My head retention is still subpar!!!

[MVKTR2]

Okay, so I've brewed extract and my head retention was pretty not good. Did 3 partial mashes preparing for the leap to all-grain and my head retention I thought was slightly improved. Moved to AG my first recipe included 2.25 lbs of caramel, roast, and chocolate (used no carapils) in a 7.25 lb grains used session bier. My next two AG batches were also session brews, each with 1/2 lb carapils in a total grist of less than 8 lbs. Now all 3 of my AG batches have medium to low head retention. Yes the 2 batches with the carapils are improved, BUT!!!!!!! WHAT'S UP? It still isn't great.... I want to see some head in that glass past 5 minutes after pouring.... And no I'm not using glasses with soap residue in them, nor am I using soaps to clean any of my brewing equipment.

Thoughts????

Schlante,
Phillip

Hmmmm couldn't go to sleep so I'm crusin HBT.... now that this is off my chest, maybe I'll be able to go to sleep!

 

[Orfy]

I want to see some head in that glass past 5 minutes after pouring....

My initial reaction is that you are drinking tooooo slow!

Have you tried a little wheat or oats in the mix?

 

[Grinder12000]

I want to see some head in that glass past 5 minutes after pouring....

WOW - most commercial Micro brews can't do that!!

Hmmmm couldn't go to sleep so I'm crusin HBT.... now that this is off my chest, maybe I'll be able to go to sleep!

Sadly I know that feeling!!! Hope it worked.

 

[WBC]

You can do it. Read this.
http://www.brewwiki.com/index.php/Head_Retention
http://byo.com/feature/386.html
Malts that work: Carapils and Carafoam, and caramel malts

 

[Nate]

We have thick head all the way to the bottom on our Scottish Ales... I'm attributing it to crystal and nitro.

 

[MVKTR2]

My initial reaction is that you are drinking tooooo slow!
Have you tried a little wheat or oats in the mix?

Oddly enough I forgot to mention that the first AG used .8 lbs of oats, .625 lbs Chocolate malt, and .5 lbs of each of the following, Crystal 120, Crystal 60, & Roasted Barley. It's the thinnest of all. It'll pour with a nice head but once it disappates it totally disappears.... I MEAN TOTALLY!!!!! No head what so ever. Oh and for the record sometimes I do nurse a bier... sometimes not!

WOW - most commercial Micro brews can't do that!!
Sadly I know that feeling!!! Hope it worked.

I know and don't expect a full head to last a long time like that. But the problem I do have is that all I'll have is a very small few reminents of head around the edges of the glass, nothing comparable to commercial versions of the same bier. I just thought the .5lbs carapils would have more impact/staying power.

You can do it. Read this.
Head Retention - BrewWiki
BYO - Fabulous Foam!
Malts that work: Carapils and Carafoam, and caramel malts

I'll be looking into those, thanks for the resources. I'll also be listening to the john palmer/jamil zainasheff show "Brew Strong" on the brewing network as this weeks show is on..... (drum roll please) Head Retention!

The overall problem/question I have is that my head has little staying power. The biers without carapils will have the head completely gone in 2-3 mins. after the pour even though it's chock full of caramel and oats! Those with carapils have more staying power, it just seems to be thin...

How will wheat effect the clarity? Is it better than carapils? I use irish moss.

Schlante,
Phillip
Schlant

 

[issack]

I stopped doing single infusion mashing cause i was getting way too much head. now i do a three step and it seems to be better with the protein rest.. Still a lot of head though.. I also brew very hoppy beers.. So I'm thinking that is part of my culprit.

How long are you waiting till you drink the beer.? is it bottled or kegged.? I find that very dark beers take a good 3 weeks to a month to get good head retention in the bottle. it takes a while to break down the solids in dark beers.. Lighter beer will cure faster.

 

[MVKTR2]

I stopped doing single infusion mashing cause i was getting way too much head. now i do a three step and it seems to be better with the protein rest.. Still a lot of head though.. I also brew very hoppy beers.. So I'm thinking that is part of my culprit.

How long are you waiting till you drink the beer.? is it bottled or kegged.? I find that very dark beers take a good 3 weeks to a month to get good head retention in the bottle. it takes a while to break down the solids in dark beers.. Lighter beer will cure faster.

I am bottling, regrettably... still. The 3 biers I've got in mind the most are a stout, Irish Red, and Mild. All are fairly dark. The stout is the one with oats and no carapils, which has the worst head properties. The youngest of the biers has been bottled for 4 weeks (mild). The stout and IRA have been bottled for 6 and 6.5 weeks. I am doing single infusion mashes. The stout was at 153, the IRA was at 155, and the mild was @ 158 degrees.

I will say this I have stored some of each of my brews since I've been brewing beer and the longer they stay in the bottle, the greater the head properties, even the extract biers. I'm talking 6 months aging and the head is 3 times what it was at 2 months in the bottle.