# Beer and types of containers.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-types-of-containers/283504>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 7, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-types-of-containers/283504 "2005-01-07T02:51:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-types-of-containers/283504/1 "2005-01-07T02:51:46Z")

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I pour beer into a glass container…I can control the foam.

I pour beer into a plastic container…I can control the foam.

I pour beer into a styrofoam container…I can’t control the foam.

Why not?

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-types-of-containers/283504/2 "2005-01-07T02:53:28Z")

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The inside of a styrofoam cup is uneven, providing the carbonated beer with a plethora of nucleation points. Hence, MegaFoam.

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-and-types-of-containers/283504/3 "2005-01-07T03:02:49Z")

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There was something on TV not so long ago about this. Basically a certain company’s beer glass is precisely designed so that by pouring into it at the right place (specifically the company logo) the perfect ‘head’ is produced.

In other words the point at which the pouring beer hits the container determines the amount of ‘head’ there is. styrofoam is quite rough compared to plastic and glass so it forces loads of head. The rougher the surface the bigger the head.