h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've wondered about this before. You know how sometimes you get a perfect pint in the pub? Even if it's the same beer as usual it just tastes so much better? And then sometimes you might get a real dud. What makes the difference?

No doubt it's a bit subjective - the first pint for a week might seem nicer than the 7th pint in a row, or if you've been doing a lot of hard work a pint might seem so great after it. But there are definitely times when it just tastes nicer.

What are the laws that govern this phenomenon?

For starters, I should've checked the guide...

"beer cellar and the cellarman - two of the most important factors in the production of 'a decent pint.'" - Courtesy of Whisky at A2346266

sometimes if a pint glass isn't rinced properly it makes the pint taste horrible, i dont drink pints tho so i dont know what it makes it taste like.

and it also makes the head of the pint a bit poo.(if it hasnt been rinced)

Yeah, I've had pints that are a bit detergent-y. Nasty stuff.

I worked as a bartender for many years, and one thing I learned was NOT to serve each beer to the same customer in a fresh glass, but to wipe the rim and refill the same glass over and over. Using a new glass each time means detergent or rinsing agent residue in each glass. Re-using the glass eliminates this after the first serving.

Not that I've offered any kind of input as to your original question.

I heard that if the drink has been in the pipes for a while (ie nobody is drinking that particular brew), you might get a dodgy pint.

And of course, the first few and last few are always horrible.

The best pints are usually about the tenth in line after the lines have been cleaned. Nasty job, line-cleaning - nearly put me off beer for life.

B

Psychocandy, in Ireland you could have your bar closed down for serving a customer a drink in a used glass.

I imagine you could here in the States, too, it likely violates the Health Code.

Mind, I never served a drink in the same glass unless the customer specifically asked me to. As long as you don't touch the rim of the glass to the tap, the health inspectors shouldn't notice.

Incidentally, I've never served anyone a drink from someone *else's* used glass.

and in england you can now only use the same glass if the customer asks you to (some ask you if it is ok).

In my local, we get a clean glass every time.

I like those little bottles of wine, and I hate it when the 18 year old barman actually asks me if I want a glass.

Err, no, I'm just glugging straight from the bottle as usual, mate

Several factors affect the quality of the beer, and I'm talking real ale here not c**p rubbish beer that i just plain refuse to drink First each batch of beer will be slightly* differnet from each other of the same beer; the brewery can control a lot of how its made, and larger brewrys are a lot better at this: One microbrewry I often go to ocasionally had a totally new beer appear, and on chatting to the brewer it has turned out on more than one ocasion that this is one of their regular beers, which just came out tasting so differnet they gave it a different name.
Second is the transporting of the beer to the point of sale.
Some beer, for example Adnams brewed in Suffolk is partiuclarly bad at 'traveling'.
Then we get to the pub.
One major thin is that the pub is well organised and the celler is well organised; so that the beer had sufficient time to 'sit' in the celler, being racked up for long enough before its put on sale.
Then, as said, we have the unfortunateness that the first few pints from any barrel, and the last few, are often interferour to those in teh 'middle' of the cask.
Then as mentioned above, is the pipes; well cleaned, but are they well rinsed before that beer you'r getting is pulled thorugh them?
Then the glass, detergent Then of course ther eis the question of when the last pint was pulled form that pump; you don't want a glass of beer which has been sitting in the pipes all night/day before you get it Another consideration in terms of the pipes and pumps is that I've found as a general rule that the shorter a distance the beer ahs to travel from barrel/cask to beer glass the better, there could be several reasons for this; less length of pipe to be coated with 'cleaning c**p', less 'build up' of 'stale' beer in the pipes, who knows Then of course one of the major factors, some pubs are just toally and uterly unable to serve a decent beer because they are c**p and don't give a s**t about what they are serving All of the pubs near where I live, I won't d drink beer in, as they can't serve a pint of it that I can stomach even though the makes of real ale they do are ones I like; there is one pub not too far away that is consistantly great, and another that is a little* more hit than miss

Oh, and of course there are other factors associated with the celler/storage of the beer, tempurature probably being very important, and also that the celler is well organised so the barrel isn't constanly being bashed about when it should be settling

My local is a mocro brewery. The major variable is the yeast and it is very sensitive stuff. The weather effects it and it needs renewing fairly regularly. A complicated business but when it all comes together...ahh bliss.

And too many pints gets to the little grey cells, whats a bl**dy mocro brewery you turnip.

Micro brewery?