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August 7, 2009

Strange But True!

Q. Beer drinkers of the world, are you guilty of “fobbing” your brew?

A. You may already know better than to “create excessive foam when pouring,” says Mark Denny in “Froth! The Science of Beer.” Because surface scratches can act as bubble nucleation sites when the pressure is released, one strategy for reducing the amount of fobbing is to fill the container with water, then pour it out and pour in the beer. The water closes up some of the sites. A considerable lore has arisen on the correct pour: Tip a clean, air-dried glass (few nucleation sites) to an angle of 45 degrees and pour the beer slowly (to avoid mechanical agitation and allow time for the head to form). Gradually raise the glass upright as it fills, then finish with a flourish by increasing the distance from bottle to glass to generate more froth, so that it projects above the glass, with a little spilling over the edge.


 
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