Foamy glass?

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crypt0

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Here's a quick one:

When I poar a glass of beer from the Keg, the foam tends to stick to the sides of the glass. I'm curious why this is so- commercial beers don't share this characteristic.

Also, I have an overcarbed keg at the moment so this might be exagerating the problem.
 
It's called "lacing" and it is a good thing among lovers of good beer.

No Budweiser doesn't do this.....


GOOD WORK!
 
I think it has to do with the hops. I see lots of sticky foam in IPAs.

Also you can get the same from highly kilmed malts. Dark beers like stouts and porters can have great foam.

wheat is another good way to make foam. There is lots of protien in wheat and protien makes good foam.
 
maida7 said:
I think it has to do with the hops. I see lots of sticky foam in IPAs.

Also you can get the same from highly kilmed malts. Dark beers like stouts and porters can have great foam.

wheat is another good way to make foam. There is lots of protien in wheat and protien makes good foam.
Click to expand...

So is it the hops or the protien????

Sorry. You are like the blind leading yourself.;)
 
Protein as far as I know. The more proteins in the beer, the better they can hold the carbonation in little bubbles (think like soap bubbles trapping air). With a lot of protein, or maybe certain proteins, it really holds onto the CO2 and can stick to the sides of the glass causing lacing.
 
All of the above in any combination. there appears to be many ways to produce foam. And yet it is sometimes elusive. Some recipes have many of the major foam producing elements and yet they come out surprisingly unfoamy. I've become a big fan of foam and every so often I have a batch that has poor foam and it's disappointing. And other times I get awesome foam and I'm not sure how.
 
maida7 said:
All of the above in any combination. there appears to be many ways to produce foam. And yet it is sometimes elusive. Some recipes have many of the major foam producing elements and yet they come out surprisingly unfoamy. I've become a big fan of foam and every so often I have a batch that has poor foam and it's disappointing. And other times I get awesome foam and I'm not sure how.
Click to expand...

Right right. I forgot. The protein forms the bubbles, but the hops help keep them there. And of course, a number of factors will determine whether your beer even forms a head. A common example is dish soap residue. Not thoroughly rinsing your fermenter or even the glass you're pouring your beer into can kill a head before it even had a chance to start.
 
Wow thanks for all the input. I'm not too worried about the foam personally, and I've only noticed it since I switched from totally pre-canned kits to real hops and grains. When I serve guests is the only time I worry about the foam on the glass, since they may not be used to it.

Coincidentally, the batch in question is a Sierra Nevada PA clone :)
 

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