When beer is spiked, the residual sugar in the beer caramelizes due to the intense heat of the metal rod (approx. 600 °C), giving the beer a softer, rounder, and sweeter flavor. Carbon dioxide also escapes, creating a warm, finely textured, and exceptionally creamy head. The spike should only be dipped briefly (about two to three seconds) so that only the foam is warmed and the sugar caramelizes, while the rest of the beer in the glass remains refreshingly cool. Dipping it in for too long would uncomfortably warm the entire beer and cause too much carbon dioxide to escape.