The Blow Leprechaun
Well-Known Member
I debated putting this here or under general techniques, so if someone wants to move this thread or something, I'm not going to be offended! It seemed more like a chemistry/physics-ish question to me than a technique one... I know how to pour a layered drink, I'm more curious about the science of it.
My question is this: when layering a drink, which matters more - final gravity or alcohol percentage?
It seems to me that final gravity would be the deciding factor because it's strictly a measure of density (right?), so as long as your highest FG was on the bottom, it should layer.
Follow-up question: do you need an appreciably different density to get it to form a clear layer, or does the similarity influence just the difficulty of getting a layer to form? If so, any guesses on how much?
I'm asking because I'm thinking about brewing two beers designed to be layered on each other, and trying to think how to approach it to get it the way I want it.
My question is this: when layering a drink, which matters more - final gravity or alcohol percentage?
It seems to me that final gravity would be the deciding factor because it's strictly a measure of density (right?), so as long as your highest FG was on the bottom, it should layer.
Follow-up question: do you need an appreciably different density to get it to form a clear layer, or does the similarity influence just the difficulty of getting a layer to form? If so, any guesses on how much?
I'm asking because I'm thinking about brewing two beers designed to be layered on each other, and trying to think how to approach it to get it the way I want it.