I have had a real problem getting good lacing from my homebrews, regardless of style or recipe. Head retention has also been mediocre. I know it's not my glassware/dishwasher messing with the lacing because many beers that I purchase don't have any problem leaving lacing on the same glassware.
I brew all grain, often adding a pound of wheat to get some extra proteins to help with head retention. I have also tried aging the beers for many months. The only culprit that I can think of is soap. However, I am very careful about rinsing my equipment. I don't use anything soapy on my bottles either (and they don't go into the dishwasher) except star san. I rinse the bottles well with water after they are empty, store upside down, and then sanitize with star san at proper concentration. After that I drain them upside down for an hour or two before they are filled.
What I would like to see is that really fine, clingy foam that lends itself to good head retention and lacing. Instead I get this crappy stuff composed of large bubbles that all burst within a minute or so. Any ideas?
I brew all grain, often adding a pound of wheat to get some extra proteins to help with head retention. I have also tried aging the beers for many months. The only culprit that I can think of is soap. However, I am very careful about rinsing my equipment. I don't use anything soapy on my bottles either (and they don't go into the dishwasher) except star san. I rinse the bottles well with water after they are empty, store upside down, and then sanitize with star san at proper concentration. After that I drain them upside down for an hour or two before they are filled.
What I would like to see is that really fine, clingy foam that lends itself to good head retention and lacing. Instead I get this crappy stuff composed of large bubbles that all burst within a minute or so. Any ideas?