How to get a frothy head on a stout?

beer_me_ASAP · 12-30-2008, 10:40 PM

I made a chocolate stout last month and when it came to bottling I used the package of priming sugar that came with the kit. I like the beer it taste really good with a little chocolate flavoring, but I was looking at some pictures on this website that showed other peoples stouts and the head on their beers looked really frothy what should I do next time? How do I get a creamier feel in my beer tastes?

Zymurgrafi · 12-30-2008, 10:56 PM

Well, there are a few things you can do.

Unfortunately with extract brewing you are a bit limited as you are at the mercy of the extract producer.

There are a few things that contribute to head and head retention and they all are dependent on how the grain is mashed. So as an extract brewer you have no control over that part.

If you are thinking of the creamy dense heads on a Guinness or other stout poured on draft those are do to the method of serving, in addition to the dextrinous body of the beer. They use a special faucet with a constrictor plate/ high pressure and a special "beer gas" which is a combo of CO2 and Nitrogen.

I would attempt to explain the head producing elements of a brew if I were more sober, but alas, at the moment I am not and I would fail hard. I will leave it to a much more sober and intelligent fellow forum friend...

Here is a cheap trick you can try. A poor man's cheating method for that creamy head. Get yourself one of those "flavor injectors" used to inject marinade into meat. They look like a giant syringe. Pour your stout leaving some room in the glass, draw an ounce up into the syringe and then squirt it back in. You will get the cascading effect of a nitro poured beer and the dense foamy head. It knocks the CO2 out a bit but it has a neat effect.

Zymurgrafi · 12-30-2008, 10:58 PM

oh, wait, one thing to look into for extract. Try adding some malto-dextrin next time. It will give you some more body/mouthfeel though it may or may not help with the head.

**BierMuncher** · 12-30-2008, 11:12 PM

Creamy mouthfeel is attributable to (among other things) to a relatively flat beer in the glass.

Those rich frothy heads have to come from somewhere. Stout faucets and nitrogen widgets are designed to do one thing...agitate the CO2 out of the beer to flatten it out.

The quickest thing you might try is...warm your beer up to about 45-50 degrees. Pour into a glass like you normally do but about 2/3rds of the way through, raise that bottle high enough that the beer splashes into the glass. That will give you a high, foamy head and the resulting beer should seem creamier because the "fizz" has been knocked out.

Terry08 · 01-01-2009, 08:11 AM

My project aim this year is to create a better head and increase head retention. I have found that my beer types although nicely carbed do not give off the Co2 once poured and seems slow in releasing it. The mouthfeel and quality is supurb and if one had their eyes closed they would experiance great beer taste. But is the appearance that adds to the enjoyment.

My new project and converted pressure sprayer if pumped up with normal air certainly gives the perfect head probably due to the nitrogen in the air. This is only good for the 2 litre unit I am experimenting with. Does not get time to be contaminated.

I have heard that an addition of corn syrup can add heading attributes. Not sure have to research that first.

**Captain Damage** · 01-01-2009, 02:03 PM

You could try adding Heading Powder (4th item down). I've never used it and don't know what's in it, but you can get it at just about any LHS.

Terry08 · 01-01-2009, 04:28 PM

The gum Arabic seems to be the key. I will see if I can source that
Thanks

EzMak24 · 01-01-2009, 06:29 PM

Midwest Supplies stocks a nice mini keg system that always you to use nitrogen and CO2. This will help deliver that thick cream head you are looking for Tap-A-Draft Starter Kit :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

It is called Tap-A-Draft

I just ordered one of these and am waiting for it to come in.

beer_me_ASAP · 01-04-2009, 04:04 PM

Thanks a lot for all the help I will definitely take all this information into consideration for my future stouts.