Skimming spoons

Look at the edge first, because that is what does the work. A thin, smooth edge glides through the foam without needlessly degassing the beer underneath; a thick or ridged edge pushes and leaves an untidy head behind. Clear plastic is light and cheap, handy if you want several lying behind the tap, and you can see through it what you are doing. Stainless steel weighs more, stays perfectly straight for longer and is the logical choice for a tap that runs all evening; plastic can warp slightly after months of intensive use. Count on two or three skimmers per tap: one in use, one in the wash and one in reserve. At festivals that number climbs quickly.

Pour the glass slightly too full so that the head rises above the rim. Hold the scraper at a slight angle and draw it over the rim of the glass in one smooth motion; do not saw and do not go deeper than the foam, or you will take beer with it. Rinse the scraper immediately in the rinse sink and top up to the fill line. This leaves you with a stable head of two to three centimeters. With wheat beers and other beers that produce a lot of foam, it is better to level the head in two passes with a short pause in between, so that the foam can settle first. If you also use your beer in mixed drinks, then the kopstoot best-known combination.

A skimmer touches beer and therefore has to be cleaned often. Rinse it between rounds and put it through the glasswasher at the end of service, provided the material is suitable. Stainless steel always is; with plastic, watch the maximum temperature, because water that is too hot deforms the skimmer and then the edge is no longer straight. Keep the skimmer on a hook or in a clean container of water, never loose on a wet bar where it picks up dirt. If you work with several taps, keep a dedicated skimmer at each one.

A skimmer is just one link in the chain behind the bar; the rest of the chain is right next to it. The glasses you use this tool for can be found under beer glasses, with the straight models under pilsner glasses and the heavy versions under beer mugs. For keeping them clean, there are glass rinsers and glass brushes. The other bar tools are listed under bar tools.