Cornell food science researchers have discovered the secret to beer’s perfect foam in freshly poured brew. The secret, according to the researchers, is the optimal amount and kind of LTP1, or barley lipid transfer protein No.1.

Karl J. Siebert, professor of food science and technology at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., principal investigator for the Cornell study and author of “Recent Discoveries in Beer Foam,” explains that the bitter compounds found in hops, such as iso-alpha acids, are vital to brewers.

The study is to be published in the next issue of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

He said in a statement, “Dissolved gases in the beer – carbon dioxide and, in some instances, nitrogen – play a role. So do acidity, some ions, ethanol levels, viscosity and numerous other factors that have been tried by brewers and scientifically tested.” He continued, “But LTP1 is the key to perfect beer foam.”

Siebert continued to explain that beer foam is more than a fascination for chemists. He notes that foam is vitally important for the sensory experience of beer drinking and appreciation. Siebert was a longtime research chemist in the beer industry, including the Stroh Brewery Co. in Detroit.

Siebert said, “To some beer aficionados, the sign of a good head – the proper consistency, color, height, duration – is to draw a face with your finger in the foam, before taking the first sip.” He concluded, “If the face is still there, when the glass is drained and the liquid is gone – that’s seriously good foam.”