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Foam Loves Hops (Except When It Doesn’t)

That IPA has more hops than a pilsner—so, why did the head collapse so quickly? The variables are many and complex, especially when they include advanced hop products.

Stan Hieronymus Jul 29, 2025 - 14 min read

Foam Loves Hops (Except When It Doesn’t) Primary Image

Photo: Matt Graves/mgravesphoto.com

Quality foam neither begins nor ends with side-pull faucets, nitro dispense, or staff who have mastered the “flashy nightclub bartender’s pour” for German wheat beer. It needs to stick around long enough for drinkers to enjoy benefits that extend beyond those that are apparent on Instagram.

That’s a job for brewers.

“A fine, creamy, persistent head on a good beer is such an appealing, pleasurable sight that it seems almost irreverent to inquire into its nature and origin,” writes Morris Pozen in his book Successful Brewing—published 90 years ago. “It is like one of those wonders of nature which we accept without questioning the why or wherefore, being grateful for its mere existence.”

Instead, Pozen makes the proper inquiries and summarizes what was known in 1935 about foam stability. For most brewers, most of the time, that may be all the knowledge needed to deliver quality foam.

At other times, however, you may find you need to understand more—for example, about hop products that aren’t necessarily foam-friendly, or about others specifically designed to promote it.

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