How to Pour a Beer From a Tap

Want to work at a pub? Suddenly have a beer tap installed in your house? Read on to know how to work it.

Things You'll Need

• Pint or half-pint glass

Instructions

1. Prepare the tap. Make sure the spout is screwed onto the bottom of the tap. The spout will correspond in shape to what's appropriate for the texture of the beer you're pouring. Once the spout is in place, pour about half a pint's worth of beer into a glass and toss it. This gets past any clogged foam or sitting water that may have drifted to the bottom and adjusts the tap to the new, clean spout.

2. Choose a glass. Most beer brands, like wines, have glass shapes that are ideal for the specific consistency of the beer. If you can't find yours, it's not going to seriously affect the taste of the beer, but it's worth checking out what's the most appropriate, and finding something close.

3. Angle the glass. Position your glass at a 45-degree angle, with the side of the glass pressed firmly against the lip of the spout before beginning to pour.

4. Pour the beer. Adjust the glass outside of its 45-degree angle accordingly as the glass fills.

5. Create head. Most bars recommend a 1/2" head of foam at the top of standard lager beers. To create a head, drop the glass away from the stream of beer once it's around 3/4 of the way full and bring it back up once the head has been created. Be careful not to let it foam too much.

Tips & Warnings

• If the head is too high, put the spout slightly into the beer and fill, tipping the glass slightly to get rid of excess foam.