No Head

[rmorash56]

Good day all and thanks for any advise you give. I am new to beer making and just bottle my 5th batch. I am using all coopers kits and equipment. 

Have made 3 lager one blonde and Mexican. all have been done per the instructions and all made with enhancer 2.  I have kept  in a warm spot two weeks and even a month. The bottles are rock hard. Cooled in the fridge over night and when poured a very small head sometimes and sometimes not.

My very 1st batch lager after two weeks put it in my walk in cooler been in cooler going on two months and only the odd bottle has a head. I used cooper carbonation drops.  all the beer taste ok and is very clear. Beer without a head is just not beer. Anyone having this issuse.

Thanks all 

[Shamus O'Sean]

1 hour ago, rmorash56 said:

Good day all and thanks for any advise you give. I am new to beer making and just bottle my 5th batch. I am using all coopers kits and equipment. 

Have made 3 lager one blonde and Mexican. all have been done per the instructions and all made with enhancer 2.  I have kept  in a warm spot two weeks and even a month. The bottles are rock hard. Cooled in the fridge over night and when poured a very small head sometimes and sometimes not.

My very 1st batch lager after two weeks put it in my walk in cooler been in cooler going on two months and only the odd bottle has a head. I used cooper carbonation drops.  all the beer taste ok and is very clear. Beer without a head is just not beer. Anyone having this issuse.

Thanks all 

Hi @rmorash56, and welcome to the Forum

Poor head formation/retention with Brew Enhancers is common.  

You might like to try Light Dry Malt instead.  Another option is Liquid Wheat Extract.  Both LDM and Wheat will help with foam.

You could also consider changing to sugar for priming bottles instead of carbonation drops.

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Hi @rmorash56, and welcome to the Forum

Poor head formation/retention with Brew Enhancers is common.  

You might like to try Light Dry Malt instead.  Another option is Liquid Wheat Extract.  Both LDM and Wheat will help with foam.

You could also consider changing to sugar for priming bottles instead of carbonation drops.

I totally agree with @Shamus O'Sean  Carbonation Drops are handy but white sugar is far better, there are various sugar measuring scoops available, the large scoop or 740/750ml Longnecks & 1/2 scoop for 375ml stubbies. These are available from most Home Brew Shops - LHBS or Supermarkets that sell brew supplies.

 

 

[Kegory]

46 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I totally agree with @Shamus O'Sean  Carbonation Drops are handy but white sugar is far better, there are various sugar measuring scoops available, the large scoop or 740/750ml Longnecks & 1/2 scoop for 375ml stubbies. These are available from most Home Brew Shops - LHBS or Supermarkets that sell brew supplies.

 

 

Phil, a couple of questions:

In another post you said sugar, and I think carbonation drops, will leave the beer tasting (weak and?) cidery. How prominent is that taste? I guess I'll find out for myself in a couple of weeks but I'm trying to up my tasting nous;

Also in another post your notes say you bottled into 450ml Grolsch bottles. How do you manage the carbonation for these mid range volumes with only two scoop measurements? Most of my bottles are in the 450-650ml range.

[Otto Von Blotto]

6 minutes ago, Kegory said:

Phil, a couple of questions:

In another post you said sugar, and I think carbonation drops, will leave the beer tasting (weak and?) cidery. How prominent is that taste? I guess I'll find out for myself in a couple of weeks but I'm trying to up my tasting nous;

Also in another post your notes say you bottled into 450ml Grolsch bottles. How do you manage the carbonation for these mid range volumes with only two scoop measurements? Most of my bottles are in the 450-650ml range.

Carbonation sugar in any form has a negligible effect on the flavour. It's more when you add large amounts of sugar or dextrose to the main recipe that you have the watery weak flavoured beer. 

I have used raw sugar in different amounts in a couple of all grain beers, one was a fourex clone and the other an English ale, and it worked quite well for the intended use. I didn't have any cidery flavours, which would more likely be due to fermenting it too high.

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, Kegory said:

Phil, a couple of questions:

In another post you said sugar, and I think carbonation drops, will leave the beer tasting (weak and?) cidery. How prominent is that taste? I guess I'll find out for myself in a couple of weeks but I'm trying to up my tasting nous;

Also in another post your notes say you bottled into 450ml Grolsch bottles. How do you manage the carbonation for these mid range volumes with only two scoop measurements? Most of my bottles are in the 450-650ml range.

OK, the only time I use sugar is for bottling & yes you are right I did mention Grolsch bottles, they are 450ml which is sort of in-between the Stubby & the Longneck.

From my experience I found 1 full scoop of sugar in the Grolsch bottle is too much & I have had them blow the top off - far too dangerous! Usually, a 1/2 scoop would be enough but there is also a 3-way scoop available that will give you the 450-500-600 range.

These are excellent & I find them just right for 500ml Hefeweizen bottles & the Grolsch.

3 Way Plastic Sugar Scoop (330ml, 500ml & 750ml). Plastic Sugar / Priming Scoop suitable for 330ml, 500ml and 750ml bottles

[Shamus O'Sean]

@Kegory, I use a standard 1 teaspoon kitchen measure for 450ml Grolsch bottles.

[Stickers]

if you're prepared to put a little extra time and effort into your brew day, a good place to start is a cold steep of light crystal malt (sold on the cooper's store and every local homebrew store).

steep this in the fridge overnight in a litre and a half of cold water, strain and boil it for 5 mins the next day to get rid of any nasties, cool it down for a bit, add it to the fermenter along with the can and brew enhancer, make it as per normal. you will notice the difference in the body and the head of that brew for sure.

[Oldbloke]

Forget sugar, BE1 or BE2 in the  brew. Use BE3 (33%LDME) or just use Light Dried Malt Extract in the FV. Liquid malt is also a good option.

 

When bottling just use table sugar @ a rate of 8 grams per 1 litre. Use a scoop of some sort, buy or make. But try be fairly consistant. Tea spoons are not very consistant.

 

Once bottled keep the bottles warm for 4-5 days. (18c - 24c)  

It needs to be consistant. Not warm during the day and cold at night.

[iBooz2]

The OP @rmorash56 is asking about "No Head" NOT "No Fizz".   No head is a recipe problem and sugars added to carbonate a beer in bottles are never going to solve that so why are we suggesting different sugars and amounts to be added to the various bottle sizes.

The best way to get head on your beer is to change your recipe.  Like has been suggested before this thread went off track and onto the fizz wagon, add malts instead of sugars to the fermentation phase.  Either light dry malt, liquid light malt or better still wheat malt.  If @rmorash56 wants to keep it simple then I suggest any kit tin of Coopers goop, i.e APA and a tin of Coopers wheat malt extract and that will solve the problem.

Also if he wants to go a bit better again then as @Stickers has suggested - a cold steep of some grains.  But Crystal malt will make his beer a tad darker in EBC so maybe use a steep of 250 - 300 g of milled Carapils so as to not alter the colour or flavour of the beer but give it a good firm foamy head.  After that he can concern himself re how much fizz he wants in his beer.

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by iBooz2

[rmorash56]

Thanks everyone

[Kegory]

On 5/9/2023 at 10:37 AM, Classic Brewing Co said:

OK, the only time I use sugar is for bottling & yes you are right I did mention Grolsch bottles, they are 450ml which is sort of in-between the Stubby & the Longneck.

From my experience I found 1 full scoop of sugar in the Grolsch bottle is too much & I have had them blow the top off - far too dangerous! Usually, a 1/2 scoop would be enough but there is also a 3-way scoop available that will give you the 450-500-600 range.

These are excellent & I find them just right for 500ml Hefeweizen bottles & the Grolsch.

3 Way Plastic Sugar Scoop (330ml, 500ml & 750ml). Plastic Sugar / Priming Scoop suitable for 330ml, 500ml and 750ml bottles

Any tips for using one of these scoops.

I picked one up last time I visited the home brew shop. Today seemed like the perfect day to exbeeriment with it, I bottled 003 which was an 8.5L brew. It went ok but I doubt that I stumbled onto the best technique at the first attempt.

I asked the guy at the shop if I should use a funnel and he said no. So what I ended up doing was scooping the dextrose out of the bag, levelling it against the side of the bag, and then tipping it into the bottle.

This technique worked well on some occasions and less well on others. Sometimes I needed to tap the scoop on the bottle to get the dextrose to drop out. Of course this meant that sometimes less went into the bottle as some if it ran down the outside of the bottle.

So, are there any suggestions as to how to improve my bottle priming technique?

[Classic Brewing Co]

33 minutes ago, Kegory said:

Any tips for using one of these scoops.

I picked one up last time I visited the home brew shop. Today seemed like the perfect day to exbeeriment with it, I bottled 003 which was an 8.5L brew. It went ok but I doubt that I stumbled onto the best technique at the first attempt.

I asked the guy at the shop if I should use a funnel and he said no. So what I ended up doing was scooping the dextrose out of the bag, levelling it against the side of the bag, and then tipping it into the bottle.

This technique worked well on some occasions and less well on others. Sometimes I needed to tap the scoop on the bottle to get the dextrose to drop out. Of course this meant that sometimes less went into the bottle as some if it ran down the outside of the bottle.

So, are there any suggestions as to how to improve my bottle priming technique?

For a start I have never used Dextrose for priming, only white sugar, I have always put sugar in a Tupperware container for bottling day, all I have ever done is to organise the bottles into a production line & measured out the desired quantity for the bottle & simply use the side of the container to ensure the same amount of level in each scoop, it has never failed me.

They then get filled, capped & boxed, labelled, stacked & stored at 18c - ambient room temperature & of course drunk at different intervals.

[Kegory]

12 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

For a start I have never used Dextrose for priming, only white sugar, I have always put sugar in a Tupperware container for bottling day, all I have ever done is to organise the bottles into a production line & measured out the desired quantity for the bottle & simply use the side of the container to ensure the same amount of level in each scoop, it has never failed me.

They then get filled, capped & boxed, labelled, stacked & stored at 18c - ambient room temperature & of course drunk at different intervals.

Cheers. Putting it in a container is a good idea.

[Shamus O'Sean]

On 6/1/2023 at 6:50 PM, Kegory said:

Any tips for using one of these scoops.

I picked one up last time I visited the home brew shop. Today seemed like the perfect day to exbeeriment with it, I bottled 003 which was an 8.5L brew. It went ok but I doubt that I stumbled onto the best technique at the first attempt.

I asked the guy at the shop if I should use a funnel and he said no. So what I ended up doing was scooping the dextrose out of the bag, levelling it against the side of the bag, and then tipping it into the bottle.

This technique worked well on some occasions and less well on others. Sometimes I needed to tap the scoop on the bottle to get the dextrose to drop out. Of course this meant that sometimes less went into the bottle as some if it ran down the outside of the bottle.

So, are there any suggestions as to how to improve my bottle priming technique?

When priming bottles I use a small funnel.  Sanitised first, along with the scoop.  Dried with a fresh paper towel.

Sometimes I wonder about LHBS staff.  It often seems like they think they know everything about brewing and I know nothing.

[Kegory]

Cheers @Shamus O'Sean I'll give it a try.

I guess it's all trial and error, really, but it's good to hear about other people's methods and opinions.

[Classic Brewing Co]

43 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

When priming bottles I use a small funnel.  Sanitised first, along with the scoop.  Dried with a fresh paper towel.

Sometimes I wonder about LHBS staff.  It often seems like they think they know everything about brewing and I know nothing.

I agree Shamus, I reckon I have forgotten more than some of these blokes know, especially the younger ones, apart from treating you like an idiot it is hard to get a word in, they just go on & on.

I am lucky here in Adelaide as a few of the main ones are privately owned by experienced brewers & I usually end up dealing with them as they do know what they are talking about.

Fortunately, when you ring places like Keg Land you get great reliable service as they are trained & don't treat you as you like you know nothing.

[Kegory]

On 6/3/2023 at 1:12 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

I agree Shamus, I reckon I have forgotten more than some of these blokes know, especially the younger ones, apart from treating you like an idiot it is hard to get a word in, they just go on & on.

I am lucky here in Adelaide as a few of the main ones are privately owned by experienced brewers & I usually end up dealing with them as they do know what they are talking about.

Fortunately, when you ring places like Keg Land you get great reliable service as they are trained & don't treat you as you like you know nothing.

I do know nothing, Phil. That's why I ask lots of questions. I go to Grain and Grape who have won the Beer & Brewer Best Home Brew Shop on multiple occasions. They are not my closest but they have a much better range than the one near me. Plus, they are open 6 days a week. And they are happy to answer my noob questions. The more information I can get from more sources will hopefully lead me to better decisions.

Anyway, thanks to you and @Shamus O'Sean my second attempt at priming with powder instead of drops went much smoother (particularly after I realised I wasn't in a rush). So, cheers, guys.

I think I'm going to shorten the nozzle on my funnel before the next bottling. I hope that'll improve the process even more.