At The White Hag, creating great beer doesn’t stop when fermentation ends – it continues right through to the very last detail on the canning line, and beyond that, all the way to your fridge. We put as much focus on the final stages of packaging as we do on recipe design or dry hopping, because that’s where the beer is sealed and locked in for the journey to your glass. One of the most important quality steps we take in this phase is something you’ll never see – but it makes a big difference: the creation of a perfectly timed foam cap just before the can is sealed.
When beer fills a can, it naturally releases CO₂. We use that moment to create a layer of foam that gently rises up and spills over the lip of the can. That foamy head might not seem like much, but it plays a critical role – it physically pushes oxygen out of the can before the lid is sealed. Why does that matter? Because oxygen is one of beer’s greatest enemies. Even the smallest trace left behind during packaging can lead to oxidation, which flattens the mouthfeel, mutes the hop character, and accelerates flavour deterioration. It’s the fast track to stale beer.
By sealing the lid directly onto that foam – a blanket of CO₂-rich bubbles – we replace the air in the can with something beer loves: carbon dioxide. It keeps the beer’s carbonation intact, preserves volatile hop aromas, and locks in the fresh character you’d expect from something poured straight from the tank. The result is a crisper, cleaner, longer-lasting beer that stays true to the brewer’s intent.
Of course, not every drop of beer fits into the can when foam is involved – and yes, that means we sacrifice a bit of liquid for the greater good. But for us, that small loss is worth it. Because we’re in this for quality, not shortcuts.
Behind the scenes, our packaging team has also been working hard to optimise the CO₂ purge on our canning line. This is the step where cans are flushed with CO₂ before filling, helping to eliminate oxygen even before the beer hits the can. By fine-tuning this purge process – balancing speed, volume, and timing – we’ve been able to further reduce oxygen pickup. And less oxygen at this stage means the beer stays fresher, for longer, wherever it ends up. Whether it’s travelling across the country or sitting cold in your fridge, that beer was sealed with intent.
We cold-chain our hops to lock in oils. We monitor yeast cell counts to ensure clean, efficient fermentation. We dial in pH for precision, flavour, and stability. And when it comes to packaging, we bring that same level of care to the invisible details – like foam caps and CO₂ purging – because they’re what make the difference between good beer and great beer.
At The White Hag, that’s the standard we hold ourselves to. Every day. Every can. Every pint.
That’s the care behind the can.
