Head Retention

[jhuyser]

I have finally had success with my first batch. My only question is some bottles when poured have a great heat and head retention. Some hardly any at all.. Im sure this has something to do with my priming sugar being evenly mixed.

I really dont want to stir my beer after i have filled my bottle bucket. But i have been having an idea run through my head.

Has any one tried putting say 1/3 of your primer in the bottom of the bucket, when bucket is 1/2 full throwing in another 3rd and when it is full throw in another 3rd of the priming solution? IM using priming sugar.

 

[earwig]

I just gently stir for 30 seconds. As long as you aren't splashing your beer around this is completely safe.

 

[Logzor]

My palmers book instructed me to boil the sugar in two cups of water, let cool, then add the liquid to the bottling bucket. Adding liquid sugar will mix in a lot better than the non-dissolved stuff.

 

[Yooper]

Maybe the lack of head retention is caused by the glass ware and not the beer. Dishwashing residue is most often the cause of head retention problems, especially if the beer sometimes has it and sometimes not. Head retention isn't really linked to carbonation, it's more of an ingredient issue (protein) so if some have head retention and some don't, it's more likely an issue with the glasses.

To test this theory, moisten a glass and sprinkle it all over inside with salt. Using your hand, scrub that salt all over the inside of the glass and around the rim. Rinse well, and then try that glass.

 

[earwig]

Hmm are you mixing the sugar with water and boiling it? I just assumed you were but Logzor brought up a good point

 

[Logzor]

Hmm are you mixing the sugar with water and boiling it? I just assumed you were but Logzor brought up a good point

Exactly, boil the water, add the sugar to dissolve fully, then let cool.

 

[homebrewdad]

Maybe the lack of head retention is caused by the glass ware and not the beer. Dishwashing residue is most often the cause of head retention problems, especially if the beer sometimes has it and sometimes not. Head retention isn't really linked to carbonation, it's more of an ingredient issue (protein) so if some have head retention and some don't, it's more likely an issue with the glasses.

To test this theory, moisten a glass and sprinkle it all over inside with salt. Using your hand, scrub that salt all over the inside of the glass and around the rim. Rinse well, and then try that glass.

This. If some bottles were carbed and others not, priming sugar mixture might be a concern. If all are carbed, but some lack head retention, the issue is almost certainly in your glasses.

I was once a Philistine who drank all beer from the bottle. I learned the error of my ways, but lacked real beer glassware, so I would pour my beer into a normal glass.

I had a six pack of Hobgoblin that had very little head in my glasses. I chalked it up to the beer being imported and perhaps older.

I then got beer glasses for Christmas, and was shocked at how much head the beer suddenly had - literally five to six times the volume.

No more dishwashing detergent on anything that might touch my beer!

 

[Bmorebrew]

I always pour my cooled priming sugar solution into the bottom of the bottling bucket and allow the beer to mix naturally more or less. As it is siphoning, I put some enough of the transfer tube into the bottling bucket so it lays flat and causes a whirlpool effect as it mixes. Once the bucket is full, I move my siphon wand over to that bucket and give it a few (~10) gentle stirs while moving the wand up and down. I've never had a single issue with uneven carbonation.

 

[jhuyser]

I am using the same glassware to drink from, beer pint glasses. Yes im dissolving the priming sugar as directed. My first beer of the night had crazy head/ retention, then all the rest just a little tiny bit. Still tasted great..

 

[HopHeadGrady]

Im with the advice above... if you are experiencing mixed results from beer to beer from the same batch, I would check your glass first. Especially if you bulk primed. Cara-Pils helped me standardize my head retention, and I I upped my carbonation a bit to increase the bite/bubble factor. Add that to cold crashing and you have a nice lookin' pint. Those are the variables I play with anyway.