Sonic beer foamer??

[Yesfan]

I'm watching this show on Food Network, and they are showing off a product called a sonic beer foamer. It's essentially a fancy looking coaster that uses ultrasonic sound waves to "revive" your beer with that nice creamy head like when first pouring it.


One of the hosts mentioned that swirling your beer to get the same effect is bad and will ruin it. Doesn't this device just do the same thing as swirling? In the end whether it's swirling or the use of ultra sonic sound you're still degassing the beer right?

 

[Clonefan94]

I personally think the effects are minimal on that scale, but swirling would introduce oxygen, i.e eventually giving it the cardboard flavor. Where the agitator just agitates and shouldn't introduce oxygen to the beer. Either way, you are pre-maturely pulling CO2 out of suspension and quickening the flattening.

I just saw a show today that talked about a $300 ice cube, for premium liquors. It's ice, carved to what they say is the optimum shape. So I believe anyone will tell you anything to sell you swamp land.

 

[cfrazier77]

It has the same effect at a stout nozzle being pushed on beer gas. Think of Guinness with all the bubble cascading down. It makes the beer taste different and have a different mouthfeel. If you put your glass of beer in an ultrasonic cleaner it will do the same thing.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Swirling the beer in the serving glass is not going to risk oxidation unless you intend to leave it in the glass for a day or 2 before you drink it.

Oxidation takes longer then it takes for one to drink the beer. Seems like it'd be a similar effect (as swirling) to me.

Clonefan, I loved your post!