Different types of head?

[blaggard]

So I've done a few kits now, and one thing I've noticed throughout all of them is their incredibly fizzy and brief head. Where is the froth that lingers for more than 5 seconds? My first hunch is the bottling sugar that comes with the kits. Other then that... perhaps age? Any ideas?

 

[GPP33]

I've found some beers (commercial too) just like to give you a little more head than others. If it's not got much and fades fast the best you can do is pour it like you mean it.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Well let's see, there's Road head, Bedroom head, spontaneous head...
Wait, y'all are talking about beer aren't you?

 

[mkyl428]

Make sure your glassware is beer clean, that means make sure there is no residue from dish soap/detergent. Soap residue kills head retention. Also rinsing the glass in cool water prior to pouring the beer may help. Cheers

 

[helibrewer]

Higher protein = more foam/longer lasting foam, so a lot depends on recipe. Mash profiles can also influence foam stability. Track down some podcasts from Dr. Charlie Bamforth, he can go on hours about foam and foam stability.

 

[PADave]

Could be a lot of things, but it's not the bottling sugar, if you are using the proper amount.

 

[John Eberly]

Protein is the answer. Extracts tend not to deliver much head retention and incorporating sugars make this worse. Wheat and oats are often used as "head grains" to contribute protein. I use about 3-5% white wheat in most of my beers for this. Gives big rocky long lasting foam.

 

[jmcquesten]

Road?

 

[Rush]

When I was doing extract I started steeping 8oz of carapils in every batch with the rest of the steeping grains and this helped head retention quite a bit. It will also add a small amount of body which extracts can often lack.

Other than recipe additions like carapils, oats or wheat, you need to make sure you aren't stressing your yeast out by fermenting too high which can kill head retention. Also you need to insure your glasses are "beer clean". If you aren't having this issue in your glassware with commercial beers I'd focus on fermentation control and recipe though.

Also, if you are cleaning your brewing equipment with dish soap, oxyclean, or anything similar, make sure you are rinsing the cleaner off THOROUGHLY. A small film of certain cleaning agents can seriously effect head retention.

 

[RM-MN]

So I've done a few kits now, and one thing I've noticed throughout all of them is their incredibly fizzy and brief head. Where is the froth that lingers for more than 5 seconds? My first hunch is the bottling sugar that comes with the kits. Other then that... perhaps age? Any ideas?

Any soap residue will kill the heading of the beer nearly instantly. If you wash your glassware in the dishwasher the anti-spotting agent your wife likes to keep out water spots on her glass is the culprit. Wash your glassware by hand, rinsing thoroughly and try again.

If this doesn't do it, there may be soap residue from when you washed your bottles. Next time wash the bottles and rinse, then rinse with fresh water.

 

[WarEagleBrewer]

Road?

while driving down the road...........

 

[Yooper]

So I've done a few kits now, and one thing I've noticed throughout all of them is their incredibly fizzy and brief head. Where is the froth that lingers for more than 5 seconds? My first hunch is the bottling sugar that comes with the kits. Other then that... perhaps age? Any ideas?

Head formation and retention (assuming bar clean glassware) is a function of ingredients in the beer.

Beers like cream ales, which often use adjuncts like corn or rice, have very little head retention. Beers like oatmeal stouts that may use flaked barley have a thick rocky head that may persist throughout the time the beer is in the glass. IPAs will tend to have great lacing on the glass, due to the ingredients (hops oils).

In other words, it's the recipe itself that creates the character of the head and retention of the beer.

Priming sugar ferments out, and doesn't impact the body or foam characteristics of the beer.

 

[Morrey]

I made a Saison that I aged for 6 months in a carboy with a sacch/brett blend. It is tasty for sure, but it pours with no foam at all. It is nicely carbed and I use a Perlick 650 Flow Control wide open, no foam however. This beer had 1# of candi sugar added at FO...would this have an impact on the head formation?

 

[TomVA]

Well let's see, there's Road head, Bedroom head, spontaneous head...
Wait, y'all are talking about beer aren't you?

2nd reply! Ah shucks, my money was on the third.

TomVA

 

[jmcquesten]

Well let's see, there's Road head, Bedroom head, spontaneous head...
Wait, y'all are talking about beer aren't you?

You beat me to it. I just named one kind.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

I think I'll be taking a right at this intersection.

 

[LKABrewer]

Fermentation at higher temperature will cause more fusel alcohol. That could cause the head to dissipate quickly.

 

[bkboiler]

i remember picking up some "head retention powder" at my LHBS a few years back when i was doing extract. worked pretty well! just mix in when ur bottling.

 

[Pkrd]

Something something grilled cheese.

 

[IchLiebeBier]

I think I'll be taking a right at this intersection.

If you follow that road to Pennsylvania, it'll take you straight to Intercourse. But you have to go through Blue Ball first.