Pulling pints of stout: ceisteanna

Dionysus

Is there any point in pausing and waiting half way through pulling the pint for the Guinness/Murphys/Beamish to settle?

I've often wondered was that just a gimmick or has it a point?


Thanks!

mayordenis

Dionysus wrote: »

Is there any point in pausing and waiting half way through pulling the pint for the Guinness/Murphys/Beamish to settle?

I've often wondered was that just a gimmick or has it a point?


Thanks!

It's just a talking point tbh

BeerNut

Before 1959, draught Guinness was a mix from two different barrels: two-thirds of your pint would be fresh, fizzy beer and the top would be older, flatter aged beer for flavour. There was skill involved in pulling them in the correct proportions and you had to wait for the foam to subside before topping off the pint.

When Guinness replaced casks with nitrokegging they retained the two-part pour so punters wouldn't notice how mechanised and homogenised their beer had become. In later years they turned the wait into a selling point.

The two-part-pour serves no real purpose. Ask your barman for a glass pulled in one and one done in two parts. See if you can tell the difference blind.

IrishWhiskeyCha

Some old style pubs even did 3 part pours.

The 2 part pour is still not a bad idea as it makes you wait or your pint to settle anyway.

oblivious

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

The 2 part pour is still not a bad idea as it makes you wait or your pint to settle anyway.

An absorb the Diego Marketing :P

waraf

BeerNut wrote: »

Before 1959, draught Guinness was a mix from two different barrels: two-thirds of your pint would be fresh, fizzy beer and the top would be older, flatter aged beer for flavour. There was skill involved in pulling them in the correct proportions and you had to wait for the foam to subside before topping off the pint.

When Guinness replaced casks with nitrokegging they retained the two-part pour so punters wouldn't notice how mechanised and homogenised their beer had become. In later years they turned the wait into a selling point.

The two-part-pour serves no real purpose. Ask your barman for a glass pulled in one and one done in two parts. See if you can tell the difference blind.

A pint pulled in a single pull is just wrong and that's all there is to it. That sort of carry on is for heathens and englishmen (and don't think you can win me over with your facts, science and logic young man - it won't work )

oblivious

waraf wrote: »

(and don't think you can win me over with your facts, science and logic young man - it won't work )

Yep you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true

BeerNut

waraf wrote: »

A pint pulled in a single pull is just wrong and that's all there is to it. That sort of carry on is for heathens and englishmen (and don't think you can win me over with your facts, science and logic young man - it won't work )

Ah go on: ask for your pint poured in one. All the cool kids are doing it.

antoniosicily

BeerNut wrote: »

Before 1959, draught Guinness was a mix from two different barrels: two-thirds of your pint would be fresh, fizzy beer and the top would be older, flatter aged beer for flavour. There was skill involved in pulling them in the correct proportions and you had to wait for the foam to subside before topping off the pint.

When Guinness replaced casks with nitrokegging they retained the two-part pour so punters wouldn't notice how mechanised and homogenised their beer had become. In later years they turned the wait into a selling point.

The two-part-pour serves no real purpose. Ask your barman for a glass pulled in one and one done in two parts. See if you can tell the difference blind.

thanks for your explanation, I've always wondered why it's done this way.

waraf

BeerNut wrote: »

Ah go on: ask for your pint poured in one. All the cool kids are doing it.

I think I'd get barred if I ask the barman in my local to do that. A friend of mine asked for a vodka and cranberry juice in there one night and the barman told him to f off and that he was getting a pint of stout like everyone else!! Instant legend in my eyes

oblivious

waraf wrote: »

A friend of mine asked for a vodka and cranberry juice in there one night and the barman told him to f off and that he was getting a pint of stout like everyone else!! Instant legend in my eyes

Sounds strangly like the Dara O' Breen's Dublin pubs brain washing ads on the radio and great to see you local values their customers

sunnyjim

waraf wrote:

I think I'd get barred if I ask the barman in my local to do that. A friend of mine asked for a vodka and cranberry juice in there one night and the barman told him to f off and that he was getting a pint of stout like everyone else!! Instant legend in my eyes

Instant plonker more like.

waraf

sunnyjim wrote: »

Instant plonker more like.

Nah he's just a particularly grumpy bloke but he pulls the best pint of Guinness in the world whilst simultaneously providing much amusement to the locals with his sarcastic wit and overall pessimism. He doesn't like anyone who's not local and detests the modern world full of "people moaning who've never done a decent days work in their lives" - this coming from a man sitting on a stool behind the bar reading the paper!! I've been living around the corner from the pub for 21 years and I'm still considered a blow-in

petes

waraf wrote: »

Nah he's just a particularly grumpy bloke but he pulls the best pint of Guinness in the world whilst simultaneously providing much amusement to the locals with his sarcastic wit and overall pessimism. He doesn't like anyone who's not local and detests the modern world full of "people moaning who've never done a decent days work in their lives" - this coming from a man sitting on a stool behind the bar reading the paper!! I've been living around the corner from the pub for 21 years and I'm still considered a blow-in

So was he joking about not giving your mate the vodka and cranberry?

waraf

Insurgent wrote: »

So was he joking about not giving your mate the vodka and cranberry?

Well kind of. He gave him the vodka nd cranberry but was obviously not impressed. When my mate went back for a second one the barman just told him that he was out of cranberry juice! It could also have something to do with the fact that my mate has long hair and a sleeve tattoo which this particular barman would definitely not approve of.
Honestly though, I'm think I'm painting this guy in a bad light. He's kind of a local legend and one of the main reasons I and many others continue drinking in that boozer. It's a proper old school local boozer wih an old school barman and no women (not by law you understand, women just don't want to go in there ). Perfect for midweek pints and the footie.

IrishWhiskeyCha

BeerNut wrote: »

Ah go on: ask for your pint poured in one. All the cool kids are doing it.

Think I'll stay un-cool

waraf wrote: »

Nah he's just a particularly grumpy bloke but he pulls the best pint of Guinness in the world whilst simultaneously providing much amusement to the locals with his sarcastic wit and overall pessimism. He doesn't like anyone who's not local and detests the modern world full of "people moaning who've never done a decent days work in their lives" - this coming from a man sitting on a stool behind the bar reading the paper!! I've been living around the corner from the pub for 21 years and I'm still considered a blow-in

I know a few bar men like that and in all fairness they do make a bar you just need to get used to them

And he was right to tell your mate to faf off

petes

waraf wrote: »

It's a proper old school local boozer wih an old school barman and no women (not by law you understand, women just don't want to go in there ). Perfect for midweek pints and the footie.

Still need a bit of eye candy to perv look at!!

cavedave

I knew this pharmacist who insisted in dispensing half the pills then waiting a few minutes before finishing off the bottle. Someone came in looking for some heart medication and he told him to f off and gave him indigestion remedy instead. Even the ambulance men laughed when they came to bodybag the customer. How we all chortled merrily at the naughty scamp pharmacist.

Having said that I approve of any bookshop worker who hunts and kills anyone trying to buy one of those angels books.

the beer revolu

cavedave wrote: »

I knew this pharmacist who insisted in dispensing half the pills then waiting a few minutes before finishing off the bottle. Someone came in looking for some heart medication and he told him to f off and gave him indigestion remedy instead. Even the ambulance men laughed when they came to bodybag the customer. How we all chortled merrily at the naughty scamp pharmacist.

Having said that I approve of any bookshop worker who hunts and kills anyone trying to buy one of those angels books.

Mr Magnolia

Well at the very least aesthetics are at play.

A pint poured in 1 will finish with an unattractive concave head, a pint that's poured in 2 parts properly will have a lovely full convex head rising above the rim of the glass. As a result of pouring the 2 pints like this I could easily tell the difference.

You taste with your eyes before you do with your mouth so it's important for a lot of people.

BeerNut

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

A pint poured in 1 will finish with an unattractive concave head, a pint that's poured in 2 parts properly will have a lovely full convex head rising above the rim of the glass.

Citation needed.

It's a bit odd, is it not, that if your lager or cider is running high, the barman will just let the glass overflow until the gas-liquid balance is acceptable to the customer. Yet if the stout is too gassy, they make you wait while the head subsides.

Let the campaign for two-part pours on lager commence!

Mr Magnolia

BeerNut wrote: »

Citation needed.

Not really, ask your barman to pour both and you'll see for yourself.

It's a bit odd, is it not, that if your lager or cider is running high, the barman will just let the glass overflow until the gas-liquid balance is acceptable to the customer.

They shouldn't though, it's wasteful. The flow at the tap should be turned down to combat the high flow.

injured365

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

They shouldn't though, it's wasteful. The flow at the tap should be turned down to combat the high flow.

Well with cider anyway all you have to do is wait a few seconds and the head is gone but with lager, turning down the tap can mean a slow pour and on a busy night, a small but of waste is more acceptable than a pint taking too long to pour.

Mr Magnolia

injured365 wrote: »

Well with cider anyway all you have to do is wait a few seconds and the head is gone but with lager, turning down the tap can mean a slow pour and on a busy night, a small but of waste is more acceptable than a pint taking too long to pour.

It can slow it down alright not by much more than running froth off the top though.

There's no point serving loads of pints runnning high all night leaving the profit margins sitting in the drip trays.

cavedave

Mr Magnolia

Not really, ask your barman to pour both and you'll see for yourself.

No really. The meniscus type is based on what substances are in a glass. If two pours changes the molecular attraction of a head that would be surprising.

Mr Magnolia

Serious lol. Go and have the 2 pints pulled and come back and let me know what you find. I've poured thousands so I ain't going to argue over this.

brianthebard

BeerNut wrote: »

Ah go on: ask for your pint poured in one. All the cool kids are doing it.

They wouldn't even know how to they've all been so programmed by "the man"!

Degag

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

It can slow it down alright not by much more than running froth off the top though.

There's no point serving loads of pints runnning high all night leaving the profit margins sitting in the drip trays.

Meh it only really runs high at the start of a keg or if the flow is far too high... other than that it's bad pouring technique... you'd be amazed at the amount of staff who fill a pint with the glass sitting on the drip tray.