mimicking hand pull beer with bottles

[MyQul]

My latest batch of bitter I carbed it a bit high at 5g/L which is way higher than the recommended carbonation level for bitters which is about half this at around 2.5g/L
So to knock out some of the carbonation I've been pouring the 500ml bottle into a 2L jug from height, which of course produces a huge head. I then wait for that to completely die down. I then, non too carefully pour the beer from the jug into a pint glass.
The thing is, doing this, the beer ends up as if its been poured from a hand pull. It has a good head of about a couple of centimeters which lasts a while. Plus good lacing which last ust about to the end of the pint.

My previuos batch of bitter I carbed to recommended bitter/English beer levels and I found that the head disapeared a lot faster with little to no lacing in the glass (which is why I upped the carbonation level to try and get a better head but found the beer too fizzy for my liking for a bitter). Im wondering if all this pouring/aerating of the beer adds oxygen/ possibly copies the action of a sparkler on a hand pull? I'm liking this so much I think I'll over carbonate then knock the carbonation out on pouring on all my bitters on purpose

Just to add,my recipe has 8% flaked barley which problably helps in there somewhere

 

[ACBEV]

I've alway thought bottled beer should be carbed more than cask, so I tend to over do priming sugar a bit. Taste better and looks better if poured fast.

 

[Ajhutch]

That’s really interesting. I’ve definitely found that when I aim for a low ‘British style’ carbonation level I find that it comes out way too low out of the bottle.

 

[Martybhoy]

I have a porter which has a disappearing head. I'll give your method a try this weekend

 

[MyQul]

I have a porter which has a disappearing head. I'll give your method a try this weekend

It has to be quite highly carbed in the first place for it to work

 

[Drunkula]

I've been experimenting with this, too, and found you get a massive shift in flavour by changing the carbonation level. I've been pouring the same beer into two glasses then sealing off one and shaking the gas out of it. The less carbed beer develops more of the malt flavours. Chocolate and roasted barley get richer and smoother, standard malt flavours are fuller. When you let a beer sit to 'warm up' I think part of the taste change is due to the carbonation change as well as the temperature.

But as MyQul says it has to have a high enough initial carbonation to do it this way to simulate a hand-pull sparkler. If you knock the co2 out with this kind of pour when the beer's already low carbed it ends up sickly. I've even done the opposite and taken undercarbed boozes and force carbed them bottle by bottle (schrader valve on a pop bottle; tyre inflator attached to my cylinder) and it's rescued the beer.

To mimic a handpull I was going to punch holes in the top of a pop bottle, pour the beer in that and then squeeze it into a glass, keeping the cap below the liquid like you'd do in the pub. Won't be happening for a while. I want to come up with a better version of that, too. Something easier to pour the beer into.

 

[Fil]

If you let your beer stand too long in the jug, a 10-20ml plastic syringe aka 'the pocket beer engine' can be used to revive the head, simply pull up a syringe full of beer and squirt it back in full force, Voila an instant head that would please any yorkshireman replacing beer with air at the top of the beerglass..

 

[Martybhoy]

It has to be quite highly carbed in the first place for it to work

Yeah, as soon as I hit the reply button I realised my porter wasn't over carbed. I'm a cotton headed ninny muggins.

Might try the syringe method instead.

 

[AdeDunn]

I have the opposite problem with a batch of my beer, it under carbed. I use the syringe method though, as well as pouring from high above the glass, and I get a lovely cascade effect, beautiful thick long lasting head and a lovely smooth pint.

So yeah, 10mls syringe with a blunt needle seems to work best for me. 2-3 pumps and it's sorted. The down side is it emphasises the haze on this particular beer (I cooled too slowly, got this part of the process sorted now though). Should work for you too Martybhoy. :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

I've been experimenting with this, too, and found you get a massive shift in flavour by changing the carbonation level. I've been pouring the same beer into two glasses then sealing off one and shaking the gas out of it. The less carbed beer develops more of the malt flavours. Chocolate and roasted barley get richer and smoother, standard malt flavours are fuller. When you let a beer sit to 'warm up' I think part of the taste change is due to the carbonation change as well as the temperature.

But as MyQul says it has to have a high enough initial carbonation to do it this way to simulate a hand-pull sparkler. If you knock the co2 out with this kind of pour when the beer's already low carbed it ends up sickly. I've even done the opposite and taken undercarbed boozes and force carbed them bottle by bottle (schrader valve on a pop bottle; tyre inflator attached to my cylinder) and it's rescued the beer.

To mimic a handpull I was going to punch holes in the top of a pop bottle, pour the beer in that and then squeeze it into a glass, keeping the cap below the liquid like you'd do in the pub. Won't be happening for a while. I want to come up with a better version of that, too. Something easier to pour the beer into.

Some very interesting experimentation you've been up to their :thumb:

 

[Saisonator]

I have been doing this with an over carbonated stout, it wasn't over primed but I have heard that stouts can hold some slow fermenting sugars and just carry on going in the bottle.
I pour it into a two litre jug and it's mostly foam to start with, but the head on the beer is good and stays for ages.
If I try and drink it without de-carbing the taste is harsh and there is very muted malt and coffee flavour.

 

[Martybhoy]

I once had a micro brewery breakfast stout, and the label specifically said to pour vigorously. IIRC, it produced a good head which faded in fairly quickly.

 

[Sheepish]

If you let your beer stand too long in the jug, a 10-20ml plastic syringe aka 'the pocket beer engine' can be used to revive the head, simply pull up a syringe full of beer and squirt it back in full force, Voila an instant head that would please any yorkshireman replacing beer with air at the top of the beerglass..

OMG!!!! I’ve got a creamy head!!!

I’ve brewed a stout, and it’s rather nice but the head is disappointing, I’ve just tried this syringe trick and I’ve now got a perfect creamy head.

Many thanks Fil!