Why does beer carbonation seem different from soda carbonation?

Question

Why does beer carbonation seem different from soda carbonation?

In: 32

Answer 1

The key word is **surfactants** – the compounds in the carbonated water that change the surface tension and are responsible for ease of foaming and foam stability.

Beer (as has been pointed out) has proteins that stabilize small bubbles, leading to a foamy head. Soda also contains surfactants, but they are generally not as stable, so you don’t get long-lasting foams.

Some beers (Guinness, and similar beers) are not carbonated, but are pressurised with Nitrogen. Nitrogen forms extremely small bubbles, and the high surfactant content of these beers leads to a very stable foam.