If you suffer from bloating every time you have a pint of beer – maybe it's not the fault of the beer but the way you're pouring it.
The root cause of the problem has been recently pointed out by Max Bakker, the only Master Cicerone in New York (a certification that recognises exceptional understanding of beer brewing and pairing).
According to him, much of the bloating caused by the beer comes from the way it's poured. Most of us think that tilting the glass while pouring the beer slowly creates the perfect, headless pint but in reality, it's not – it means that the CO2 in beer has nowhere to escape to.
When the drink is poured in such a manner, the gas is going straight into the stomach of the drinker, which makes the person feel bloated.
To make things worse, people enjoy salty snacks with the beer – when that gets into the stomach, it disturbs the liquid and starts releasing the CO2, making the drinker feel even more uncomfortable.
When the drink is poured in such a manner, the gas is going straight into the stomach of the drinker, which makes the person feel bloated.
To make things worse, people enjoy salty snacks with the beer – when that gets into the stomach, it disturbs the liquid and starts releasing the CO2, making the drinker feel even more uncomfortable.
So, according to Max, the best way to pour the beer is to tilt the glass and pour it with vigour. It doesn't matter if that leaves a massive head of foam.
In fact, it is actually good to have a head of foam. The foam is actually protecting the drinker from feeling full and uncomfortable.
By this method, the CO2 is broken out into the glass. Therefore, the bloating that generally happens due to pouring the drink wrong will not happen.
"In this foam is where we're going to taste the sweetness of the malt and the bitterness of the hops," he tells Business Insider.
"But really it's going to protect the integrity of the aroma that's underneath that foam through each sip," he added.
