Pouring the perfect beer is a bit of an art, and it’s certainly not as simple as it looks. Think of those commercials where the bartender turns and angles the beer glass as he pours. That’s exactly what you need to do in order to achieve the perfect pour. If you’re currently just holding the glass under the tap as you pour, it is time to learn something new.
Here’s a brief summary of our three favorite tricks to pouring the perfect beer.
3 Tricks to Pouring the Perfect Beer
Start with a clean glass:
While this should be common sense, many people don’t seem to realize how a dirty glass can actually ruin your your beer. Oil residues, dust or blemishes not only look bad, but they may also impede the flavors within the beer.
Hold your glass at a 45° angle:
When you turn the tap on, make sure you’re holding the glass at a 45° angle. Once you turn the tap on and the beer is flowing, make sure the stream of beer always hits the slope in the middle of your glass. Hold your glass at this position until is is approximately half-full.
Slowly tilt your glass to 90°:
This is arguably the most important step. After the glass is approximately half-full, slowly tilt it up to a 90° angle as the beer fills the glass. This last motion will create the perfect amount of head. To create the perfect pour, it’s essential to have a little bit of a head in every beer. We recommend no more than an inch of foam head.
Once you have the basic pour mastered, try adding a few more moves. First, hold the glass about 4-6 inches away from the faucet or tap. Never put the faucet inside the glass as you pour. Second, when you tilt your beer from 45 to 90 degrees, add a quarter-turn twist. This gives your pour an extra bit of finesse. Lastly, to make the beer look more appealing, practice stopping your pour just as the foam reaches the rim of the glass.
Why Foam Head is Essential for a Perfect Pour
This is a common debate amongst beer lovers – how much foam head should your beer have?
The general rule of thumb that we like to follow, is to keep about an inch of foam at the top of each beer. This is for a variety of reasons. Not only does a little bit of foam look better, but it helps circulate plenty of aromatics that allows you to taste the full flavor of the beer, as it was intended to be tasted.
Additionally, a small layer of foam will help keep your beer fresh. The oxygen in the air can actually start to breakdown your beer, leaving it tasting somewhat stale. The foam head provides an extra layer of protection against that oxygen, leaving you with a fresher tasting beer. On top of that, the proper amount of foam head will release carbon dioxide. This will leave you without that bloated feeling when you’re done with your beer.
How Kegerators Help Achieve The Perfect Pour
Kegerators have multiple advantages over the plain beer keg. Not only do they keep your beer cool for several months, they also contain a mounted faucet to aid in pouring. If you are familiar with tapping kegs, and then trying to simultaneously hold both the glass and the tap steady, then you will surely appreciate the ease of a kegerator faucet. Getting a perfect pour from a traditional beer keg is possible, it’s just significantly more difficult.
A kegerator like the EdgeStar kit comes with everything necessary to create the perfect pours, excluding the keg of beer, of course. The faucet is at just the right height to allow you to twist, turn and tilt your glass, without the worry of spilling a drop. If you are pouring from a kegerator, we would advise to go the extra step and use real beer glasses, instead of cheap plastic cups.
Learning how to pour the perfect beer takes a bit of practice, but the payoff is well worth the effort. Mastering the art of tilting and maneuvering a beer glass until it fills just to the brim is one of those skills that separate true beer enthusiasts from amateurs. Give your beer pouring a few practice rounds, then invite your friends over and show off your style.
Recommended Reading:
- How to Pour a Guinness (the right way)
- 4 Ways to Convert a Single Tap Tower to a Double Tap
- Tips for Buying the Best Kegerator for Someone Else
FAQs
The proper pour guarantees a better flavor experience. Hold your glass at 45 degrees in your hand and pour the beer at the mid-point of the glass. Tilt your glass upright as the beer is half-poured. Finish pouring beer into upright glass so there's ½-1 ½ inches of foam.
Which are the first 3 essentials of the perfect pour? ›
With that in mind, here's a quick five-step process to make sure you get the perfect pour every single time:
- Step 1: Choose the right glass. ...
- Step 2: Hold your glass at a 45-degree angle. ...
- Step 3: At the halfway point, shift to a 90-degree angle. ...
- Step 4: Adjust the head of the beer to your liking.
Tilt your glass to a 45-degree angle and align the can so it pours directly into the center of the glass. Once half full, tilt the glass to a level position and fill to the top. This pour should produce an ideal head that is around one-half inch.
What is the best practice when pouring draft beer? ›
Pouring Draught Beer
Grip tap handle at its base, open the faucet quickly and completely so beer flows freely. As the glass fills, gradually tilt it upright so that you finish pouring straight down the middle of the glass to build the foam head. Close faucet quickly to avoid wasteful overflow.
Should you tilt the glass when pouring beer? ›
Holding a glass at a 45-degree angle helps beer slide down the edge, advises Binwise. The longer and slower your pour, the less foam will be present and foamless beers often taste flat.
How do you pour the perfect pint every time? ›
Tilt the glass diagonally and pour your bottle or can so that the beer hits the middle of the pint glass on the side. Once you get about halfway, slowly tilt the glass vertically and pour the remaining beer into the centre of the glass. That helps give the beer a head, which should be around 2-3 cm.
How do you pour beer for the best flavor? ›
The proper pour guarantees a better flavor experience. Hold your glass at 45 degrees in your hand and pour the beer at the mid-point of the glass. Tilt your glass upright as the beer is half-poured.
What is the best PSI for pouring beer? ›
Most ales and lagers produced in the US should be dispensed at 10 – 12 PSI. Stout and other nitrogen-reliant keg beers are usually dispensed at 25 – 30 PSI. For the specific dispensing pressure for a particular keg, check with your local beer distributor.
Should beer have a head when poured? ›
The foam head doesn't only allow the carbonation to escape from the liquid. It also adds the aroma of the beer and the initial flavor to the first sip.
How do you make pour over more flavorful? ›
Higher water temperature: Using water between 195°F and 205°F can help ensure a more complete extraction of flavors. Longer brewing time: Slowing down your pour or adjusting your equipment can increase the contact time between the water and coffee grounds, resulting in a stronger brew.
With one hand, hold the glass at a 45° angle below the faucet (sometimes called a tap). The glass should never touch the faucet. With the other hand, grip the tap marker at its base and fully open the faucet in one fluid motion. Anytime the faucet is partially open, beer will pour foamy.
What not to do when pouring beer? ›
Pouring a pint in 5 steps
- Hold the glass at 45 degrees.
- Do not let the glass touch the faucet.
- Gradually bring the glass upright as it fills.
- Allow a foam head to form, moving the glass up and down may help.
- Never dip the faucet into the beer.
Light Exposure
Bottled beer is exposed to light one way or another whether it is during transportation or storage. Light exposure causes beer to lose its taste. Kegs, however, are not exposed to any light. Unlike bottled beer, the only time the beer sees daylight is the moment when it pours from the taps.
How to not get foam when pouring beer? ›
A quick way to combat the foam is to pour it like a Guinness. Fill the glass to about 70%, then let it sit there for 30-60 seconds.
How do you pour the perfect IPA? ›
A chilled glass will help to keep your IPA cool and retain its carbonation. 2. Tilt your Spiegelau IPA Glass at a 45-degree angle and begin pouring your IPA slowly down the side of the glass. Doing this helps release your beer's aromas and will prevent your beer from producing too much foam.
How to pour the perfect draft beer? ›
Get a handle on it: Instead of slowly pulling the handle down, open the faucet in one quick and swift movement. It's also important to note that if you're using a longer tap handle, grab it from the base for a proper, firm grip. Hold it at an angle: Hold your glass at a 45-degree angle and begin pouring.
What is the perfect pint? ›
Before you start pouring, make sure the pint glass is held at a 45-degree angle and not touching the faucet. Quickly open the tap and allow the glass to fill down the inside of the glass. Gradually tilt the glass back upright from the angle, so you finish pouring the beer directly into the centre of the pint glass.
