Pouring into a wet glass or dry glass?

I am now enjoying my 2nd brew, a Munton's Light American Ale extract kit that my wife requested. It seems to have very high carbination and very clear. The beer is chilled to 45F or so.

However, when I pour it into a clean dry room temperature glass it foams up immediately and I end up with one inch of beer and a glass of foam. The head takes minutes to go down before I can pour some more in. This happens even when I pour slowly and gently down the side.

But, if I pour it into a wet glass that has just been rinsed, I get a good pour with mostly beer and an inch of head. I don't even have to be real gentle with it.

OK, all you gurus and chemists out there ...... comments? Any problem with using a wet glass?

Sorry no answer for ya, but I am interested in seeing if someone knows why this happens from time to time, I had an IPA a year ago become instant foam once touching glass.

edit: It did stop though with a couple more weeks in the bottles

Something in your water maybe?

I don't know, I got a C in high school chem. I'm the wrong person to ask.

If the water is still a little soapy, that will really reduce foaming action.

I have seen this and now usually quickly rinse a clean glass under COLD water. This produces a 4 times better pour.

All other things accounted for, I suspect it is surface resistance of the dry glass causing the brew to tumble down the side of the dry glass, causing foam.

I've noticed this effect as well, though I have no idea what causes it. Magic? Elves? Magic Elves?

kaptain_karma said:

I've noticed this effect as well, though I have no idea what causes it. Magic? Elves? Magic Elves?

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I'm guessing a mix of all 3

I can't even give a reliable answer...I know back during a vacation to Dublin, the Guinness storehouse said "pour into a cold glass to reduce excess foaming", or it could have been "pout into a clean, room temperature glass", or "reduce pour into foaming cold glass"

hmm...guess that's why Guinness is so d@mn good.

I'm guessing its the temperature. The warm glass will force all the dissolved CO2 out of solution since the amount of total dissolved gas you can get into a solution goes up as the temperature goes down. (this is why you have to wait till your wort cools to oxygenate it). I wonder if you rinse in warm/hot water if it has big or small head?

I store my glasses in the keezer, and I have noticed the same thing. I'll wet them first and I get a perfect pour.

Rinsing removes dust. If present, dust forms nucleation points encouraging the evolution of co2 from the liquid.

Some of the upscale bars that I go into around Atlanta have these glass spraying machines that they use before a pour. They'll take a clean glass off the rack, and put it upside down over a spigot that sprays freezing water into it. My guess was that it was just to chill the glass down, but maybe its also to get a decent pour. That way, a busy bartender wont have to wait..pour..wait..pour.. interesting topic..

Rinsing can also remove the slick film that fat-based soaps leave behind. Yes, I'm talking about your dishwashing soap. That stuff kills head retention.

If I chill my glass in the fridge prior to pouring I dont have this problem.

I keep all my beer glasses in the freezer door, problem solved - plus your brew stays cool longer.

If I had to guess at a reason I would say capillary action. As you pour down the side of the glass the liquid "catches" and tumbles, causing it to foam. A wet glass will allow the beer to "slide" down the side more easily. Then again, I could be talking out of my ***.

I'm more of a backyard chemist. And by backyard I mean things that go boom

Thanks for all the responses. Glad I am not the only one who figured out how to deal with this.

Do any of the purists here think that pouring into a wet glass is harmful to our hard earned perfect brews?

I don't have room in my freezer or fridge to store glasses so unless someone convinces me otherwise, I will use the "pre-wet glass then pour" technique.

BTW, I have also notice the same effect with soda pop. Pre-wet the glass and the foam head is less so you can get the entire can into the glass without waiting.

fretsforlife said:

Some of the upscale bars that I go into around Atlanta have these glass spraying machines that they use before a pour.

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I always assumed these jets sprayed some sort of sanitizing solution in to the glass. Then I found these...

The Belgian Beer Pouring Ritual: How Belgian cafes serve beer - Bottoms Up - Beer and wine in the Bay Area and beyond


Apparently it is just the opposite....

* A glass chilling/rinsing station, which will rinse out the trace amount of sanitizer in the glass. (I'm particularly sensitive to sanitizer in the glass, and it just bothers me that these great beers are being obscured by such a small thing. We'll get it out.)

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Blind Lady: About Brewing and Serving Beer at the Blind Lady

our new catalogs from micromatic all have sprayers in the middle of the drip tray. it says its for a better pour.

Kegerator Pro-Line Keg Refrigerator - 3 Keg


notice the sprayer on the drip tray in between the two taps

http://www.micromatic.com/images/galleries/MDD58/mdd68-&-mdd68s-pro-line-3-keg_600x.jpg


from the micromatic site
"Industry's first integrated glass rinser. Conditions the glass before pouring - wetting and chilling for an easier pour.

S is it like motion sense or contiuous spray under the drip tray? any vids of these..*wisks off to youtube.

I had this problem with my first brew, which was a honey wheat, but I thought it was just because I didnt let it ferment out long enough and the yeasties were still active. I fermented for 2 weeks though so maybe after all this time it wasn't.

it looks like you push the glass down onto it. it might even be some sort of pump action when you push the glass onto it

remilard said:

Rinsing removes dust. If present, dust forms nucleation points encouraging the evolution of co2 from the liquid.

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The local micros I've been to give all there clean and ready bottles a last second rinse before bottling to reduce foaming.

or, nucleation on scratches and particulate is reduced

Irish1225 said:

hmm...guess that's why Guinness is so d@mn good.

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+1! :rockin:

Thread resurrection didn't skip a beat.