How do you pour your beer?
Paging through a new beer book, Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher, I stopped on the page that explained how to pour a beer.
It is not the way I do it. The big difference is, according to Mosher, that I should pour in two steps. First, he says, pour a small amount straight into the center of a clean glass, then allow it to settle. Next, you repeat the process until you have a full glass.
"By allowing a large amont of foam to build up and then shrink you have created a dense, creamy foam, filled with tiny, long-lasting bubbles," Mosher writes. "As a side benefit you have knocked some of the excess gas out of the beer and the result will be more like the smooth creaminess of draft beer."
I confess I usually pour in one step, to the top of the glass, then let the foam settle.
Anybody pour the two-step way?
Is Mosher on target?
Comments
With some of the bigger Belgian brews, it's hard to pour into the center of the glass because of the wild yeast which forms an enormous head. Try doing that with an Orval! Almost impossible! But hey, this guy sounds like he knows what he's talking about, so I'll start listening...
Posted by: Brad - BeerInBaltimore.com | March 26, 2009 12:47 PM
Well, Hugh told me to pour down center, and Hugh's the man, so......
Posted by: Anonymous | March 26, 2009 12:50 PM
If I've got time and patience, I'll do the 2-step, plus will let the beer sit for 20 minutes outside the fridge before the pour. However, most of the time I JUST WANT THE DANG BEER, so I drink it right out of the fridge, right out of the bottle.
Posted by: john | March 26, 2009 1:00 PM
There are too many ways to pour a beer. It just matters what "expert" you ask. I am sure that Mosher knows what he is talking about. Anonymous was told by Hugh, and Hugh knows what he is talking about. I would say that anyway that produces a beer in front of you is a good way. Me, I am a slow pourer, off to the side, then straight down. Sometimes stopping in the middle and continuing. It works for me. (I have been known to use John's direct approach as well.
Posted by: Jason | March 26, 2009 1:25 PM
I try to use the two-step method, but one problem I have is that I'm often pouring twelve ounce beers into 16 or 20 ounce glasses, so I end up just pouring the whole thing and then waiting for the foam to settle.
John's method is also a pretty good one.
Posted by: Grant | March 26, 2009 5:00 PM
To be honest, I think beer pouring methods are overrated. But there are few people in the homebrewing world that I respect more than Randy Mosher.
Posted by: Chris | March 26, 2009 9:53 PM
Most of the time I use John's method.
But when I do pour, its usually slowly down the side of a tilted glass, then righting it for the last quarter or so.
Posted by: PCB Rob | March 27, 2009 1:04 PM
I with Randy on this one. Two step will often move to 3-5 separate pours for me, creating a wonderfully smooth and aesthetically pleasing head, which seems to hold itself together much longer through the drink than a single pour.
While Randy lists it as an advantage, the loss of carbonation isn't always a good thing depending on the style... so I typically reserve this type of a pour for darker ales, stouts, etc.
Another disadvantage is that a thicker, longer lasting head reduces the aroma somewhat, requiring a good swirl around the glass to release them, although many of us would do that anyway.
Pros and cons.
Posted by: Damien | March 27, 2009 1:38 PM