Hop cripsness.....and CO2 crispness?

[Blarneybrew]

As I begin to enter in to water basics I keep reading about hop crispness. Well what about CO2 crispness? Is there such a thing? Or are they the same thing?

When I try to conceptualize it, that little extra fizz tingle on the tongue feels like it would fit in to a crispness descriptor, and the slightly bigger bubble and fizzy burn feeling would probably affect taste.....

Can anyone elaborate? I've over carbed a beer or two, I think, but that hasn't equated to a bigger bubble and tingle/burn or CO2 crispness per se.

 

[ajdelange]

I think dryness, fine hop bitterness and precise carbonation with long lagering such that the CO2 melds with the beer (no idea what the chemistry or physics of that might be) giving just the right amount of CO3 escape with bubbles just the right size is the key to a crisp beer. You can probably find stuff on this in the literature (search on Bamforth and bubbles).

 

[Blarneybrew]

I think you're right


When the question is asked of soda pop a lot of people assume it's the acid. Phosphoric in particular is mentioned often.

 

[ajdelange]

The part attributable to carbonation is the effect of acid but it is carbonic acid. If you have ever had a lungful of carbonic acid (as by sticking your head into a fermenter that hasn't beer purged for example - don't try this at home) you know it is quite painful. The same is true of carbonic acid released on your tongue but the amount is so small and the painfully stimulated areas are so far apart that the experience is actually the pleasant one we associate with effervescent drinks.