why is there a ball in guinness beer

There’s a ball in Guinness cans to act as a tiny pressurized “widget” that recreates a creamy draught‑style pour from a can by releasing nitrogen into the beer when you open it.

What the “ball” actually is

• The ball is a hollow plastic sphere called a widget , made from food‑grade plastic with a tiny hole in it.

• It was designed specifically for nitrogenated beers like Guinness Draught to mimic the effect of a pub’s nitrogen tap system at home.

How it works inside the can

• During canning, a bit of liquid nitrogen is added and the can is sealed, which increases pressure and forces beer and gas into the widget through its small hole.

• When you open the can, the pressure drops suddenly and the widget shoots out nitrogenated beer, stirring the whole can and creating millions of tiny bubbles.

What it does to your Guinness

• Those tiny nitrogen bubbles give Guinness its creamy head, smooth mouthfeel, and the signature cascading effect you see when it’s poured.

• Nitrogen bubbles are smaller and softer than CO₂ bubbles, so the beer tastes less sharp and more velvety, closer to a freshly pulled pint in a pub.

Why Guinness bothers with a widget

• Without the widget, canned Guinness would pour more like a standard fizzy lager and wouldn’t have the thick head people associate with the brand.

• The widget became famous enough to win innovation awards in the 1990s and is still part of Guinness’s identity and marketing today.

Quick FAQ vibes

• Is it safe to drink from a can with the ball? Yes; the widget is sealed, food‑safe plastic and just rattles around at the bottom after you finish the beer.

• Should you open the can a special way? Guinness recommends a firm, single pull and a hard pour into a glass (all at once) to let the widget do its job and show off the cascade.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.