The present invention relates to a substantially cylindrical beer glass and to a method for tapping beer making use of such a glass.

Different operations take place during correct tapping of a beer. One of the final steps before handing over a glass of tapped beer is skimming the foam off the glass of beer. During this skimming the top layer of foam (also referred to as the head) is removed from the beer. Present in this layer, which is formed by carbon dioxide rising from the beer, are bitter compounds, residues and oxygen. Skimming provides the advantage that the first bitter compounds of the foam are removed, whereby the beer tastes better, a homogeneous cohesion is also created between the foam bubbles, and the foam remains on the beer for longer, and a layer is tensioned over the beer as a film. This foam layer (film) protects the beer from oxidation and holds the carbon dioxide in the beer.

In some places it is considered unhygienic to pass a spatula, or beer skimmer, taken from a container with still water over a freshly tapped beer in order to skim off the top layer. A known alternative to skimming with a skimmer is therefore placing the bar/drip tray at an incline, wherein beer glasses automatically stand at an angle to the horizontal. This angle ensures that beer skims itself in that a part of the beer runs off over the inclining rim. A drawback to this approach is that other glasses also come to stand at an incline, while this is undesirable for glasses not intended for beer. There is also a random factor here. There is no bar which is positioned at the correct angle, this depends on the degree of inclination.

DE 20 2009 015546 describes an ergonomically shaped beer glass, wherein the shape of the beer glass can in no way be referred to as substantially cylindrical. GB 271 017 describes glasses with a small diameter such that the nose of the drinker cannot protrude into the glass.

BE 539 561 describes an angle between 3 and 40 degrees, preferably between 10 and 20 degrees. The object of the present invention is to obviate the above stated drawbacks or to provide an alternative solution for skimming of beer. The invention provides for this purpose a beer glass, comprising a substantially cylindrical container for beer, wherein the cylinder shape defines two end surfaces, wherein the container comprises an opened side on one end surface and a closed side on one other end surface, wherein the end surface on the closed side is adapted to support the beer glass on a support surface, and at least a part of the periphery of the opened side extends in a plane at an angle relative to the support surface, wherein the angle is less than 3 degrees, and amounts particularly to about 2.5 degrees. It is precisely this angle which makes automatic skimming possible without causing the user of the glass unacceptable inconvenience. The above stated angle necessary for successful automatic skimming of a beer glass is partially dependent on the diameter of the glass. It has been found that, in combination with a tap pressure of between 1.7 and 2.3, and in particular about 2 bar, and/or for instance with a beer conduit with a diameter of between 5 and 10, and in particular about 8.5 mm, and/or for instance at a temperature of between 3 and 7, and in particular about 5 degrees Celsius, such a glass produces good results and effects.

When the glass is placed on a horizontal support surface, an incline is in this way generated on the opened side whereby the upper layer of the foam flows off the beer. It has been found that (fully) tapped glasses of beer are hereby skimmed without further operations being required. Nor does this require the bar surface to be placed at an incline, whereby other glasses can stand upright on the bar in normal manner. It has been found that an inclining opened side of the beer glass relative to the normal results in a surface tension, whereby the foam runs over the rim of the glass, while in a regular glass a convex foam layer rising above the glass can be created by cohesion.

In an embodiment of the present invention at least a part of the periphery of the opened side extends at an angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical container.

In another embodiment the whole surface on the opened side extends at an angle relative to the support surface. The peripheral rim can extend here in one plane, and thus be oval, or describe a double-curved plane. In the above embodiments only a part of the opened side need extend at an angle relative to the support surface, for instance in that a lip is formed as in the case of a jug, although in this embodiment the whole opened side extends in this way. This has the advantage that the number of angles on the opened side is possibly limited. Where reference is made in this application to an angle, this is understood, in the case of a peripheral rim, not lying in one plane, of the part of the peripheral wall deviating from a plane extending perpendicularly of the normal of the cylinder shape, to mean an average angle.

In an embodiment of the invention an attachment is available. The angle is remove d by means of placing the attachment. The glasses are hereby wholly stackable and can be stored in space-efficient manner.

The use of a new type of beer glass also requires a new tapping method. This method differs from a conventional tapping method in that beer is tapped up to a level corresponding to the lowest height of the beer glass. In a conventional glass, this is the height of the whole glass, in this embodiment it is the lowest height. The method particularly comprises the steps of providing a beer glass as described in the foregoing, and subsequently placing the glass at an angle between 30 and 60 degrees to the vertical such that a side where the beer glass is shortest is located on the side remote from the vertical, supplying beer to the beer glass until the beer reaches the height where the beer glass is lowest, and ceasing supply of beer to the beer glass, and finally supporting the beer glass on a horizontal surface so that the foam runs off the glass.

The present invention is now further described with reference to the following non- limitative figures. Herein:

- Figure 1 shows a printed embodiment of a beer glass according to a first

embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a neutral embodiment of a beer glass according to a second embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a beer glass according to the invention;

Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a beer glass according to the invention; and

Figure 5 shows a fifth embodiment of a beer glass according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a substantially cylindrical beer glass A, printed with a logo G, with an opened side C, wherein the periphery of the opened side C extends in a plane at an angle relative to support surface E. The axis B of the cylindrical container and a plane D perpendicularly of this axis are also shown. It can be seen that the opened side is lies at an incline relative to a support surface, whereby excess foam flows out of the beer glass.

Figure 2 shows the same glass as described in figure 1 , but embodied without logo.

Figure 3 shows a substantially cylindrical beer glass A with an opened side C, wherein the periphery of the opened side extends in a plane at an angle relative to support surface E. Support surface E is formed by protrusion F and the edge of beer glass A. When this glass is placed on a horizontal surface the upper side will lie at an incline so that the foam flows out. Figure 4 shows a substantially cylindrical beer glass A with an opened side C, wherein a part of the periphery of the opened side extends in a plane at an angle relative to support surface E.

Figure 5 shows a substantially cylindrical beer glass A with an opened side C, wherein the periphery of the opened side extends in a plane at an angle relative to support surface E. The angle is formed in that the whole glass does not extend perpendicularly of the support surface, but the opened side does however extend substantially perpendicularly relative to the axis B of the cylinder shape.