Anatomy of the pour.....

So I've had my Kolsch in bottles now for almost 2 weeks. I posted earlier that I tried one a week ago and it was already carbed up fairly well and had a pretty good taste. Well, I tried another last night and it was even better and very close to what I would call a pretty darn good beer. A couple questions came to mind though. First, when I usually pour my regular Coors light into a glass, I try and pour as quietly as possible which produces very little head. Thats just the way I like it. Should I pour the same way with my home-brews? Would more head bring out taste and aroma that I would miss out on with my normal method? If so, what is the best way to pour?

pour it how you like it.

I like to fill the glass to the top with head so the head is flush with the rim of the glass. I usually pour a quick pour right down the middle to gauge how much carbonation I'm getting from this specific beer and then I usually pour aggressively down the side. I pour down the middle if there is little carbonation or slowly down the side if there is a lot of carbonation.

Send me some of your beers and I will try each of them with a different pour technique and report back my findings

When I pour my homebrews, I usually tilt the glass for a smooth pour until the bottles about half empty. Then I straighten out the glass and pour the bottle into the center of the glass which usually leaves me with a nice creamy head that's nearly overflowing the glass. I find this to be the best method for me, it gives me a nice thick head. i do think it comes down to personal prefferance though.

Ha Ha Remman4! Nice try!

I guess too each his own is probably the best policy on the pouring. I do like hearing the different methods. I might try a few of them just to see how I like it.

I have found that I pour my different beers differently. Some of then do not have a very big head and I want as much as I can get with them so I pour aggressively. Others pour with what I consider too much so I pour them very gently.

Pour for what gives you what you like!

steber said:

When I pour my homebrews, I usually tilt the glass for a smooth pour until the bottles about half empty. Then I straighten out the glass and pour the bottle into the center of the glass which usually leaves me with a nice creamy head that's nearly overflowing the glass. I find this to be the best method for me, it gives me a nice thick head. i do think it comes down to personal prefferance though.

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Does this not give you a lot of sediment in your glass?

I pour quietly along the side to keep the sediment on the bottom (unless it is one that enjoys the clumps, like a good bavarian hefe). If your priming is correct to style, this should give a nice head; when it does not, I use a chopstick to swirl the beer in the glass which produces a nice creamy head.

Gotcha

TarVolon said:

Does this not give you a lot of sediment in your glass?

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No, like unionrdr said, you're creating enough room for a more agressive pour. You will learn with time to pour out 99.99% of your beer and only leave behind a teaspoon of liquid plus sediment.