Head Retention Issues

[stellaontap]

Hi everyone.....

I am trying to take my brewing to the next level with my new brew rig by paying closer attention to temperature (during both wort production and fermentation). The resulting beer tastes good but I cannot seem to get good head retention and lacing in the glass even though there is a thick foam on the beer when i pour it. I know that it is not my glassware because I use beer glass cleaner to clean the glasses.

Here is my recipe and mash schedule:

6.0 lbs Canadian 2 row
2.5 lbs Munich malt
1.0 lb Carafoam

I mash with 14 quarts of water and start at 128 F and hold that for 15 minutes, then heat to 145 F and hold for 15 minutes, then heat to 152 and hold for 60 minutes. I then heat to 168F to mash out for 10 minutes and sparge with 168F water.

Does anyone have any ideas? I thought that the Carafoam would have helped with head retention but it hasn't.

Thanks

 

[Yooper]

Hi everyone.....

I am trying to take my brewing to the next level with my new brew rig by paying closer attention to temperature (during both wort production and fermentation). The resulting beer tastes good but I cannot seem to get good head retention and lacing in the glass even though there is a thick foam on the beer when i pour it. I know that it is not my glassware because I use beer glass cleaner to clean the glasses.

Here is my recipe and mash schedule:

6.0 lbs Canadian 2 row
2.5 lbs Munich malt
1.0 lb Carafoam

I mash with 14 quarts of water and start at 128 F and hold that for 15 minutes, then heat to 145 F and hold for 15 minutes, then heat to 152 and hold for 60 minutes. I then heat to 168F to mash out for 10 minutes and sparge with 168F water.

Does anyone have any ideas? I thought that the Carafoam would have helped with head retention but it hasn't.

Thanks

Carafoam does help with foam retention- a lot. But since you're doing that protein rest, unnecessarily, you're breaking up the proteins that cause the foam.

Skip the multi-step mash, and do just a single infusion at 152. That will make a world of difference, I promise!

 

[neosapien]

can I ask what your reasoning is behind 15 minutes of 128 degrees? how long does it take for you to raise the temp to 145?


Edit: Yooper always beats me to it!

 

[stellaontap]

The reason I am doing the protein rest is because I have read it in a book that it is beneficial. I have always done a single infusion mash but since I built my RIMS system I thought my beer would benefit from step mashing.

I never used Carafoam in my beers before I started doing the step mashing so I will now go back to a single infusion mash with the Carafoam.

Thank Yooper.

By the way....is 1 lb of Carafoam enough for this recipe?

Eric

 

[stellaontap]

Oh sorry Noesapian....it takes me about 15 minutes to raise the temp from 128F to 145F.

 

[Yooper]

The reason I am doing the protein rest is because I have read it in a book that it is beneficial. I have always done a single infusion mash but since I built my RIMS system I thought my beer would benefit from step mashing.

I never used Carafoam in my beers before I started doing the step mashing so I will now go back to a single infusion mash with the Carafoam.

Thank Yooper.

By the way....is 1 lb of Carafoam enough for this recipe?

Eric

Yes, that's plenty! I don't use it much, because I get great foam without it, but you're at a bit of 10% with it and that is more than enough.

Protein rests are not really beneficial for well-modified malts, and by adding the protein rest as well as a low saccrification rest there will be a thin, dry, crisp beer as a result.

 

[neosapien]

protein rests hurt head retention with fully modified malts. and most of the malts we use these days are fully modified. perhaps in the old days when people had no choice but to use whatever malted grains they could get their hands on it was more necessary. protein rest temps seem to phase out around 133 degrees i think, so you've got about 25-30 minutes of protein eating going on there. It's still early and I'm still on my first cup of coffee, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Yooper's advice is spot-on. If you skip the multistep and just go straight for 152 you'll really see the difference.



Edit: bah, she beat me again!

 

[stellaontap]

Perfect....thanks for the advice. I know modern malts are well modified and step mashing is not necessary but I guess I was just over-thinking because I've been doing a little reading.

Going back to the single infusion mash will make the brew day alot easier!!!

Eric