Root beer head and carbonation

So I've made two batches of root beer from extract and have been bottling with yeast. Both times I was a little impatient and waited only 3-4 days. My first question is how long should I wait when using an ale yeast?

Also, I'm looking to make my next batch from scratch. I have alist of herbs and spices that I will combine with the extract. But does anyone know how I can get a good foamy/creamy head on my rootbeer? That would be nice.

Thanks in advance!

3-4 days should be enough- I just wait until the bottles (plastic) are rock hard, then put them in the fridge for a couple of days. This seems to work great.

For creaminess and a "thicker" mouthfeel, you can use a little maltodextrine in your recipe. In a 5 gallon batch, a tablespoon or so can be enough to start with.

quick update.

i made another batch, except from scratch. i added a teaspoon of maltodextrine to a 1 gal batch. we'll see how it turns out...

what spices/herbs did you use? ive been doing RB for a while with multiple sugars (honey, blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, cane juice) but am looking fwd to using herbs.

if i remember correctly...

honey
brown cane sugar
vanilla bean
sarsaparilla
cloves
cinnamon
star anise
wintergreen
juniper berries
licorice root
some interesting bark... not sure what it was, found it in the kitchen

i think thats most of it. it came out very licorice-ey, but not too bad.