How much head should a barleywine have?

I have a barleywine that I am considering adding champagne yeast to. It does have carbonation, but no head really, just kind of forms and maintains at the edge of the glass. Should I add the champagne yeast or is little to no head typical of the style?

It's typical.

passedpawn said:

It's typical.

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Good enough for who its for then. Much appreciated.

The high alcohol does tend to reduce head production. Does the beer foam readily when poured? Maybe its not very well carbonated?

Another technique to assist with head production is adding flaked barley or flaked wheat to slightly increase the beta glucan content. Flaked barley has about 10 times more than the wheat. I say adding no more than about 1/2 percent flaked barley to the grist would be sufficient to help with head if you find that the carbonation level is not the problem.

mabrungard said:

The high alcohol does tend to reduce head production. Does the beer foam readily when poured? Maybe its not very well carbonated?

Another technique to assist with head production is adding flaked barley or flaked wheat to slightly increase the beta glucan content. Flaked barley has about 10 times more than the wheat. I say adding no more than about 1/2 percent flaked barley to the grist would be sufficient to help with head if you find that the carbonation level is not the problem.

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Carbonation is decent, no head really. Would the flaked barley perform better than carapils? Would it effect the taste? I have heard oatmeal is good too.

Flaked Barley is far better than Carapils, but there definitely can be a detrimental flavor effect and clarity reduction if the content is too high. Most people would not notice the flavor effect at low levels, but unfortunately through my brewing trials, I've sensitized myself to it. That is why I recommended no more than 1/2 percent. That should be fine in a BW, but might need a slight reduction in beers with less flavor to mask the flaked barley flavor.

Oatmeal is somewhat effective too, but not as effective as flaked barley. Oatmeal contributes oils that contribute to mouthfeel, but reduce head.

No worries about the mouth feel. Its smooth and thick, so I'll stick with your advice and try the flaked barley next time.Thanks!