Best steeping grain for head retention?

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brewzombie

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What's your favourite/best steeping grain for improving head retention? Do some have to be mashed while others can just be steeped. I'm looking for a grain that will improve head steeped.
 
Steeping: Carapils

Mashing: Flaked Barley

I'm planning to brew a stout this weekend and was thinking about using flaked barley. Can flake barley be steeped along with crystal/roast/chocolate? Will it make any difference in the finished beer or does it need to be mashed in an all-grain batch?
 
I'm planning to brew a stout this weekend and was thinking about using flaked barley. Can flake barley be steeped along with crystal/roast/chocolate? Will it make any difference in the finished beer or does it need to be mashed in an all-grain batch?

You can do that. It's fine in darker brews, because it leaves a starchy haze but you can't see it in a stout! That's why most people don't use flaked barley in pale ales, for example.
 
I'm planning to brew a stout this weekend and was thinking about using flaked barley. Can flake barley be steeped along with crystal/roast/chocolate? Will it make any difference in the finished beer or does it need to be mashed in an all-grain batch?

Like Yooper said, you can steep it in a darker beer. I'd still mini-mash it with an equal amount of two-row.

Flaked Barley works much better than Carapils. Every brew where I've used it has a nice, frothy head with great retention. The stuff is awesome.
 
Like Yooper said, you can steep it in a darker beer. I'd still mini-mash it with an equal amount of two-row.

Flaked Barley works much better than Carapils. Every brew where I've used it has a nice, frothy head with great retention. The stuff is awesome.

Yeah, flaked barley is like magic! I used some in my oatmeal stout and the body and mouthfeel and head is great.
 
Carapils for most of my beer. I usually add a half pound in all recipes, even when I steeped. Flaked oats for stouts.

Anyone remember if wheat malt can be steeped just for the head proteins? That came up in a PM I had from someone a couple days ago, I couldn't recall.
 
I believe torrified wheat can be steeped. I haven't used it, but have been reading up on it. Anyone else with experience with it?
 
yes it can be done i just steeped a half# in a recent Tangerine pale ale i did an it has a great creamy head with good retention
 
Gotta love zombie threads! Now that you brought it back from the dead, BostonianBrewer, if you've used torrified wheat, did you have any trouble getting the beer clear afterwards?
 
A small amount of wheat will improve head retention as well. If you're an extract brewer, you can sub a pound or two of light DME with wheat DME, and it should do the trick.
 
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