The science behind the head on your pint from a beer engine

[paulpj26]

Having recently used my beer engine for the first time it made me wonder why I get such a good head through the beer engine than say from pouring from a bottle. I also think the taste is different (Though that could just be psychological :lol: ). I know it has something to do with the beer been agitated as its pulled through the engine (and sparkler) but thats as far as I know.

:drink:

 

[markp]

My thoughts:
You physically lower the carbonation of the beer using a sparkler, though the mouthfeel lost is more than recovered by a nice tight head.
I also think the head encourages more hop aroma and taste.

Bit of a debate going on at Jims about this too.

ATB

 

[paulpj26]

I have heard also that the action of pulling the beer through the sparkler pushes alot of the aroma and bitterness to the head of the beer. Indeed if you smell the head you certainly do get a strong hop aroma from it.

I was really wondering what it is about the sparkler that actually creates the head you get?

 

[markp]

I was really wondering what it is about the sparkler that actually creates the head you get?

Educated guess here really.
You are forcing the liquid through very fine holes.....this creates turbulence and the introduction of some air. This in turn causes a 'foaming reaction' and the head on the beer.....I imagine that the foam and it's stability is dependant on the protein profile of the liquid.
The best analogy I can think of is bubble bath and using you hand to introduce air and turbulence to create those lovely bubbles to relax in.

 

[paulpj26]

Aaah I see, I guess thats why if you pull water through your beer engine you get water with a load of air in :lol: :thumb:

 

[robsan77]

I believe that when you pour from bottle the bubbles are larger and when forced through the beer engine the bubbles are finer therefore giving a nicer head that will last longer also a smoother flavour on the tongue as the finer bubbles create more surface area for the taste buds to get hold of. Or something like that.

 

[jonewer]

What robsan said.

I think its a matter of aerating the beer which improves the flavour by esterification - provided its drunk immediately of course! Leave it for a few days and it'll taste like the publicans crotch - its the same with wines and how you're supposed to let them 'breathe' before drinking.

Chemically, IIRC, what is happening is that acids react with alcohol to produce water and esters. The esters are the fruity smells that change the flavour of your beer.

 

[TLServices]

Using a sparkler creates smaller and so more stable, CO2 bubbles. The result is a tighter head than the larger, bladdery bubbles created by simply pouring.

Regarding taste, hop oils are naturally hydrophobic so don't particularly like being in watery solutions (ie. beer - no insult intended, just that most of it is water!). The sparkler tends to help the oils come out of solution and, being oil, they float on top of the beer, thus in the fob.

You can sometimes see this with a particularly hoppy beer, in that a tracery of green-brown 'scum' will be seen on the drying (and dried) fob once you glass is empty :) - that is oil out of the hops.

 

[paulpj26]

Cheers for the replies guys :thumb: I'm now I little wiser! :

 

As I have been led to believe for many years, the head comes from natural gums that occur in Barley.
Flaked barley is often used to aid head retention when the beer is poured without mechanical help.
"Heading liquid" is used by commercial brewers and by some Home brewers.
This, as I understand, is a form of detergent which acts like, as previously quoted, "bubble bath.
I also believe that the head gives no indication of the quality of the beer any more than "seeing every mouthfull" down the side of the glass!

 

[TLServices]

Beer 'head' is formed by foam-positive materials such as long-chain proteins. These can be assisted by using additives like PGA (propylene glycol alginate) that are also used in food industries as a stabiliser.

Whilst the head doesn't directly indicate a good (=taste) beer, it does show that the materials and process are definitely in the right area, especially during the mash/wort stages where the proteinaceous materials are extracted.

The key is to ensure the long foam-positives remain, but the short-chain proteins (eg. proline) are removed as these are one of the factors in age-related or chill hazes.

This is why it's never a good idea to use additives like papain (or other non-specific proteolitic enzymes) as these can simply 'chop up' the desireable long-chains into shorter ones, leading to poor head-retention and cloudy beer :sick:

 

AM, stand by your bed!
Looks like TLS is talking your language. :shock:

 

[Aleman]

Correct about the head formation stuff . . . . I've been trying to stay out of this as I actually feel the opposite . . . Using a sparkler on a beer engine knocks the stuffing out of a beer . . . They have less aroma and bitterness than the same beer poured without a sparkler. . . . There is a rumour going round that beers served 'northern' style (With a meringue on top) have been brewed with more aroma and bittering hops to take this into account . . . Personally I doubt it.

It's all down to personal preference at the end of the day, and I like my beer served under gravity from the cask

 

[Hawks]

pulled through the engine (and sparkler) but thats as far as I know. :drink:

I thought that just meant you lived 't'up north' and couldn't serve a decent pint of ale.....

I shall now log off and let the war commence.. :rofl:

 

It's all down to personal preference at the end of the day, and I like my beer served under gravity from the cask

Hear hear, well said!

 

[paulpj26]

My own feelings on it is that using a sparkler doesn't make very much difference to the actual taste of the beer its really just a presentation thing. However, there is no right answer to it as AM said its just down purely to personal preference :thumb:
:

 

[graysalchemy]

Northerners should drink beer with a head it is the LAW

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Sparklers??????
What's the difference between.... large hole, medium hole and small hole??

BB

 

[unclepumble]

Sparklers??????
What's the difference between.... large hole, medium hole and small hole??

BB

The pressure of the fluid passing through the orifice.

Big hole low pressure
small hole high pressure

Big hole loose bubbles that disperse quickly
small holes small bubbles that stick around longer

UP

 

[dennisking]

I bought a beer engine a few months ago and really like the beer I`m drinking from it. However it didn't come with a sparkler, I`m interested in buying one just to compare the difference.