Beer Shaking

[SARGE]

Dok will think I've lost it totally but maybe someone can explain this. Most folks know if you shake a beer then open it, it sprays everywhere. BUT, and this is a big but, if you shake it and BEFORE opening it you take 2 fingers and tap 4-5 times on the top of the can, it won't spray when opened. I've verified this, btw. Haven't tried it on carbonated sodas.
Any explanations from the gurus?

[avx]

LoL, Me and a few friends during Hurricane Andrew, we were so freaked by the storm, we started talking about some of the dumbest things you could ever imagine, and this was one of them, we all sat there and wondered why this worked...We all came up with stupid theories...mine was, and this made the most sense out of all of them(since the others consisted of secret conspiracies and secret can codes that protected you from soda...you see how dumb we were??) anyway, my theory was that, when you shake a soda up, you create those little air bubbles, but when you tap on the can lid, you send sound waves through the liquid, and if any of you have ever tapped a rock or piece of metal underneath the water in a pool, even if your on the other side of the pool...it makes a very loud sound, cause sound travels through water way better than air, so anyway, when you tap the lid, you send sound waves through the can, and you break up those air bubbles. Makes pretty good sense doesnt it?

[dldz]

That sounds good avx, I have no idea how it works but I've used the method often and am glad it does.I never drink soda so we will have to have one of you guys try it for us ;)
Don

[ILLPHIL]

ive done that with soda quite often. But i usualy dont shake it up first jsut for the heck of it. I just do that at vending machines where they drop and stuff.

[juppy]

Check this out. :)
CLICK HERE (http://science.howstuffworks.com/question602.htm)

[SARGE]

My man, juppy. :) I knew there was a "scientific" explanation.

[juppy]

After I read that, I was gonna try to just explain it, BUT then I realized there was no way my little brain was gonna remember all that stuff so I just put up a link. Keeps me from thinkin' too much; makes my brain hurt y'know. :D

[PMich]

The next question is how and/or can do you do that with a bottle?

[ILLPHIL]

no not really, but instead just slightly open the top so there is a little crack, if it started to fizz up reclose it and wait 15 seconds re-try.
keep repeating until it doesn't fiz

[juppy]

Yeah, it said another way to do it (with the can) was to not open the whole thing real fast, but to just let it open slowly so the pressure change wasn't as great. I would assume the bottles would have to be like ILLPHIL stated (with glass bottles anyway, don't know about plastic).

[TimPoet]

I have 3 stained shirts hanging in my closet that prove that it is impossible to do that trick with a bottle!

[Byte 2.0]

BUT, and this is a big but, if you shake it and BEFORE opening it you take 2 fingers and tap 4-5 times on the top of the can, it won't spray when opened. I've verified this, btw. Haven't tried it on carbonated sodas.

I know I am a bit late but I learned that on soda years ago, never understood why it worked. :)