draught beer

[always digging]

is it just me or is it to much to expect that when you order a pint of real beer that the pub pushes it through a sparkler to give it a frothy head .i once asked to have the device turned off when ordering and just cringed when the reply was the what mate . i had to explain very slowly why is life so difficult

[lizzylemon]

is it just me or is it to much to expect that when you order a pint of real beer that the pub pushes it through a sparkler to give it a frothy head

As someone who used to work in a pub who with 8 guest ales every 2 weeks I have to admit I've never heard of a sparkler - if they're serving Real Ale there's no need to push it through anything.

Being a live beer I had trouble keeping the head under control but not because of a sparkler, the pipes, temperature and just being a new barrel can make it very lively but being a real ale drinker, I'm sure you already know all that

[bubblewrap]

Some "real ales" taste better with a "tight head" some beers a better served "free flow" straight out of the barrel. ie FLAT
I never drink fizz.
My local always has 4 regular bitters & 1 mild plus 8 guests & 1 real cider.
Also on tap 3 imported lagers.

[bubblewrap]

As someone who used to work in a pub who with 8 guest ales every 2 weeks I have to admit I've never heard of a sparkler - if they're serving Real Ale there's no need to push it through anything.

A sparkler is the screw thing on the end of the swan neck on the beer engine taking it off gives you a flat pint, screwed up gives you a nice frothy top.

[rana]

Some breweries insist that their beers are pulled through a sparkler. This is to comply with how their marketing gurus want the beer to taste. IMO the use of a sparkler can wreck the taste of a real ale and when requesting that my pint be poured without the sparkler my wishes have usually been complied with. It is very easy to remove the sparkler from the tap, then replace it after pulling the pint.

[chris]

When I was ~16-18 I worked in a couple pubs, and they all removed sparklers for real ales, but you did get the odd old dude who wanted bit of head on it!

Couldn't work in a pub now though. Mind you, I said back then I'd never work with computers

[zebedee]

Some people say I've got a drink problem. I drink, I get drunk, I fall down! What's the problem?

[WrexTheDragon]

Our local use them (7 real ales). I am sure that it is so they can include the head as part of the pint. More profit for them when they have to compete against the likes of Tesco selling cans for under �0.70 per pint.

In our local it depends on who is pulling the pints, one barmaid is very good and will turn it down for you without asking, while another will have one inch of head.