When you first buy a canned Guinness beer, you will find that there is a third-party object inside – a small (2 cm in diameter) plastic ball with a hole. This is not a gift or a manufacturer’s defect. Before you is one of the greatest scientific achievements of Britain of the last 50 years. I will talk about the functional purpose of the capsule further.
The ball is called “Floating widget”. This is a patented invention owned by the beer brand Guinness. The capsule retains the original taste of draft beer in a can for a long time even when transported over long distances.
Most beers are fortified with carbon dioxide (CO2). In a closed can, one part of the gas accumulates at the top of the can, the other part dissolves in the beer itself. When you open a can and pour its contents into a glass, the pressure inside drops sharply, as a result of which carbon dioxide is released from the beer and forms the “beer hat” beloved by everyone. As the CO2 concentration decreases, the foam subsides.
Guinness is known for its long lasting head. At the same time, the content of carbon dioxide in it is lower than in other varieties. In order not to spoil the unique taste of Guinness, carbonated with a low concentration of carbon dioxide, adding nitrogen. The problem is that the nitrogen does not dissolve in the beer, but accumulates at the top of the can and immediately comes out when you open it. Without the capsule, the Guinness foam was not as thick and would have held for a short time.
The principle of the white ball
The capsule is a nitrogen-filled plastic ball with a small hole. It is added to a full jar just before closing. The nitrogen capsule increases the pressure inside the can, as a result, the beer enters the ball itself through the hole, completely filling it.
When opened, the pressure drops sharply. The nitrogen starts to force the beer out of the capsule back into the can. Stirring the beer (both from the ball and from the can) promotes the release of carbon dioxide, forming a beautiful persistent foam (in the video).
The first use of a balloon in a beer can was in 1989. And in 1991, the company received the Queen’s Award for technological inventions. During the survey, the nitrogen capsule in beer was recognized as the greatest British invention of the last 40 years :).
Help. Guinness is the most famous Irish beer (porter), which is used in the production of roasted barley, hops, malt and water. It has a characteristic dark color, a burnt aroma and a bitter taste with a long aftertaste. The brewery was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness. At the moment, the brand belongs to the London-based company Diageo, production facilities are concentrated in Dublin.