So I just started bartending and it occurs to me that while I have drunk my fair share of beers in the past I have never paid a great deal of attention to the amount of head. So, what’s acceptable? Does it vary from import to domestic?
Any tips (argh with the lack of intention) would be appreciated. Thanks.
zber
A well poured beer should have a nice ½-¾" deep ‘collar’ on top. If it’s a good beer the foam will consist of extremely tiny bubbles and the inside walls of the glass will show pinpoint carbonation.
Common domestic beers tend to be over-carbonated and throw a very ‘sudsy’ foam instead of the fine ‘cream’ you’ll see on top of (for instance) Guinnness Extra Stout. Slow pours will help avoid an overly frothy head on the brew.
Aside: According to legend, at Guinness’ Dublin brewery you are supposed to be able to write your name on the head with a fountain pen.
It totally, TOTALLY depends on the beer. A wheat? About half the glass should be head. A pilsner is also very heady. When you’re looking at an American pale ale, or an IPA? Only about a half inch. A nitro draught like Guinness is usually a pretty dense 1/2 inch head. If you’re working in a brew pub, I’m sure your boss will teach you. If you’re just pouring Bud and Miller, with the occaisonal Heineken? With crap like that, it doesn’t really matter. I’d go for 3/4 of an inch off the pour, and it’ll fall down quickly on it’s own.
If you’re pouring quality beer, though, then you should really buy a book. I recommend Michael Jackson’s Ultimate Beer. It shows about 400 well-poured beers, so you can figure it out for each style.
Agree that it depends entirely on the beer.
A good rule of thumb is to look at the style of the glass the beer is (ideally) served in.
Beers that deserve a bigger head are properly served in a tall, narrow glasses. This is no accident. These beers – such as wheat beer and some lagers – are deliberately served with a decent collar of foam as much of the taste of the beer is to be enjoyed through the head.
If, on the other hand, the beer is properly served in a wide-mouthed glass, we can draw the conclusion that it is supposed to have minimal head.
Ahh…beer head. Takes me back to the first time I met my wife. Seriously.
I was studying in the Czech Republic for a semester and got to hanging out with a guy who was teaching English in town. He took me out to meet some friends of his at a pub. I was dehydrated and dying for a beer when we got there. We made the introductions and ordered a round. Czech beer in a Czech pub…mmm…couldn’t wait. The beer got there and my glass had a thick 2" of head on it, so much so that I couldn’t drink it immediately. And I was dying of thirst. So I took a spoon and started to scoop out the foam and put it into the ashtray. And that’s when true love hit me on the hand and said completely seriously “Have some respect for the beer!”
We celebrate our 6th anniversary next Saturday! 
-Tcat
:eek:
What an incredible ripoff! If I ordered a beer and half of it was head, I’d walk out and never go back to that bar.
When I’m pouring for myself, the more head, the less carbonation in the beer as I drink it, and that’s not a good thing. Also, if I pour it sloppily enough that I get a lot of head, there’s a chance it’ll foam over and beer will be lost, which is also not a good thing.
In my opinion, there shouldn’t be so much head that you can’t drink the beer without getting head all over your face. You’re supposed to drink it, not wear it.
It’s cultural as well. Order a pilsner in Holland, and the head will be the customary (well, for here) two fingers thick. Order a pilsner beer in France or Italy, and it will be flat.
I also disagree on wheat bears requiring a head of half a glass in height. Most quality German and Belgian wheats are served with a head of about 25% of the glass’ height, depending on the shape of the recommended glass.
While at the Budweiser brewery in St. Louis last week, they said a beer should have a 1 -2 inch head when poured. This allows the carbon dioxide to escape and makes the beer less filling.