Guinness riddled with bubbles: bad or not?

Dostoevsky

I'm looking at a pint and it is to bubbles what the GPO was to bullets by the end of Easter Week. It's shocking.

I expect an odd bubble but not this. I have always been led to believe that having bubbles all over the shop is an indicator of a ferociously badly poured pint. However, given that I'm being served in one of Ireland's few 5* hotels, I'm wondering has my arse met my elbow when it comes to knowledge of the true role of the bubble in a pint of Guinness? (More conventionally: is there any connection between the number of bubbles and the quality of a pint of Guinness?)

Grma.

themandan6611

Dostoevsky wrote: »

I'm being served in one of Ireland's few 5* hotels.

la de da

whats it taste like ?

bennyob

Guinness tastes the same no matter which way its poured. 2 part pour and all that crack is just marketing nonsense. Taste is generally influenced by maintainence of lines/glassware.

BeerNut

And it's probably a dirty glass that has all the nucleation points in it causing the bubbles. Or just a scratched one.

Nothing unique to Guinness, though. Pale beers will be even more affected by dirty glassware than dark ones.

Big Nasty

BeerNut wrote: »

And it's probably a dirty glass that has all the nucleation points in it causing the bubbles. Or just a scratched one.

Nothing unique to Guinness, though. Pale beers will be even more affected by dirty glassware than dark ones.

Think we may have had this conversation before!

If it's a dirty glass as BN says above their will be more bubbles toward the edge of the head and less / none as you go towards the centre. If they're all through it the bartender just whacked the lever down and didn't hold the glass at an angle. Scenario A will affect taste B will only affect presentation.

dazed+confused

Bubbles? Nnnnooooooooooooooooooo! Send it back to where it came from.

It will taste ****ty!

I think this happens if they use the wrong gas for the Guinness, ie CO2 instead of Nitrogen.

irish_goat

dazed+confused wrote: »

I think this happens if they use the wrong gas for the Guinness, ie CO2 instead of Nitrogen.

That never happens.

Bubbles are caused when the bartender doesn't pour the beer at an angle. Bubbles have absolutely no impact on the taste of Guinness (not that it has much in the first place).

dazed+confused

irish_goat wrote: »

(not that it has much in the first place).

Blasphemy!

Lapin

Guinness more than most pride themselves on the presentation of their finished product.

Bubbles forming on the head may not affect the taste but you will certainly never see such a pint on their promotional material or adverts.

There are numerous reasons why bubbles may form.

The reasons offered above are among them,

The method of pouring a pint does count. If the glass is not held at the correct angle by the barperson, bubbles may form at the top of the pint. However this will only affect the presentation - not the taste.

Keg tempreture - If the tempreture isn't cool enough, bubbles will form and this may affect the taste.

Dirty glasses have been mentioned, but another problem lies where glasses are cleaned too often. Over zealous use of deteragent in the glass washer, and needless washing affects the quality of the glass itself, resulting in a miniscule (but harmless) film on the inside of the glass.

This is where a lot of hotel bars fall down. In their efforts to ensure that everything is being done to standard, and maintain a busy appearence when its quiet, bar managers will often instruct the barstaff to put all glasses through the glasswasher and polish them afterwards. This meaningless task is a waste of everyones time and ultimately loses the bar money in the long term.

The only time it is necessary to wash a glass in a machine is after its been used by a customer. Anything else is overkill and this will be eventually noticable in the quality of the drink served.

Tube

Bubbles will dramatically affect the appearance of Guinness, but shouldn't affect the taste.

Just close your eyes when you're drinking it!