Every once in a while I have a beer that suffers from lack of head retention. I used to use carapils but began using white wheat. What is the necessary amount to use to help? And which does a better job with the same amount?
Head Retention
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Use at minimum five percent, better ten or even more. Also do a 20min mashout step at 77c, both helps a lot, especially combined.
Also, hops are you friend, since isohumulones are hydrophobic, and seek the surface. They work synergistically with your malt proteins to form a more stable matrix. Foamstand.
That's also true, forgot to mention this.
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rodwha
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I recently brewed 4 quasi IPAs to see how the time differences changed the aroma/flavor. These ranged from 53-77 IBUs (Rager) so these were certainly hoppy beers, yet some suffered from lack of head retention.
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rodwha
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I seem to do my mash/sparge a bit differently than normal. I mash for an hour or a little more and then drain, add 1/3 of the sparge, which is usually close to 170/77*, stir and let it sit for close to 10 mins before draining and starting it over again. I’m assuming this doesn’t quite get the mashout job done well? Or is this necessary to do even with the initial mashed wort?
I use a 10 gal water jug so heating that up would be a bit difficult, though I suppose I could bring 1/3 of the sparge water to boiling and potentially get in the neighborhood of the desired mashout temp.
Oh, as a side note, I was well below my desired mash temp. Making such small batches showed me that my mash temp is quite low (mid to upper 140’s instead of low to mid 150’s). And my mash temp was several degrees lower at the end.
Ditch the wheat and Carapils. Use 10-20% rye and never look back.
My guess is that your mash likely dipped down into the protein rest range, intended for only moderately modified malts and even there I don't know if it's done much more (I should say, I don't know lagers anymore as I only brew ales. I don't know if lager brewers anymore tend to use low-modified malts and do a protein rest, or use the higher modified malts ale brewers use). If you did it with your typical well-modified malts, it's quite possible you broke your structure-maintaining proteins down into smaller protein components, negatively affecting your foamstand.
You are batch sparging. Do you know your actual mash temp? You mention mid to upper 40's, not bad at all, for a more fully attenuated beer. But if you're in the 20's (I seem to recall Greg Noonan's rest is 122F), you're in proteolytic range, per above.
Also keep in mind that the hop effect is synergistic - the hops interact with the malt proteins to increase your foam stand.
That's about all I have. Hopefully others have something.
Rye's awesome. My only caution would be watch how much. It adds a nice spice note that can blend well with other flavor layers but it has an outer layer rich with beta-glucans, basically a Gordian protein knot if memory serves, just a big mess of intertwined, curly protein strands. In excess, it can really screw up a mash and runoff. Ask me how I know. Add to that the fact rye is without a hull and you have to watch it. Past 15% (ask me how I know - DMTayor's may very well be different), I'd recommend a beta-glucanase rest at 110F or so, and/or rice hulls to make sure you don't end up with a stuck mash.
Edit: My mistake. I should have known. Beta-glucans are sugars, very similar to starches, that form gums. Hence the issue. I recall 110F but that may be wrong. Just looking it up, I see a recommendation of 104F. I do know you're trying to "untie" and "straighten" those strands, making them easier to deal with. At least that's my visual recall from a long time ago, Kunze.
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My experience is a bit of spiciness. I used to use it in various things as a note, stouts, if I recall. Been a long time. Goose Island used it, similar purpose. And, uh, ahem:
...say people who have never made roggenbier with 40-60% rye before.
Boom!
How do you deal with the glucans? Rice hulls? Any glucan rest or other adjustment to mashing?
How do you deal with the glucans? Rice hulls? Any glucan rest or other adjustment to mashing?
Rice hulls yes. I don't use any special rests, I find them to be a pain and possibly detrimental to the body and head retention that we want in the finished beer. Rice hulls. Cheap & effective.
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Never underestimate the importance of head retention...
Seriously... rye with rice hulls.
I agree it's not "spicy" but adds a certain unmistakable bite. Wonderful stuff.
Seriously... rye with rice hulls.
I agree it's not "spicy" but adds a certain unmistakable bite. Wonderful stuff.
BassBabiesBeer
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Is there a ratio of Rye to Rice Hulls to aim for?
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No ratio. Throw a pound in. If memory serves, it's about a buck and a half. Cheap insurance for a non stuck mash. Rice hulls don't affect your grain bill. Use them generously.
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BassBabiesBeer
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I have a couple pounds on hand for various reasons. I love Rye in many styles but have yet to really try those out. Thanks.
The trick is that at the 77c, glycoproteins start to show up. Those are build out of the material in solution afaik, so it would be better to have all solution (wort) present, if just a third is present than you will probably only have a third of the glycoproteins at the end.
Do you use malted or flaked rye?
I use malted, but I imagine flaked will work almost identically, and perhaps even "better".
Only used flaked ones in the Kentucky common from the historic recipe forum. Great beer, but with the given percentage, cannot remember tasting the rye specifically. After my experiments with the oats and not being able to taste/mouthfeel them at 30% against the same beer without oats, I tend to blindly believe when somebody tells me that confirmation bias made me taste something which actually was never there.
