Pouring beer

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nukebrewer

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So what is the proper way to pour a beer? Growing up, my dad taught me that you're supposed to pour down the side of the glass to minimize the head you get, but I know that head retention is kind of a big deal. In an article on the BJCP site, it says to pour straight down the center of glass. I have a feeling the "pour down the side" method came from BMCers who don't give two ****s about head retention.
 
I pour down the side of the glass for about 3/4s of the bottle and then I pour the rest down the middle to produce head. If I pour straight down the whole time the head becomes almost the entire height of the beer and then I have to wait a few minutes to drink.

Edit: Didn't answer your question. Pour the beer in the way that gives you the most pleasure in drink. Try different methods and stick with the one you like. Perhaps more middle pour with a heavier (body) beer to get the head and with a lighter (body) beer do more side pour. It seems that a heavier brew takes a little more to get a good head.
 
I pour down the side of the glass for about 3/4s of the bottle and then I pour the rest down the middle to produce head.

This is pretty much how I like to do it. I like a little bit of a head for aesthetic reasons, but I don't want to drink all foam and I don't want to wait too long for it to drop. The proper way is whatever works for you IMO, unless you're a bartender or something. The BJCP pour is probably so they can judge the head of the beer or some such.
 
I pour down the side of the glass for about 3/4s of the bottle and then I pour the rest down the middle to produce head. If I pour straight down the whole time the head becomes almost the entire height of the beer and then I have to wait a few minutes to drink.

Edit: Didn't answer your question. Pour the beer in the way that gives you the most pleasure in drink. Try different methods and stick with the one you like. Perhaps more middle pour with a heavier (body) beer to get the head and with a lighter (body) beer do more side pour. It seems that a heavier brew takes a little more to get a good head.

I do thee same. Tilted most of the way, and I finish off with a little more splashing to get the head I want.

If only head were that easy in the rest of life.
 
I'm new to the brewing world and drink what I can get my hands on at the moment. If I pour myself a ____lite i'm pouring down the side all the way. On a decent beer i'l pour down the side at first and then down center.
 
I could be mistaken, but I thought there were benefits to pouring straight down the middle, like reducing carbonation in Wit beers and creating more aroma...
 
I could be mistaken, but I thought there were benefits to pouring straight down the middle, like reducing carbonation in Wit beers and creating more aroma...

I believe you're correct. Plus there is that thing about the carbonation in the beer is going to come out somewhere. So your options are release much of it in the glass from pouring, drink it down and burp, or drink it down and...well...its basically a gas so...

My preference is what many have said: Pour on the side most of the ways and then down the center to get the desired amount of head when finishing off the pour.
 
I turn the bottle upside down in the glass till it touches the bottom. then I slowly raise it as the beer pours out, keeping the mouth of the bottle right at the level of beer in the glass. you think it's gonna dump out but the trick is to regulate the flow by pulling it up slowly. takes a little practice but works great. It makes a nice head and seams to really open up the beer especially if it highly hopped or highly carbonated.
 
For me, it depends on the beer. I always start down the side of the glass, but with... say... a Black Butte Porter, I will turn the glass upright when I have about an inch of beer. That gives me a perfect head just to the top of the glass. With other beers, like New Belgium Abbey, I have to pour down the side a lot longer to keep the head from overtopping the glass. My goal is always to get the head just up to the rim.
 
I just pour down the side and then start to go down the middle. When i tilt depends on the carbonation of the beer so I get the head I want. With something low in carbonation I'd probably tilt when the glass is half full, more carbonation = tilting later.

Whenever I've read about pouring straight into the bottom they've always said to tilt the glass and pour down the side once the head is the size you like. I don't like doing it this way as by time the glass is almost full you have to tilt it again and this creates more head - I always end up with too much head.
 
Yeah! the only way to go if you bottle prime.

Decant - pour to leave a 2 cm head - Consume. Reflect over the fact that you cannot repeat the process to many times in the same everning.

IMO A indication of a great homebrew is one you serve to a mate without telling him about the beer and you just treat it as you would any commercial beer you serve. A sideways glance of your mate drinking it will tell you if the beer is aceptable and the quality you aim for. The reaction I always look for is the smack of the lips and another sip of beer and an apparent taste, A raising of the eyebrows. Then if you have perfected a great brew a positive comment.
Never tell someone that they are about to drink Homebrew. Most importantly never serve anyone inferior beer. Use that for snail bait or fertalizer.

It does not matter how you make it or pour it just do not taint the the name of homebrew by delivering rubbish to the uninitiated.

Sorry about the long post but after consuming my quota I always like to spout.

Terry
 
I turn the bottle upside down in the glass till it touches the bottom. then I slowly raise it as the beer pours out, keeping the mouth of the bottle right at the level of beer in the glass. you think it's gonna dump out but the trick is to regulate the flow by pulling it up slowly. takes a little practice but works great. It makes a nice head and seams to really open up the beer especially if it highly hopped or highly carbonated.

im baffeled no one else commented on this. I never though about doing this but it looks cool....and i would probably :mug:spill my beer
 
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