Poor head retention
- Thread starter baer19d
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hamiltont
Well-Known Member
How did you carbinate it?
I force carbonated it in a corney keg.[/I]
does it have good foam when yo pour it?
A Hefeweizen generally has good head retention due to the large amount of wheat malt in the grain bill. It might be helpful if you posted your recipe so we can see what may be going on in there.
Also how long have you had it on gas and at what temperature and co2 level?
Also how long have you had it on gas and at what temperature and co2 level?
I read a post a while back (might have been BierMuncher) to make sure to get a good hot break and cold break to ensure good head retention. Since I read that, when I turn on the flame to start the boil I turn it on strong and then I make sure I have a vigorous boil. After I started doing that, my beers had better head and head retention.
scottlindner
Well-Known Member
Don't you risk HSA with a vigorous boil?
Have you noticed improved head retention since doing this?
Have you done anything to improve your cold break?
Scott
scottlindner
Well-Known Member
BTW, this somewhat adds credibility to the boiling comment you made. I'm reading this online reference: http://***********/component/resource/article/697-getting-good-beer-foam-techniques
Later in the article we find this, and there might be something to this.
Later in the article we find this, and there might be something to this.
I think that most headless homebrews result from beers with too many “head killers” in them. Specifically, I’m thinking of some of the foam killing molecules — such as higher alcohols (or “fusel oils”— that result from fermentation temperatures that are too high or worts that are underpitched. In most cases, I believe there are enough foam positive elements in the beer, but these are negated by fermentation byproducts that kill foam. (Note that Belgian yeasts and German wheat yeasts both reputedly produce lower levels of fusel oils than normal brewers yeast strains, especially at higher fermentation temperatures.)
In addition, when yeast are stressed during fermentation, they secrete proteases in larger amounts than unstressed yeast do. Stress may result from underpitching, underaeration or high-gravity fermentation. The resulting protease activity may decrease the amount of beer foam in the resulting beer.
