better head retention?

Need some help..lately been getting a half finger and seems to clear quickly ...great lacing though...

Yeast viability, vitality, and count can all affect head retention. Besides pitching and adequate and healthy starter and maintaining good fermentation temps, using something like 5% wheat malt in the grist will help.

I heard that's a myth the wheat thing is bogus

As long as your brew has head through the entire glass, size doesn't matter. I'm enjoying a glass right now that started off with about 1-1/2" of head, which has settled (at about 1/2 glass left) to a fine layer.

IF you want to retain good head, have clean glasses (well rinsed) and brew it for better retention. What you include in the recipe impacts more than just flavors. Your processes can also impact head retention. Such as if there was any soap residue in your pot/kettle before you started the batch.

I made a batch on Saturday that is the first where I've NOT used fermcap in the boil, or fermenter, in some time. I'm interested in seeing if that has any impact, at all, on the head retention of my brews. I don't think I added it to the primary for my previous batch, but I can't recall exactly (it's been there for just over a month).

Post up a recipe that you're not happy with the head of so that we get a better idea of what you're brewing...

thomasben said:

I heard that's a myth the wheat thing is bogus

Click to expand...

What's your source on that? Everything I've read, and my experience, supports the premise that wheat malt can improve head retention, provided of course good brewing practices are followed throughout the process. I'm not saying wheat malt would fix all head issues, all the time.