Abstract
THE foaming or frothing of beer has been discussed fairly extensively from time to time, although the point now raised by Dr. Rowell does not appear to have been specifically mentioned. The actual frothing is, no doubt, due to a lowering of the surface tension of the beer, but the primary cause of this lowering has not been definitely established. It is most likely due to the concentration of certain dissolved constituents, such as peptones and albumoses, being greater in the surface layers of the beer than in the bulk of the beer. The retention of the dissolved carbondioxide in the froth may also assist in the formation of the ‘head’, although this view is not accepted by some observers. Very small traces of impurities, such as oil, grease, or higher alcohols, disturb surface tension, and the wetted surface of a glass may act similarly.
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ROBERTSON, R. [Letters to Editor]. Nature 126, 437 (1930). https://doi.org/10.1038/126437b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/126437b0
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