How To Pour A Beer

I would like to know how much the method of Beer pouring is regional. The following is a description of a method observed on a Television show called "Beer TV" spotlighting a Bartender's contest hosted in Belgium. I have added some of the methods I have used to alter to suit my facilities. Does anyone have any opinions?

Always start with a clean Glass, even though a Glass has been washed, it may still have impurities on it, and so it should still be washed just before pouring. The washing process consists of pouring a Sink full of warm soapy water and a Sink full of Cold, constantly replenishing water (I use a dish tub for the cold water). Scrub the Glass well with a Brush (I use a scrubbing Mitt) in the Soapy water and then rinse in the cold water. The water should repel from the Glass, or it will have to be washed again. The second part is the pouring. I pour the first part down the side of the Glass, and then lift the glass to watch the bubbles rise. The last part of the pouring is done profusely causing the Glass to overflow. The head is then scraped off using the flat end of a Knife at a 45 degree angle (am usually doing the scraping over my Dish tub of Cold Water to prevent a mess). The poured Glass is then put, and moved around in the Cold water to remove remaining Bubbles and to chill the Glass. The bottom of the glass is then wiped off, (I do not have the fancy water catchers they put on the bottoms of the Glasses in the competition) and served.

According to this Method, a poured Beer should have two fingers of head.

Reply to
Anonymous
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Thats pretty complicated when I don't have any problem pouring a 2 finger head with a glass off my shelf.

Reply to
Expletive Deleted

I've always found that soap gets disolved and washed away much more effectively in hot water rather than cold.

So you actually stop pouring midway through? I've always done the pouring in one step starting with the glass on and angle and the beer flowing along the inside of the glass then gradually decreasing the angle until the glass is upright and full.

The only times I've seen that done has been by accident.

By your method, the glass has just been rinsed in the same cold water and the beer should be at its ideal serving temperature anyway, why does the glass need to be chilled again?

Okay, now I'm really starting to question this method because I know that the amount of head on a beer depends on the type of beer.

Richard

Reply to
Richard

According to the Demonstrator, the Glass is never completely clean after its first washing, therefore it should be done thoroughly again just before using the glass.

I am assuming that this method was developed for ease of the Bartender. The Bar where the contest was held, was equipped with a double sink.

This is my interpretation. I observed the Bartender pause slightly. I have just developed lifting it up to look as a habit. I may be mistaken and it may not be good practice.

I have no idea if this is correct, I have been doing this with bottled Beer. I have not had the chance to try out a Beer Tap.

This was stressed to be done briefly. I have some question about this because I have read in a Bartenders guide that Bubbles in a Beer is desireable. This contest stressed excessive Bubbles is a sign of Bacteria in the brew. I have, myself, tried this method, and found that if these methods are followed, I really enjoy the results. I presonally prefer a light sparkling residue left behind, to Bubbles.

The contest was using a Belgian Lager, and I assume this method is for a Lager. Some may have been lost in my interpretation. If someone has an alternate method, I would appreciate it if they could describe the process.

Reply to
Anonymous

It seems to me, after I had read a Can of Guinness; I started to lift a Beer half way through to watch the Bubbles rise. What I am interested is genuine techniques that are particular to regions of the World.

Reply to
Anonymous

Hey, I was following those same directions EXCEPT right after the glass was poured and set on the counter, I used to go outside and run around the fields in slow motion and was joined by many other people. This got quite involved and became tiresome and I used to get pretty thirsty, too. (If ONLY there was something to *drink*!) I did this technique for awhile until a friend told me I was confusing the TV show and the prescription allergy medicine commercial that interupted it!

So, because I didn't have the TIVO going and I've never seen that show again (on A&E right?), does anyone have ANY idea what you're supposed to do AFTER the beer is poured???????????????

Reply to
I'llbelieveanything

Still! not! clean! Germs! everywhere! Dust! everywhere! Must! scrub! and! scrub! and! scrub! get it off me get it off mee aaaaaagggh!

It's a BEER. It's not an artificial heart valve.

I mean, come ON.

Reply to
Joseph Michael Bay

That's easy for *you* to say-- you probably have all kinds of autoclaves at your beck and call. C'mon, admit it, you autoclave your barware. :-)

-- Joel Plutchak | Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots

"I don't like beer. I tried it once and thought it was terrible." - Overheard at a restaurant

Reply to
plutchak joel peter

Only for lab use, not home use.

Actually I don't have "barware". Every pint glass in the house has, at some time or another, contained juice or soda or MILK! MILK, DAMMIT! Who drinks a PINT of MILK?

I guess someone who lives with me does.

Reply to
Joseph Michael Bay

just a simple question....

if you beer is already in a bottle, why do you need to pour it into a glass?

B-

Reply to
Bungholio

Not everyone likes to tip back a forty of eight-ball, dude.

Reply to
dgs

Not sure who said it but "What does not kill you Makes you Stronger" seems to apply here,

Reply to
Bruce in Cleveland

  1. Wrap hand around glass
  2. Lift glass until near edge of glass is at lips
  3. Sip
  4. Repeat until Empty.
Reply to
Bruce in Cleveland

I agree the whole process is a bit much BUT the point of the "double wash" is not so much as that the glass isn't "clean" but that all of the soap isn't rinsed off yet, at least that was often the concern of many of these instructions, and "soap" supposedly inhibits a nice head. What was never understood by me is that most "dish soap" is not soap at all but detergent, chemically different than soap, easier to rinse, etc.

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Reply to
yournamehere

If me beer is not in a glass, me need to pour it into one to drink it from an appropriate container. Among other things, one can't get the full aroma from the neck of a bottle. OTOH, if me beer is mass-market SHITE it won't much matter.

-- Joel Plutchak | Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots

"I don't like beer. I tried it once and thought it was terrible." - Overheard at a restaurant

Reply to
plutchak joel peter

Nietzsche. I don't think that spending half the night on the toilet because of a particularly unsanitary pint glass would make one stronger per se, although I guess you could see it as a character building experience. Also it applies only to people Nietzsche characterizes as having "turned out well", which is essentially someone who, to put it in rather banal terms, makes lemonade when handed lemons by life.

Reply to
Joseph Michael Bay

Without going into the realm of the smart-ass... One pours a beer into a glass because the action of pouring initiates the carbonization bubbling, which releases the aroma (and therefore a lot of flavor) of a beer. You can't taste a beer you haven't poured, with the possible exception of a Guinness with that widget thingy, and I think Newcastle uses one too.

TimD.

Reply to
GAMERadio

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