Enjoy the Head, beer head that is.

I know I was one of those people that were never properly educated about the positive benefits of having the proper amount of head on the beer I was drinking.  I used to feel cheated even if there was the slightest amount of head on the beer.  I thought the bartender was trying to rip me off.  Then as my knowledge of beer grew I began to understand that the head was actually beneficial to my enjoyment of the beer I was drinking.

                                                                                                                            

Beer head is actually formed by CO2 bubbles being released from the beer itself, mostly being formed during pouring of the beer into the glass.  When the beer is poured with care, the proper amount of beer head will usually form, if the beer is properly carbonated.  Depending on the beer the proper amount varies from a finger width to an inch and a half.  Also beer head can be affected by various other variables including: alcohol content, ingredients, adjuncts and the cleanliness of the glass. 

Usually the higher the alcohol the less head retention there is, because alcohol has a detrimental effect on beer head.  Certain malts are known to help in head retention, one especially known is wheat malt, and because of its higher protein it helps the structure of the head.  Adjuncts are in most cases detrimental or at least neutral since they are usually a sugar or starch with little to no protein.  Lastly if a glass has any soil or soap residue head retention will suffer, because these are organic compounds that attack beer head.

As I had said earlier beer head helps the beer drinker enjoy the beer.  As the CO2 is released from the beer it forms the head and does a couple of other things at the same time.  First the CO2 carries with it aromas and flavors that may not otherwise escape the beer.  Secondly the CO2 helps with the mouth feel and complexity of the beer.

Within the last ten years several English beers have begun using Nitrogen widgets in their cans.  The widget releases the Nitrogen gas when the can is opened and as the beer is poured into the glass it mimics the beer as if it would have been poured on nitrogen gas.  Guinness was more than likely the originator of this method and used it to give the impression of a beer that was actually poured from the tap.  Nitrogen adds a distinctive creaminess to the beer, as well giving the impression that the beer is flatter than a CO2 poured beer.

So next time you are at your local watering hole observe how your bartender and wait-staff serve the beer.  A properly trained bar staff will know how to pour a beer and serve it with the proper amount of head.  If you have questions on the proper amount of head on your beer, do not be afraid to ask your server.  Also if you feel you are being shorted on your beer speak up; a reputable establishment will not mind being kept honest.

Just remember beer head is important to your enjoyment.  Think of it this way a beer without a head is like a human without a head, dead and lifeless!

QC Beerguy