Ever wondered why there’s a plastic ball in your can of Guinness? It’s not just a quirky feature—it’s brilliant beer science. In this video, see how this tiny device, called a widget, recreates the iconic creamy texture of a pub-poured Guinness right at home. They dialed in nitrogen, bubbles, pressure, and plastic to deliver that signature smoothness.
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00:00Why is there a plastic ball in my can of Guinness? Let's talk about it. Guinness is
00:07known for its smooth creamy texture. When you order a Guinness at a bar it's served
00:11through a stout tap that helps aerate the beer and it's hooked up to a
00:14nitrogen line that creates those tiny bubbles. But in 1968 the folks at Guinness
00:19wanted to emulate that pub experience at home. It took them until 1997 to find the
00:23solution. The solution? That little plastic ball. That tiny plastic ball has
00:28two little pinholes on it. It's dropped into the bottom of the can, the can is
00:31filled with beer, a blast of nitrogen, and then it's sealed under pressure. See
00:36those bubbles? That's physics at work. When that can's sealed up the ball fills with
00:40beer and nitrogen and when it's opened the nitrogen's expelled into the beer and
00:44the ball mimics the stout tap. And thanks to that little plastic ball you can have
00:48draft quality Guinness at home. And pro tip, they've used that same technology in
00:52their NA beer too. Sláinte!