Head retention

tomlivings · Jun 22, 2010

Hi,
Other than serving the beer correctly, how do I go about improving head retention?
I brewed my first beer, an all-grain IPA and it came out great, but the head only stays for half the drink and the lacing is poor.
Thanks!
Tom.

BadgerBrewer · Jun 22, 2010

You can add some Cara-Pils/Dextrine to your batch and it will aid in head retention and also add some body to the brew. Maybe 5% of your total grain bill is all you need.

weirdboy · Jun 22, 2010

What temp are you mashing at?

tomlivings · Jun 22, 2010

That was mashed at 154.

Gabe · Jun 22, 2010

Try mashing a little lower at 150 and add roughly 6-8% wheat to your bill. This has always worked for us.

tomlivings · Jun 22, 2010

Well thats good news, because I just bottled a strong belgian ale last night, mashed at 148 with 5% wheat!
Thanks guys. Lord only knows what home-brewers did before the internet.

tasq · Jun 22, 2010

Do you put your glasses in the dishwasher? Jet Dry can have horrible effects on head retention. I keep a set of glasses for beer that are hand wash only.

BendBrewer · Jun 22, 2010

Flowers work for me.......

944play · Jun 22, 2010

BendBrewer said:
Flowers work for me.......

Ahem... yes, and pellets work too. Hops contribute to beer foam stability.

tomlivings · Jun 22, 2010

But hops are going to really affect the flavor profile, in essence compromising what Im trying to achieve to get better head. Is there a hop variety that doesnt shout too loud but lends its head retaining properties?

SkiSoloII · Jun 22, 2010

The cara-pils works. So does flaked barley or flaked wheat.

Also, make sure you use enough corn sugar when bottling.

Dave

Head retention

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Head retention

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