How to Get Perfect Beer Foam (Part Two)
- Feb 25, 2021
- 175
- tiantai
In the last article, we discussed how to get the rich foam by choosing right malt and adjust the produce sugar temperature. So, when brewing beer via beer equipment, is there any other factors can help getting rich foam? Certainly.
3. Hops
The bitter substances in hops are conducive to the formation of a network of gathering bubbles and help the formation of wine head bubbles.
These bitter substances are also helpful to help your beer get "foam lace": when the wine is poured out, the foam is moist and fluffy. With drinking, after a few minutes, the foam will adhere to the glass wall and form a white lace pattern. .
The longer the fluffy foam is maintained, the better the lace left on the wall of the cup. In general, heavy-hop beer heads have richer and longer-lasting bubbles, but you need to be aware of the bitterness of beer.
4. Mix with nitrogen
Many wineries will fill the beer with a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, so that the beer has a richer, finer, and lasting foam.
In addition to changing the foam, the mixing of nitrogen will give the beer a creamy and mellow taste and weaken the bitterness of the beer.
The mixing ratio of carbon dioxide and nitrogen is mainly affected by the beer style: For low-gas content Stout, you can choose 25% carbon dioxide mixed with 75% nitrogen; Ale and Lager may need more carbon dioxide ratio, so use 60% carbon dioxide mixing 40% nitrogen.
If a low carbon dioxide mixing ratio (25/75) is used, one cylinder can be used for two mixed gases; if the mixing ratio is high, two separate cylinders are required: one for nitrogen and one for carbon dioxide.
5. Choose the right glass
The influence of the wine glass on a beer can be described as the "finishing finishing touch". The proper wine glass enhances not only the foam on the head, but also the aroma and overall flavor experience of the beer
In general, a slender, narrow-mouthed cup reduces the area of foamed beer exposed to the air and restricts the escape of carbon dioxide, which is more conducive to the durability of foam; on the contrary, a large mouth allows carbon dioxide to escape more fast.
The representatives of the slender wine glasses are: the Pilsner glass for drinking Lager and Pilsen & the wheat beer glass for drinking wheat beer.
Some wine glasses (such as Caris wine glasses) will also be etched on the bottom of the cup to form small dents to provide nucleation points for bubbles, so that the beer in the cup can continue to produce bubbles.
*Note: Be sure to keep the wine glass clean and oil-free, do not insert small fresh lemon slices into the glass, these will greatly destroy the wine head foam.
6. Avoid soap
Household soaps, including dish soap, and laundry soap residues can cause a devastating blow to the foam on the wine head. So avoid using them as much as possible to clean your brewing equipment and wine glasses.
7. Propylene Glycol Alginate (PGA)
Because the oily substance can greatly destroy the beer foam, some wineries will also add PGA to the beer to improve the stability of the head foam.
Foam is essentially formed by a large number of small bubbles gathered in a small amount of liquid. PGA will gather on the surface of the bubbles to form a protective layer to prevent the penetration of grease and destroy the bubbles.
8. Temperature
Increasing the viscosity of beer can slow the disappearance of foam. Since the viscosity of beer decreases as the temperature decreases, the foam stability of low-temperature beer will be better.
Note, however, because carbon dioxide has a higher solubility at low temperatures. With the same carbon dioxide content, beer served at low temperatures (such as very cold lagers) will produce less foam.
Request a proposal
Nicole Zhou
Email: [email protected]
3. Hops
The bitter substances in hops are conducive to the formation of a network of gathering bubbles and help the formation of wine head bubbles.
These bitter substances are also helpful to help your beer get "foam lace": when the wine is poured out, the foam is moist and fluffy. With drinking, after a few minutes, the foam will adhere to the glass wall and form a white lace pattern. .
The longer the fluffy foam is maintained, the better the lace left on the wall of the cup. In general, heavy-hop beer heads have richer and longer-lasting bubbles, but you need to be aware of the bitterness of beer.
4. Mix with nitrogen
Many wineries will fill the beer with a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, so that the beer has a richer, finer, and lasting foam.
In addition to changing the foam, the mixing of nitrogen will give the beer a creamy and mellow taste and weaken the bitterness of the beer.
The mixing ratio of carbon dioxide and nitrogen is mainly affected by the beer style: For low-gas content Stout, you can choose 25% carbon dioxide mixed with 75% nitrogen; Ale and Lager may need more carbon dioxide ratio, so use 60% carbon dioxide mixing 40% nitrogen.
If a low carbon dioxide mixing ratio (25/75) is used, one cylinder can be used for two mixed gases; if the mixing ratio is high, two separate cylinders are required: one for nitrogen and one for carbon dioxide.
5. Choose the right glass
The influence of the wine glass on a beer can be described as the "finishing finishing touch". The proper wine glass enhances not only the foam on the head, but also the aroma and overall flavor experience of the beer
In general, a slender, narrow-mouthed cup reduces the area of foamed beer exposed to the air and restricts the escape of carbon dioxide, which is more conducive to the durability of foam; on the contrary, a large mouth allows carbon dioxide to escape more fast.
The representatives of the slender wine glasses are: the Pilsner glass for drinking Lager and Pilsen & the wheat beer glass for drinking wheat beer.
Some wine glasses (such as Caris wine glasses) will also be etched on the bottom of the cup to form small dents to provide nucleation points for bubbles, so that the beer in the cup can continue to produce bubbles.
*Note: Be sure to keep the wine glass clean and oil-free, do not insert small fresh lemon slices into the glass, these will greatly destroy the wine head foam.
6. Avoid soap
Household soaps, including dish soap, and laundry soap residues can cause a devastating blow to the foam on the wine head. So avoid using them as much as possible to clean your brewing equipment and wine glasses.
7. Propylene Glycol Alginate (PGA)
Because the oily substance can greatly destroy the beer foam, some wineries will also add PGA to the beer to improve the stability of the head foam.
Foam is essentially formed by a large number of small bubbles gathered in a small amount of liquid. PGA will gather on the surface of the bubbles to form a protective layer to prevent the penetration of grease and destroy the bubbles.
8. Temperature
Increasing the viscosity of beer can slow the disappearance of foam. Since the viscosity of beer decreases as the temperature decreases, the foam stability of low-temperature beer will be better.
Note, however, because carbon dioxide has a higher solubility at low temperatures. With the same carbon dioxide content, beer served at low temperatures (such as very cold lagers) will produce less foam.
Request a proposal
Nicole Zhou
Email: [email protected]
