Irish Moss - Problems with foam

[Bierhias]

Hi guys,

first of all, I want to introduce me! I´m Matthias, from Munich in Germany. I brew my own beer since 2009. Had some good results, and of course some really bad ones ;-)
Im really active in the german brewing forum: Hobbybrauer.de - Bier brauen, Selbstbrauen, Hausbrauen und Heimbrauen
and now found this reallygreat forum. So much information and new input is truely awesome! Sry, for my english...I don´t speak or write much, so if you don´t get what I mean, just ask!

My new goal is to create beer, that is nearly as clear as filtered ones. So I discoverd Irish Moss and used it. From clarity aspects, really great. crystall clear, but i got no foam. Carbonation is ok and taste is good, only the foamstability sucks. This was the first batch I used Irish Moss. I didn´t use to have this problem without moss.

Here my mashprocess:
148°F (63°C) for 30min
160°F (72°C) for 50min
mash out at 172°F (78°C) for 5min

lautering
(flying brachial sparging?...^^)

boiling for 60min
Magnum (15%) for 50min
Spalter Select (6%) for 10min

Irish Moss for 5min into the boil

Primary for two weeks
secondry for three weeks
kegging (rest in bottles)

As I bottled the beer, it was already clear and got still better. Yesterday I opend one "testbottle" to see how it went. Well, like i said. Tasted good, great colour and clarity but no foam! How comes? It seems like, that most of you use moss or other clarifyers and don´t have thes type of problems! So what did I do wrong?!

Thanks for your answers!

Greets
Matthias

 

[day_trippr]

I use a 1/4tsp of Irish Moss on every batch I've ever brewed and have yet to have any problems with head or retention. Something else is going on...

Cheers!

 

[Bierhias]

Thanks for your reply
1/4tsp, thats not much. I can remember, that i gave about 2tsp. What do u think it could be? 2tsp couldn´t be too much, could it? It´s like i have applejouice in my glass....
The thing is that i had a batch without moss, rediculous great head and stability, now two "irish moss batches" and bad head/stability.

Edit
4,85gal Water
114,6oz (3250g) Vienna Malt
24,7oz (700g) Pilsener Malt
17,6oz (500g) Munich Malt
5,3oz (150g) CaraPils

3,75gal sparging Water

 

[Ravenshead]

What's the grainbill?

2 tsp should be fine. I poured a whole bag in once before I knew what I was doing. It had no impact on head retention that I remember.

 

[Spartan1979]

I've always used Irish Moss. Some beers have had poor head retention and others are just fine. I don't think the Irish Moss is the issue.

 

[Revvy]

Irish moss really has little if anything to do with foam stability and head retention, you need to look elsewhere.

Foam stability is a product of your grain bill, using grains which are high in the right proteins, such as carapil, dextrin, wheat, oats.

Another issue that comes to mind is how long are you waiting to open your bottles? If you are opening them too soon, enough co2 hasn't gone into solution to let the head stick around at all. It's best to wait a minimum of three weeks if you've been storing your beer above 21 degrees C. If you're storing them cooler they will take longer to fully carb and condition.

 

[TipsyDragon]

how long was the beer in the bottle before opening? how did you carbonate it? how long did you chill the beer before opening it? what temperature did you carbonate at?

 

[Bierhias]

I kegged 5,3gal and the rest...about 1gal I bottled. The Keg and the bottles were carbonated with sugar at 50-60°F for nearly two weeks now. I want it to stay at this temp for another 1-2 weeks and then crash cool it to 28-30°F. As i said, the caronation is ok and there is a head but its not stable. So there was some fermenting going on in the bottles and in the keg (I hope)

I always thought the moss takes out the large proteins, that a responsible for the foam.
Irish Moss --> less/no proteins --> less/no foam

 

[Bierhias]

well........



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I think i poured it to gentle at a too cold temperature.

Everything ok with my beer! Sry guys!

Greets
Matthias