute after pouring.

The takeaway here, patrons of the Beer Universe, is that your beer head does serve a purpose. In fact, the individuality of the head to each specific beer helps us differentiate the varieties of beer that are available on the market. So instead of brushing aside the frothy foam on your next beer, embrace it and think about how it makes the beer complete.

Your Choice. Your Beer. Drink Up.
- Beer Universe

---

Head is good.