What techniques do you use for ensuring a great head?

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Finlandbrews

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What to do to make a great beer head? In my last batch, I added 5% of malted oats for better head, can that help? Or should I have put more or less?

What are they best tricks to make a great beer head?
 
Some people use >10% wheat to help with head retention, some use dextrine malts like Carafoam or Carapils. I think the Caras give a sharper, crisper head whereas wheat seems to have a softer, thicker, lusher head - all IMHO, of course.

There's also your pouring technique...

;)
 
Dextrine malts of any kind help. I tend to use a percentage of Mild malt but that is also because I like the flavor in my low alcohol beers.

Another unbelievably important point overlooked...impeccably clean glassware. Hand wash with something like Dawn and rinse with very warm water. If your water is unusually hard, dry immediately with clean towel.
 
Any,flaked ingredients, wheat, and carapils is what I usually,go with
 
Carapils or wheat malt are a good start.

Another unbelievably important point overlooked...impeccably clean glassware. Hand wash with something like Dawn and rinse with very warm water. If your water is unusually hard, dry immediately with clean towel.

This too, but thorough rinsing is key. Any detergent residue left on the glass will do more harm than good.
 
Lots of good points here. Many posters have covered a lot of them.

One more is a clean, healthy temperature controlled fermentation with as little as possible undue stress on the yeast.

Higher gravity worts result in greater levels of proteolytic activity with reduced head retention. I infer from this that stressed yeast will produce unwanted results regardless of the cause of the stress.

It is very possible to get soft pillowy creamy head with good retention with little or no specialty malts. Oats are not typically used for that purpose to the best of my knowledge. Usually they impact mouthfeel not head.
 
+1 to a clean, temp controlled fermentation. This makes a world's worth of difference.

Oxygenation, as opposed to aeration, is important as well. A) it is part of the aforementioned healthy fermentation. B) the shake method of aeration just kills head formation and retention proteins.

Edit: oh, and a healthy, honest, open dialog between you and your partner.
 
Clean glassware.

I don't like to mess with my recipes just for the sake of better head retention.

This, big time. Same beer I pour into one of my nice glasses to get the right glassware. If I clean it with just dish soap and rinse, sometimes no head retention. I can't remember where I hear this. Take the same glass wash with dish soap, rinse, then pour table salt into the glass, a bunch, like two or three tablespoons, then scrub the heck out of the glass with the salt. This generally will scrub the glass very very clean.

Same beer in that glass will show a bunch of lacing and fluffy chewy head that never quits.

I generally design all my recipes with a little wheat if it's a very high gravity beer for a little bit of head retention insurance. Otherwise any other beer will have decent head retention if your gear is clean and fermentation is healthy.
 
Flowers, lots of flowers. Especially ones delivered to her at work so all her friends can see. Geez, it took 13 posts for me to be the one to crack that joke, I'm disapointed in ya'll.

You are correct if the OP was looking for "great head", but he was in fact looking for "a great head".

My wife doesn't give "a great head".
 
Edit: oh, and a healthy, honest, open dialog between you and your partner.

:rolleyes:

No you show the hooker you have the cash first....

Seriously, a bit of all of the above and proper carbonation/ time have been key to my beer having good head.
 
Flowers, lots of flowers. Especially ones delivered to her at work so all her friends can see. Geez, it took 13 posts for me to be the one to crack that joke, I'm disapointed in ya'll.

And it was only the third oral sex reference in 13 posts! YOU WIN!

*whistles innocently*
 
Properly carbonated beer and pouring technique for me. I have had multiple SMaSH recipes with great head. Not sure the need for so much mucking about, personally.
 
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