Need info about head retention on Scotch Ale

[bmckee56]

I recently kegged my first Scotch Ale and at first it appeared to pour well with a nice head. The last few drafts have had a nice head, but it quickly loses this within a few minutes.

My refrigerator is at 40-42 degrees and my pressure is 12 psi. I have two kegs in the refrigerator and only one regulator at this time, so both are at the same pressure. My second keg is a Blonde Ale. It also pours well and looks and tastes great.

Is this pressure good for both ales or should I have two different pressures going? Why is the head disappearing so quickly? Oh... the Scotch Ale tastes quite good, just wondering if this is normal.

Thanks for any input.

Salute!

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Did your force carb this? How long under what pressure? It sounds like it either needs more pressure, as you stated, or just may need to condition longer. If it is good and then goes away quickly, the CO2 may not be dissolved well yet.

 

[bmckee56]

Did your force carb this? How long under what pressure? It sounds like it either needs more pressure, as you stated, or just may need to condition longer. If it is good and then goes away quickly, the CO2 may not be dissolved well yet.

Force carbonated for three days at 30 psi. each day, I gently rolled the keg to ensure co2 was introduced into the brew. I then allowed it to sit in the fridge for 1 week at 12psi before tapping.

Fridge is 40-42 degrees. Is 12psi okay for this brew?

Salute!

 

[MoRoToRiUm]

Is 12psi okay for this brew?

How long are your serving lines? What size? If you do a search on line balancing there is a calculator to help balance your system; sorry I am drinking and being lazy I had this problem with a lager I had at 10 PSI, did a quick check, upped it to 12 let it sit a week and was quite pleased. Cheers !

 

[bmckee56]

How long are your serving lines? What size? If you do a search on line balancing there is a calculator to help balance your system; sorry I am drinking and being lazy I had this problem with a lager I had at 10 PSI, did a quick check, upped it to 12 let it sit a week and was quite pleased. Cheers !

I have 8' line 3/8" ID. Haven't poured any since Friday, so I can't comment on the brew at this time. I did change the line on Friday from 4' to the 8' length. The line had been cleaned and sanitized. Maybe it had some of the sanitizer still in the lines that needed to be purged. We shall see tomorrow evening after work.

Salute!

 

[KiltLifter]

My Scotch Ales never have great head. My malt bill id Marris Otter, 60L xtal and some roasted barley, but nothing that enhances head. You would think that oats would be authentic Scotch fare (haggis and all) but I've never heard of them in a Scotch Ale. Come to think of it, most of the commercial Scotch ales don't have much head. Is it because of all the alcohol?

(so no answers here, just more questions, sorry)

 

[contagent93]

My Scotch Ales never have great head. My malt bill id Marris Otter, 60L xtal and some roasted barley, but nothing that enhances head. You would think that oats would be authentic Scotch fare (haggis and all) but I've never heard of them in a Scotch Ale. Come to think of it, most of the commercial Scotch ales don't have much head. Is it because of all the alcohol?

(so no answers here, just more questions, sorry)

oatmeal and other grains would have been used in the cheaper shilling ales because hops are hard to grow in scotland so hops were used in the finer more expensive ales
i think you probably right about higher alcohol killing head retention cause the christmas ales i drink that are 7.9 dont keep there head very long iether taste great head just settles real fast