1st homebrew, drinking glass observation

[busknuckle]

For my 1st hb, I did the Pale ale extract brew from "How to Brew"

I spent 4 weeks in primary in a glass carboy, bottled 2 weeks ago this coming Sunday (bottled 6-14). I used corn sugar for my priming solution.

All of my hb equipment was inherited from a friend. He insisted that I try one before my, self imposed, 3 week from bottling before drinking minimum.

The beer is carbonated. I'm unsure about how to describe the taste. It doesn't taste like butterscotch or green apple to me. So here's the thing:

Whenever I drink a commercial beer (I usually drink IPA's) there is always a residue of foam left which seems to mark each sipping point. This residue stays on the glass until cleaning.

My homebrew leaves nothing. Feedback or thoughts on what this means?

 

[flars]

Might be the beer is still to young and was not chilled long enough before opening. I'm drinking an amber ale right now. Only in the fridge for one day. Pours a nice head, but it disappears quickly. The previous bottles, of the same beer after four days of chilling, left lacing down the side of the glass and a solid chunk of the head at the bottom.

 

[unionrdr]

Definitely need more fridge time. I give mine at least 5-7 days, sometimes weeks for those hybrid lagers or any of my beers using kolsch yeast or in need of some lagering time. Besides being only two weeks into carb/conditioning time. Not enough of either of those times & the beer may taste a bit " off" in some way, & the head dissapears quickly. This is because the head is composed of dissolved proteins, but driven by the carbonation once poured. So when the carbonation dissapears quickly, so does the head.

 

[jrgtr42]

Is your only problem that it's not leaving lacing on the side of the glass?
With all due respect, that's a pretty minor problem to have, if the aroma and flavors are good.
You didn't say if you brewed extract or all-grain. Either way, foam and foam retention are one of the tougher nuts to crack in homebrewing. It could be a matter of a bit of a different type of grain, a couple degrees mashing, or as little as a "beer clean" glass (which is different than a visibly clean glass.

 

[unionrdr]

With the use of other grains, like crystal & some others, I found that I no longer needed to use carapils in the mash or steep anymore. I can even use Whirlfloc & still get great head. But the carbonation has to be there to drive it once poured.

 

[busknuckle]

Is your only problem that it's not leaving lacing on the side of the glass?
With all due respect, that's a pretty minor problem to have, if the aroma and flavors are good.
You didn't say if you brewed extract or all-grain. Either way, foam and foam retention are one of the tougher nuts to crack in homebrewing. It could be a matter of a bit of a different type of grain, a couple degrees mashing, or as little as a "beer clean" glass (which is different than a visibly clean glass.

Not being sarcastic here, I mentioned it was an extract brew in the 1st sentence.

It's not a problem. I just wondered if it indicates anything in particular. Of the things I've read about a beer being to early into conditioning, I haven't seen this mentioned. But maybe it's tied to a lack of head retention. My beer is carbonated well enough. But I pour it slowly to avoid the yeast on the bottom. Maybe I would get a little more head if I poured down the middle of the glass in a more aggressive manner.

 

[unionrdr]

I start pouring at an angle, then a bit straighter to form a head, depending on how easily it heads to start with.

 

[kombat]

I love a good lace on the glass. Try adding a half pound of something like Carapils or Carafoam to your next recipe, and make sure your glass is clean, and give it a good rinse with cold water before pouring the beer in. Dishwashing soap, and anti-rinse agents in particular (i.e., Jet Dry), kill the head retention and lacing of your beer. Either don't use Jet Dry at all, or give your glass a good rinse with cold water before pouring the beer.