Why is head so good?

Ok, we know what your thinking but this is serious.

Why when you people rate beers you talk about "the head"?
In my opionion (im a rookie) head is bad, cause it just gets in the way of my drinking.......when i pour my beer, i try to get NO HEAD.

Well one of the reasons is that the head gives off the aroma of the beer, since taste and smell are tied directly together this is a good thing.

I was going to make some real snide comment, but decided not to, my heads just not in it.

The formation of head and head retention show a well made beer. Usually it means the beer was fermented and conditioned properly and that the recipe was good.

Ahhh well you see....oh nevermind this could get ugly.
The perfect pour leaves 1-1 1/2 inch head in the glass.
This is for aroma.
I also think it's beautifull!!!

head is style dependent. An American Lager should have almost none to none IMO. A creamy stout should definitely have a thick one that you have to get on your lip just to drink some liquid.

It also hold in the Alpha Acids so bitter beers should have a head that stays so the bitterness stays the whole time.

I am not a big fan of head either That is, I do like a nice head as I pour it, but I prefer it collapsing back into the brew quickly, rather than hanging around for longer than a couple of minutes. It just doesn't taste that great to me in most styles.

I'll take long lasting head any day!

Sorry...just could not hold it in!

I've always considered head to be directly proportionate to mouthfeel.

Beers with "thicker" or "creamier" mouthfeel will have head while thinner, more drinkable beers will have less head.

Kevin Dean said:

I've always considered head to be directly proportionate to mouthfeel.

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This is the only place in the world you can put the words "head" and "mouthfeel" in the same sentence and have it sound perfectly clean.

AFAJ Brew Guy said:

This is the only place in the world you can put the words "head" and "mouthfeel" in the same sentence and have it sound perfectly clean.

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Well when you put it like that...

When I first started drinking, I didn't like head.

I've learned to appreciate good head after I started making my own. Now I hope for good, long lasting head. It makes the whole experience better and more complete.

This thread is great, all of the responses are just dripping with so many juicy comments, it is almost as if they were written that way on purpose.

must... resist... smart ass... comment

AFAJ Brew Guy said:

This thread is great, all of the responses are just dripping with so many juicy comments, it is almost as if they were written that way on purpose.

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including yours

huhhuhhuh...You said "head!"



Sorry, couldn't resist.

I thought it was a rhetorical question. Glad it got handled right.

So what do you get the best head from?

bobbydigital said:

So what do you get the best head from?

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ROTFLMAO!! :rockin:

I love the threads that involve cryptic references to head.

From my experience, some wheat malt (or flakes) and/or Caparils will aid head retention and body to an extent.

bobbydigital said:

So what do you get the best head from?

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Well this chick named Cindy back in high school lost her front teeth in a car accident and...nevermind.

I used to dislike head in my beers. The other kind I always loved...Anyway, I would always pour the beer down the side at an angle to minimize it. I too thought it got in the way. But the more I drank better beer, I realized that you have to have head in the beer. Just makes for a better experience. Now, I make sure to pour down the middle...

IMHO, drinking a beer without head is like kissing a girl without lips.........

I find the head on a beer, besides aroma, aids in the visual aspect of the beer. It makes it delicious for the eyes as well as the tongue. Its kinda like adding a garnish to a meal.

I just love a good clean discussion about head....sorry, I just couldn't hold it in either...

So if i'm at a bar, i should show the girls my head , would that impress?

Only if it had a nice size to it.

YooperBrewmistress said:

Only if it had a nice size to it.

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Hmmmm... maybe you're not thinking about the right kind of head?

A good head and good head retention also reflect good brewing practices including fermentation and sanitization.

GT

Some of the posts in this thread don't make sense to me. Did I miss something?

Yea man, you missed some good head!

Frankly, I usually try to get at least a little head. At least at the start. That is where it is most important. Although some people like to have good head throughout. Only the best provide that though.

just have to say this was a hilarious thread to read

This thread is dirty... I like it

LMAO

I feel dirty reading this before church.

Bull

LOL great thread, I wondered the same thing admittedly. Never understood why anyone would want a bunch of foam "in the way" of their nectar. Now I know.

Homercidal said:

Frankly, I usually try to get at least a little head. At least at the start. That is where it is most important. Although some people like to have good head throughout. Only the best provide that though.

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Truer words have never been spoken......:rockin:

Being a fan of Stouts, I like a beer with some nice head and a creamy finish.

I've read that many brewers will include a dash of wheat in the recipes to get a little more head. Whatever you have to do to get more...is never a bad thing.

A perfect head on a pint of bitter for me is about half an inch of a fairly coarse head at pouring, which dissipates fairly quickly to a laced surface. Head is very style dependent.

bullinachinashop said:

LMAO

I feel dirty reading this before church.

Bull

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imagine how I feel reading this inbetween services at church...