Head Retention

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Terry08

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Location
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I have been making very nice beer for many years but not all bottles show great head retention. I know washing glasses, shape of glass, what you eat all are contributing factors.

What I am after is something that can be added to the wort or at the bottling stage to improve head retention.

I have many fans of my beer but I believe that at times the nice creamy head is missing. This is one of the clear beers like Lager. I do not have any problems with a dark ale.

So if there is a magic drop that does not effect flavour or detract from clarity I sure would like to know about it. Yes it has to be available in Australia.
 
I don't know of a special additive that does this.

If you're doing a partial mash or all-grain, you could add some carapils/dextrine malt to your grain bill. This shouldn't impart much flavor, if any. You could also try increasing your mash temp a few degrees.
 
Terry08,

I have heard 'Wheat' helps with head retention.
And as I brew 'extract with speciality grains steeped in',
ie. 8 Lbs of DME X 5 gallons of water.
'less than a pound' of wheat extract is said to help head retention.
I have been having the same problem.
Not that it is a problem per-se.
Actually a 'nice head' 'looks good'
but I don't need any more air in my gut,
and am not in need of it myself.
The 'best picture' of ale I ever brewed
was a giant bottle of 'Mein Acht Pfund Hammerbier'.
And the picture is on my web site... last page.
I don't remember if it had wheat in.
Mabey 'the big bottle' made the difference?

Thank you

J. Winters von Knife

Jack the Knife's World Famous Fifth century forge, Knife shop and Skullery
 
I was told that many professional brewers regard carapils/wheat/etc for head retention as a myth (though I suppose it can't hurt anything). If some of your bottles have head and some don't then ingredients aren't the problem.

How do you clean your bottles? It is very important to make sure they are all well rinsed, and if you sanitize in a dishwasher or something, don't use soap and especially don't use a rinse additive. If you must use those things to clean the bottles, then run a cycle of clear water to make sure that stuff is cleanly rinsed out. Also the glasses must be clear of any oils or soaps.

If you have any additives in the beer that may add a little oil (for example, I brewed a porter with peppermint and cocoa), careful racking out of the fermenter can help, with enough time the oil will float to the top and stay there and stick to the edges of the fermenter as the beer drains out.

In the end, I bet the odd no-head beer is because of a glass or bottle that wasn't rinsed quite properly--there may have been a rogue soap bubble or the person may have washed a greasy pot and then the glass, something like that.
 
on a video on youtube there's a guy who use High Malt Glucose Syrup, claiming it helps head retention in his beer. He adds it during the boil i think....

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAJKWCdaPq4&feature=channel_page]YouTube - Home brewing the easy way part 1[/ame]
 
WOW!!!! Craigtube just got posted as a legitimate brewing link on HBT... I need to find a wall to bash my head against now.
 
Legitimate?!

I made it clear that HE is doing THAT to help the head in HIS beer. I only tried to help by showing him what i saw on the subject.

I did NOT say "do this and you'll solve your problem, trust me i'm an expert".
 
Well this is a possibility Heading Powder (AKA: Polypropylene alginate)
Uses: Increases head retention on beer through detergent-like action.

I always thought that it was lack of surface tention that causes the bubbles to burst but it is stated that it is a detergent like action see above.

Confusing, maybe the glass and bottle is too rinced.

I watched the video and just to give you guy's a chance to sneer I use a very simular but much simpler method to Craig as does 90% of Australian brewers. Maybe it is the kit beer we can get or maybe it is the style of beer that Australians drink but honestly the beer I brew is hardly distinguishable from Commercial types.
Obviously you only have my word on this but there again I only have to impress my mates and no! they are not a bunch of drunken bums who would not know a good beer even if it hit them in the face.

I will defend anybody who puts himself out there Aka Craig.

There is an old saying: "I may not believe what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Does not your Bill of rights or Constitution say something like that or is bagging excused on the grounds of anonymity. Me on the other hand I am fair game so give it your best shot, A lot have tried I will judge the best, must be humerous.

Back on track, dummy spit over, Ain't we having a grand time, I love this forum. It has helped improve my brews to which I am foever gratefull.

When I pour a beer there is a decent head but it soon dissapears, not so with my darker ales which obviously have other ingrediants in the kit.

I will visit my local, beer shop not pub and see what they sell
 
this has been said but since the head retention isn't consistent in the same batch then its something else. I clean every glass buy hand that I use for beer just prior to use. Rinse real well . I like flaked barley for head retention seems to work for me ..


Cheers
ESB1.jpg
 
I've read that the proteins that cause chill haze also help with head retention, so it's sort of a balancing act. Anything that helps reduce chill haze may also reduce head retention. Carapils, flaked wheat or barley, and raising your mash temp should all have an effect.
 
If you are an extract brewer, make sure you use steeping grains. In addition to color and a bit of aroma, I've read that they add in some proteins that aid in head retention. I usually use a half pound in a five gallon batch because they add a lot of darkness to the brew, but a lot of recipes call for a pound. Use a grain bag and take them out when the temperature reaches 165F.
 
I came back to this post and have had some success.
I always use beer kits and I now add one cup of Corn syrup in powder form plus I steep 50grms of suitable grain in boiling water for 30 mins. which I add with the wort and 1 kg of dextrose.

I steralize equipment with a glug of bleach and dishwasher powder. My glasses go through the dishwasher using "Finish" powder. I use the 1-2-3 method and do not bulk prime. I add a measured amount of sugar into 750ml long necks.
I do use a secondary but am considering going back to leaving the beer in the fermenter for 3 weeks then bottle. The reason is I do not want to disturb the beer to much. As per my other post on my small 2 litre keg, I am confident I will certainly build up at least 10 of them. It is Australia day today and I have 4 bottles in the fridge of a lager I bottled a month ago. It is the first time I brewed a Lager that held a head at least untill I have had something oily. So as I always suspected beer and food does not mix.
 
I've only drank two of the beers I've brewed thus far, but the one with flaked barley had much much better head retention.
 
in case of using grains to improve head retention when and how should i add it? right in the mash? should i rest the grains to an specific temperaure? if i rest them then what? should i add that "wort" to the other wort that has the rest of the grain?

can someone explain me the procedure?
 
Noooooo!!!! Craigtube!!!!!

A link to craigtube on HBT is like being rickrolled on other sites. I don't bottle often, but I find that individually adding corn sugar to each bottle has produced much better head retention. This does take way longer, but I've got time on my hands.
 
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