How to get better lacing & head retention

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PassionBeer

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I'm an extract & specialty grains homebrewer (for now) and have noticed my first two beers have rather a bleak head and virtually no lacing. Is there something I can do in my brewing process to change this? Even bottles that condition for 4 weeks + show no signs of improvement. They taste great and look great in the body, but I want to improve the head and lacing.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Is there something I can do in my brewing process to change this?

With modern malts and quality extract, the most common cause of poor head retention is probably poor yeast health. Yeast cells leak numerous head killing compounds when stressed.

Most folks will recommend you add a lot of dextrins (carapils, etc.). The rub is, 100% 2-row will produce an outstanding head and lacing from a proper fermentation.

If you're not making 2+ liter starters for a 5 gallon batch, do so. If you're unable to, pitch more dry/liquid yeast. Temperature control is equally important.
 
torrified wheat or flaked barley should help head retention & body
 
there's much truth in lamarguy's post however I prefer to add 4-6 oz. of flaked wheat to most of my brews, per 5.5 gal

Schlante,
Phillip
 
there's much truth in lamarguy's post however I prefer to add 4-6 oz. of flaked wheat to most of my brews, per 5.5 gal

Schlante,
Phillip

I use Carapils or wheat for head retention. Also, good clean glassware with no soap or fats is a good starting point.

This chart from the wiki shows other grains that help head retention too:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart

Thanks, all.

If I add Carapils to my next batch, how much for a 2.5 or 3 gallon boil for a 5 gallon batch? And also, can I directly add these to the muslin bag during my specialty grain steeping or when I add my extracts?
 
To echo what lamarguy said, my experience totally agrees with this but I felt I didn't really have enough results to share. But, I always get great head retention when I pitch on a yeast cake from a previous batch. I had always attributed this to proteins or something, but it's good to know this is from good strong yeast!



I can't say for sure about extracts since I only used CP when going to AG, but most info I've read recommends using Carapils at no greater than 5% of total grain bill. I would do some research here and see what other guys are doing for partial boils/partial mashes. I've added as much as a pound which would be about 12-15% in some cases, but I don't think I got better results with 1 lb versus .5 lb. It contributes very little in terms of color of flavor.

I like it better than wheat where you want some body but may not want wheat in the profile.
 
Steep it in the bag with your other specialty grains. 4-6 oz sounds good to me, but How To says 8 oz Carapils is common for 5 gal batch, since it doesn't yield much from steeping. Ah well.
 
I just started drinking my "first real ingredient" beer kit, (after 3 Mr. Beer kits...). It is the tongue splitter from NB in extract. I carbed in bottles with Muntons Kreamy X...This beer has a beautiful head and laces all the way down the bottle. I'm sold on this product.
 
Steep it in the bag with your other specialty grains. 4-6 oz sounds good to me, but How To says 8 oz Carapils is common for 5 gal batch, since it doesn't yield much from steeping. Ah well.

To echo what lamarguy said, my experience totally agrees with this but I felt I didn't really have enough results to share. But, I always get great head retention when I pitch on a yeast cake from a previous batch. I had always attributed this to proteins or something, but it's good to know this is from good strong yeast!



I can't say for sure about extracts since I only used CP when going to AG, but most info I've read recommends using Carapils at no greater than 5% of total grain bill. I would do some research here and see what other guys are doing for partial boils/partial mashes. I've added as much as a pound which would be about 12-15% in some cases, but I don't think I got better results with 1 lb versus .5 lb. It contributes very little in terms of color of flavor.

I like it better than wheat where you want some body but may not want wheat in the profile.

Perfect - thanks again!
 
Will Torified Wheat add flavor to the beer or is it just good for head retention?
 
They say that crystal malts can have the same effect,but they add color & flavor. Something you may not want or at least just a little of. A 1/2lb of carapils in a 5 gallon brew will work fine for head & some extra body. And no added color or flavor to speak of. And for the record,head is formed by dissolved protiens in the beer,but driven by carbonation in the glass.
 
Most DME has carapils in it, but you could use about 1/2 lb added to your steeping grains or just add some wheat or wheat dme to your recipes
 
For those of you that have steeped Carapils for your extract recipes, have you ever seen "starch haze" from it in the final product? How to Brew (1st edition, online) says this about it:

Dextrin Malt 3 L Also known as American Carapils, this malt is used sparingly and contributes little color but enhances the mouthfeel and perceived body of the beer. A common amount for a five gallon batch is 1/2 lb. Dextrin malt has no diastatic power. It must be mashed; if steeped it will contribute a lot of unconverted starch and cause starch haze.

I was thinking of adding some to the first recipe I am constructing on my own (a marzen), and am trying to do my due diligence as far as all the ingredients are concerned. It'll probably be only 4 oz for a 5 gal batch (or 2 for a 2.5 - may go small at first), so only about half do the 8 oz that is the "common amount". So I'm hoping its enough to get the extra body, mouthfeel, and head retention that it is known for, but without any of this starch haze that it may (?) impart...

Thanks for any experiences/advice!
 
Just do a small partial mash & add it to the BK. It isn't hard. 1-1.5qts of water per pound of grain & hold it at like 152F covered for an hour. And usesome base malt to provide enough ezymes to convert the lot.
 
That's not a bad idea; I just did my first partial mash on my last batch, so at least I've hit an idea how it works. I did have trouble keeping a constant temp, though, on my electric stove - it varied between 140-160ish. Guess I was doing a couple different rests, eh? ;)
Seriously though, what's a good way to keep temps more constant? Wrap the pot in a towel or some other sort of insulation? Or just monitor and adjust about more vigilantly? I just have a floating thermometer, so maybe a instant-read digital would help on that regard?

I've seen other recipes with Carapils steeped, so was just also wondering if anyone has done this and gotten any negatives ( starch haze?) from it... (Not that I doubt homebrew god John Palmer, necessarily!)
 
That's not a bad idea; I just did my first partial mash on my last batch, so at least I've hit an idea how it works. I did have trouble keeping a constant temp, though, on my electric stove - it varied between 140-160ish. Guess I was doing a couple different rests, eh? ;)
Seriously though, what's a good way to keep temps more constant? Wrap the pot in a towel or some other sort of insulation? Or just monitor and adjust about more vigilantly? I just have a floating thermometer, so maybe a instant-read digital would help on that regard?

I've seen other recipes with Carapils steeped, so was just also wondering if anyone has done this and gotten any negatives ( starch haze?) from it... (Not that I doubt homebrew god John Palmer, necessarily!)

I wrap the BK/MT in my hunting coat With the hood pulled over the top. It has thinsulate liner & this synthetic goose down that traps air well. holds temp great.
 
For those of you that have steeped Carapils for your extract recipes, have you ever seen "starch haze" from it in the final product?
I just made an ipa using a small amount of carapils. It's the clearest beer i have made, but that's probably because it was my first time using whirfloc
 
inflictor-of-grimness said:
I just made an ipa using a small amount of carapils. It's the clearest beer i have made, but that's probably because it was my first time using whirfloc

That's good to hear. I was just gonna use a small amount as well, to add body/mouthfeel and head - 4 oz (for 5 gal) included with the other 16 oz for steeping. I do use whirlfloc as well, and this is my first planned lager, so hoping that long cold secondary will give everything plenty of time to drop out of suspension!
 
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