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Beer foam secrets tapped in new study

Date:
May 14, 2014
Source:
Cornell University
Summary:
It’s an unlikely beer-drinking toast: “Here’s to L-T-P-One!” Yet, the secret to optimal foam in the head of a freshly poured brew, according to food science research, is just the right amount and kind of barley lipid transfer protein No. 1, aka LTP1. “To some beer aficionados, the sign of a good head – the proper consistency, color, height, duration – is to draw a face with your finger in the foam, before taking the first sip,” the food scientist notes. “If the face is still there, when the glass is drained and the liquid is gone – that’s seriously good foam.”
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It’s an unlikely beer-drinking toast: “Here’s to L-T-P-One!” Yet, the secret to optimal foam in the head of a freshly poured brew, according to Cornell food science research, is just the right amount and kind of barley lipid transfer protein No. 1, aka LTP1.

Bitter compounds found in hops, like iso-alpha acids, are important to brewers, says Cornell’s Karl J. Siebert, principal investigator and author of “Recent Discoveries in Beer Foam,” set for publication in next issue of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

“Dissolved gases in the beer – carbon dioxide and, in some instances, nitrogen – play a role. So do acidity, some ions, ethanol levels, viscosity and numerous other factors that have been tried by brewers and scientifically tested,” says Siebert, professor of food science and technology at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y. “But LTP1 is the key to perfect beer foam.”

Fascinating as foam is to chemists, it’s of vital importance for the sensory experience of beer appreciation, insists Siebert, formerly a longtime research chemist in the industry, including at the former Stroh Brewery Co. in Detroit.

“To some beer aficionados, the sign of a good head – the proper consistency, color, height, duration – is to draw a face with your finger in the foam, before taking the first sip,” the food scientist notes. “If the face is still there, when the glass is drained and the liquid is gone – that’s seriously good foam.”


Story Source:

Materials provided by Cornell University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Karl J. Siebert, et al. Recent Discoveries in Beer Foam. Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, May 2014

Cite This Page:

Cornell University. "Beer foam secrets tapped in new study." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 May 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140514165249.htm>.
Cornell University. (2014, May 14). Beer foam secrets tapped in new study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 22, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140514165249.htm
Cornell University. "Beer foam secrets tapped in new study." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140514165249.htm (accessed November 22, 2024).

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