What is the purpose of the plastic torpedo inside of every bottle of guinness beer?

Answer 1

The "floating widget" found in cans of beer is a hollow sphere, 3 cm in diameter. The can is pressurised by adding liquid nitrogen, which vaporises and expands in volume after the can is sealed, forcing gas and beer into the widget's hollow interior through a tiny hole – the less beer the better for subsequent head quality. In addition some nitrogen dissolves in the beer which also contains dissolved carbon dioxide. The presence of dissolved nitrogen allows smaller bubbles to be formed with consequent greater creaminess of the subsequent head. This is because the smaller bubbles need a higher internal pressure to balance the greater surface tension, which is inversely proportional to the radius of the bubbles. Achieving this higher pressure is not possible just with dissolved carbon dioxide because the much greater solubility of this gas compared to nitrogen would create an unacceptably large head. When the can is opened, the pressure in the can drops, causing the pressurised gas and beer inside the widget to jet out from the hole. This agitation on the surrounding beer causes a chain reaction of bubble formation throughout the beer. The result, when the can is then poured out, is a surging mixture in the glass of very small gas bubbles and liquid, just as is the case with certain types of draught beer such as draught stouts. In the case of these draught beers, which also contain before dispensing a mixture of dissolved nitrogen and carbon dioxide, the agitation is caused by forcing the beer under pressure through small holes in a restrictor in the tap. The surging mixture gradually settles to produce a very creamy head.

Answer 2

Guiness beer is bottled non carbonated, but it is pressreized in the bottle. The torpedo is full of nitrogen gas, and when the bottle opens the pressure is equallized and during this the torpedo ruptures and this is how the beer is carbonated.

Answer 3

It is there to add Co2 to the beer after opening to make it more like a freshly poured beer from a tap. When you open the can it spins in the can and releases Co2. So a tap beer in a can pretty cool. I personally don’t care I just drink the cheapest stuff I can find.

Answer 4

The purpose is to release the CO2 from some of the beer in the can to create the head!

Answer 5

Its to carbonate the Stout when the bottle is opened.

Answer 6

It's for gays to stick up their boyfriends butts