MitchBastard Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Just cracked the first sample of my latest batch. Original lager, with added dry malt and the BE 1. tastes surprisingly decent from all reports of it being a flop most of the time.... It poured with a decent head (see pic) but shortly disappeared. I was left with a ring of head with a bit in the middle until about half way through the glass. Then she was goneskis. There was carbonation through the whole glass so considering this... is this a lack of “body” issue....? Can I expect better results as she matures? Or am i expecting too much from this particular can of goo? TIA M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captain!! Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Hey mate, There are many things going on to create a lasting head. Unfortunately with that brew I don’t believe that it’s going to be an amazing beer with regards to foam or head retention. Here’s a link to a really good podcast on foam and head retention. http://beersmith.com/blog/2011/09/28/head-retention-with-the-pope-of-foam-beersmith-podcast-23/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Head retention is the Valhalla of home brewing imo, clarity of the brew comes a very close 2nd. But where do you put all this criteria as having great head and clarity in a shit tasting beer defeats the purpose. How to improve? There are many tips and tricks that can help, too many to list here. Good head retention comes from the size of the bubbles, smaller the better. Glass care is so important, residual detergent in a glass will kill a head, my glasses are rinsed after use, they have never seen detergent or dishwasher. Use cologne or aftershave? This will do the same, so don't have any on the top lip. Glass choice is also a factor, the headmaster glass is fantastic, go buy 6 of them. Now comes ingredients, sure you can buy be1 to 3, sure you can use malt extract, but for me the best has to be some steeped grains. Its the protiens in these that promote a good head. I currently have 2 partial brews on tap and the head is great from top to bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 In order for head retention purposes 1. Carbonation - Low carbonation equals a crappy head. Allowing enough time for CO2 to be absorbed into the beer is the major problem in my experience. 2. Bad glasses - I used to be like titan and never wash my glasses. But have found that either a dishwasher or handwash is fine. BUT!!! You must rinse thoroughly and I mean thoroughly afterward. Nucleation points in the glass also make a big difference. 3. Recipe - Carapils and wheat do make a difference in head and head retention. As an example my best beers for head retention are Belgian golden strong. They look like a cappuccino and hold the head all the way to the bottom and they are just Pilsener malt and sugar with a touch of Carapils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchBastard Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 Thank you everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_McGlass Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 There's an article about it here: https://byo.com/article/fabulous-foam/ I also have a theory that fermentation affects beer foam. A good healthy fermentation with a healthy yeast seems to result in healthy beer with healthy foam, to me. Use an old pack of yeast that hasn't been refrigerated and the fermentation limps it's way to 'completion' and the beer ends up looking sad and headless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Foam is where the heart is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Just to add to what's already been said if speaking purely about head retention, better retention is attained by leaving more body in the final beer once it has fermented out. For a new brewer, understanding how to manipulate the Final Gravity (FG) of your beer through use of specific adjuncts & specialised malts will help you have that head being more enduring. As a general example, a beer with a FG of 1.005 will have a faster dissolving head than a beer with a FG of say 1.012. So no matter how well both beers are carbonated & no matter how well the head develops through pouring, the beer with the FG of 1.012 is a more viscous solution & able to hold & gather the bubbles in place for longer before dispersal. Regular use of your hydrometer measuring the FG of each of your brews will help you to make alterations to improve this facet of your beer. Cheers & good brewing, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchBastard Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Beerlust said: Just to add to what's already been said if speaking purely about head retention, better retention is attained by leaving more body in the final beer once it has fermented out. For a new brewer, understanding how to manipulate the Final Gravity (FG) of your beer through use of specific adjuncts & specialised malts will help you have that head being more enduring. As a general example, a beer with a FG of 1.005 will have a faster dissolving head than a beer with a FG of say 1.012. So no matter how well both beers are carbonated & no matter how well the head develops through pouring, the beer with the FG of 1.012 is a more viscous solution & able to hold & gather the bubbles in place for longer before dispersal. Regular use of your hydrometer measuring the FG of each of your brews will help you to make alterations to improve this facet of your beer. Cheers & good brewing, Lusty. Thanks mate. Good to know. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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