The History of the foamy head on beer or how I learned to stop worrying and love beer. "The foamy head on beers has a long history. We take a look at the science of why it forms, the different types and what you can expect from your own beers".

Introduction

Beer has an amazing foamy head. It looks great, adds to the presentation of the beer and even tastes pretty good when you drink it. But have you ever wondered why beers have a head and what purpose it serves? That’s what we’ll dive into today.

The head on a beer is called kraeusen.

The head on a beer is called the kraeusen. It’s the foam you see floating on top of your favorite beer, and it’s created by carbon dioxide and yeast.

The word kraeusen comes from German word “kräuseln,” which means to curl or wave. The word was first used in reference to this foamy layer in 1872 as part of an article written by Bavarian brewer Gabriel Sedlmayr that discussed and detailed his brewing process at Spaten Brewery.

If you’ve ever been curious about the science behind why foam forms on top of your favorite pints, we’re here to help you understand everything there is to know about brewing beer!

The head serves three purposes in beer.

The foam serves three purposes. First, it’s a sign of freshness and quality. If you’re drinking a beer that hasn’t been poured properly, then the head will be thin or non-existent (and may even be more reminiscent of a spit take than anything else). Second, foam is an indication that your beer isn’t flat. A good head will rise up to the top of your glass without much assistance from you; if you have to tip back your glass before the foam gets there, then there’s something wrong with either your beer or how it was poured. Thirdly—and most important for us—is carbonation. The CO2 in your cold brew has nowhere to go but into solution with its surroundings (in this case, water) if not released somehow through either pressure or increased temperature; otherwise it’ll just get stuck inside like some kind of sad little balloon animal left outside at night during wintertime until spring comes around again next year!

Some types of head are more desirable than others.

There are some types of beer foam that are more desirable than others. For example, a dense and creamy head with good lacing on the glass is usually considered the best type of beer foam. Long lasting head is also desirable because it can linger for several minutes after you’ve finished drinking your beer. On the other hand, if you have a foamy head but its not dense or creamy or long lasting it may not be as desirable to you.

The most desirable type of head is creamy, dense, and long lasting.

There are many things to consider when selecting the perfect beer for your tastes. Are you looking for something light and refreshing? Or perhaps something bold and robust? Perhaps you’re in the mood for a stout or porter, or maybe even a pale ale? Whatever your preference may be, it’s important that the beer retains its carbonation and moisture content while also maintaining a desirable level of head retention.

The most desirable type of head is creamy, dense, and long lasting. A creamy head gives your beverage an inviting appearance—one that encourages sips from the glass rather than gulps from the bottle (or can). The thickness of a perfect foam keeps your beverage cold longer so that you can enjoy every sip as it was intended by its creator: crisp and refreshing.

Clean glassware will help create a foamy head when pouring beer.

When pouring beer into a glass, it’s important to have clean glassware. A small amount of dirt in the bottom of your glass can cause any bubbles that form on top of the beer to stick and make it look like there’s foam when there isn’t. In fact, if you want foam on your beers, the first thing you should do is give your glass a quick rinse with hot water or wipe away any dust from inside of it.

Certain beers, such as porters and stouts, have very little head on them because they have so much protein in them

The foam on your beer is created by proteins, which are found in barley and wheat grains. They give beer its color, flavor and body.

The main protein in beer is called “protein nitrogen”. This protein can cause the head to be thick or thin depending on how much of it is dissolved into your beer. Protein nitrogen is responsible for adding flavor and body to any brew you drink.

The more alcohol there is in the beer, the less foam there will be in the head.

The reason for this is that alcohol inhibits foam formation by acting as a solvent and dissolving protein molecules into solution. The proteins that form your foam are sensitive to this process—so much so that even one or two percent of alcohol can have an impact on them.

This means that you’ll get different amounts of foam depending on how strong your beer is: A high-alcohol beer like porter or stout will have less head retention than a low-alcohol lager or ale, while an extremely high-alcohol barley wine will barely give you any head at all!

But at what point does too much alcohol make it impossible for there to be any bubbles left? It turns out that if you go over 10% ABV (18 proof), you’ll start losing carbonation instead of gaining it!

Beer should not be shaken or agitated before serving to avoid creating excess foam.

When you shake or agitate beer, you’re going to get a lot of foam. This is because shaking or agitating will cause the carbonation to escape, which in turn creates more foam. It’s not recommended that you shake your beer before serving it as this can also cause some serious contamination issues if the bottles aren’t properly cleaned and sanitized yet (which I’ll cover later).

The foamy head on a beer has many purposes

The foamy head of beer has many purposes. It acts as a filter for the beer, it’s one of the first signs that your beer is fresh and it’s also a sign of a great pour and good beer.

The foam on your beer is made up of proteins and oils from the malt. These proteins are what give different beers their unique characteristics based on the type of grain they use, which in turn influences their flavor profile.

When you pour a glass at home or order one at the bar, you can tell if your bartender poured correctly by looking at how much head has formed on top; this will tell you how long he let his tap run before pouring or whether he stopped pouring early enough to give your pint time to settle before serving.

Conclusion

I hope that this post has helped you to understand the mysterious foamy head on beer. The next time you pour a beer, pay close attention to the head and what it’s telling you about the beer.