Is Refrigeration necessary?

[IanC]

I just recently brewed my first batch of beer, a blonde ale. Overall I was very pleased with the beer's taste, but I was unable to produce any head and I'm wondering why this might be. I'll mention a few possibly relevant factors...

I followed John Palmer's well known guide. The beer aged 12 days in the primary before being transfered into a carboy with the priming sugar and then bottled, where it has since sat for another 3 weeks. The temperature during this period was stable at 20 degrees. The beer is carbonated, but I am not getting any head (and who doesn't like a bit of that with their beer?:cross.

I'm wondering what I might be doing wrong. I've heard some people say that a beer needs to be refridgerated for 24 hours in order to produce a head. And being the impatient guy that I am I put my beer in the freezer for the first hour, the fridge for the second, and in the 3rd it went straight into my gullet!

Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chapa]

How much priming sugar did you use & what was your recipe? Could have been the lack of less fermentable grains, or low carbonation from minimal priming sugar.

Edit: This is a good link regarding head retention.

 

[IanC]

Hi Chapa, I used 2/3 of a cup cane sugar for priming. I used the recipe that was recommended to me at my local brew shop: About 7-8 lbs pale malt extract, 1 lb wheat steeped seperately, plus various hops for the boil and finishing.

 

[chapa]

Hmm, the wheat should have given you some head

I'm not sure that it being refrigerated would really matter. It may just need some more time. Is that the only bottle you tried? Maybe let another bottle sit in the fridge for several hours(no freezer) and see how it comes out. 3 weeks SHOULD be enough time for a low gravity ale, to have a decent carb.

Another thing to consider is what glass you put it in, more importantly how you cleaned the glass before pouring. If you used dish soap now(or when the glass was cleaned), that may be the culprit. Just rinse the glass really good before you use it, and try another one.

Sounds like a good excuse to drink some brews!! At least it tastes good and is carbonated!!

 

[harrv]

On my first batch I went with 3/4 cups of dextrose/corn sugar as I've read is standard and I got carbonation after three weeks but no head at all. On my second batch, I used this calculator (http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html) which suggested that for the style (Altbier) I needed 4.5 oz. I weighed it on a scale and the volume ended up being more than a cup. So I suspect I didn't use enough sugar on my first batch.

 

[GRHunter]

I just recently brewed my first batch of beer, a blonde ale. Overall I was very pleased with the beer's taste, but I was unable to produce any head and I'm wondering why this might be. I'll mention a few possibly relevant factors...

I followed John Palmer's well known guide. The beer aged 12 days in the primary before being transfered into a carboy with the priming sugar and then bottled, where it has since sat for another 3 weeks. The temperature during this period was stable at 20 degrees. The beer is carbonated, but I am not getting any head (and who doesn't like a bit of that with their beer?:cross.

I'm wondering what I might be doing wrong. I've heard some people say that a beer needs to be refridgerated for 24 hours in order to produce a head. And being the impatient guy that I am I put my beer in the freezer for the first hour, the fridge for the second, and in the 3rd it went straight into my gullet!

Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

After bottling I leave them at room temperature for a couple of weeks to let the yeast and the sugar carbonate the beer. Then a trip to the fridge to get the carbonation to set in. Sounds like you put your yeast into hibernation, and therefore didn't create any C02 to carbonate the beer. I would just set the beer in a warm area (70 degrees) for a couple of weeks, you should be good after that.

 

[IanC]

After bottling I leave them at room temperature for a couple of weeks to let the yeast and the sugar carbonate the beer. Then a trip to the fridge to get the carbonation to set in. Sounds like you put your yeast into hibernation, and therefore didn't create any C02 to carbonate the beer. I would just set the beer in a warm area (70 degrees) for a couple of weeks, you should be good after that.

Good Advice Chapa. I'm planning on cracking another over the hockey game tonight! I'll also take harry's idea and lookover my sugar levels(maybe I should be doing so by weight instead of volume). And GR, comments appreciated but as I mentioned, I did let it sit for several weeks at room temp (temp I listed was suitable for ale yeast) and I also got carbonation, just no head.

 

[chapa]

Yes, its definitely better to measure your priming sugar by weight rather than volume.

 

[GRHunter]

Good Advice Chapa. I'm planning on cracking another over the hockey game tonight! I'll also take harry's idea and lookover my sugar levels(maybe I should be doing so by weight instead of volume). And GR, comments appreciated but as I mentioned, I did let it sit for several weeks at room temp (temp I listed was suitable for ale yeast) and I also got carbonation, just no head.

My apologies, I missed that part somehow. My wife says that I only listen to half of what she says. Now I starting wonder if maybe I only understand half of what she says.

 

[cms]

After bottling I leave them at room temperature for a couple of weeks to let the yeast and the sugar carbonate the beer. Then a trip to the fridge to get the carbonation to set in. Sounds like you put your yeast into hibernation, and therefore didn't create any C02 to carbonate the beer. I would just set the beer in a warm area (70 degrees) for a couple of weeks, you should be good after that.

I read it that way at first as well. He's Canadian - he's talking 20°C (~68°F) I think.

 

[rjwhite41]

I would be of the opinion that the problem lies in the glass you used. Was it cleaned and rinsed well of any soap residue? Was it dry? That's where I would start. I have never had a problem with head on a wheat beer.