Australian beer drinkers: 2 or 3 pours better for head than 1

William Atkins
Saturday, 19 April 2008 03:29

Science - Climate

According to “The Last Word” in New Scientist magazine, two or three separate pours, rather than one continuous pull, is better when pouring beer because it maintains a longer (and better looking) beer head. What do Australian beer drinkers say? Is this true?


According to a question posed to writers at New Scientist magazine (April 12-18, 2008, page 73), a reader asks why the beer-pouring-head effect it accepted as valid among Australian beer drinkers: two or three separate pours holds a beer head better than one continuous one.

The answer states, “If you pour beer in one pull, the foam grows under uniform conditions, producing relatively few bubbles and mostly large ones.”

And, large bubbles, the answer continues to explain, “… pop quickly, so the head doesn’t last.”

However, if the potential beer drinker pauses after the first pour, the second and third pours give extra time for the bubbles to grow larger and more flexible.

The latter rounds of pouring add "turbulence" to the bubbles, thus, dividing them into smaller and more numerous bubbles.

The end result of the three-pour beer head is a “… smoother-finer, firmer froth.”

And, to finalize the perfect beer head, the article states, “As smaller bubbles do not pop as easily as large ones, the finer froth lasts longer too.”

I bet this would also apply in other parts of the world, too, not just Australia. We all better test this theory to validate its claims!

Are there any comments from the science readers/beer drinkers at iTWire?

For additional information on the perfect glass or mug of beer, please visit these two websites (there are probably more out there):

How to do things: "How to pour beer".

Lager.net: "The Perfect Pint".

And, just for general information:

Alabev.com: "A History of Beer".