Poor head retention.

[AngryAndy]

Hey. Two brews in a row. Nearly no head. What’s going on. Everything is cleaned and cleaned well. It can’t be that.

I’ve got the co2 cranked to 18psi hoping it will help.....it hasn’t.

 

[Yooper]

Are you getting lots of foam with it up to 18 psi?

 

[Jaybird]

Is the beer carbonated? and just no head, like the head goes away super fast? Or what?

More 411
Cheers
Jay

 

[RM-MN]

Wash your serving glass by hand very well and rinse it twice. Then try it.

 

[day_trippr]

There are so many possibilities, from a recipe short on head forming compounds through a mashing profile that wiped out all the proteins through a dispensing system that's foaming all the carbonation out of the pour to a glass coated with dried rinse agents...

 

[AngryAndy]

Well. I’ve never had an issue in the past. I wash and rinse. I don’t know. I clean my lines after a keg runs out.
It’s weird. The beer is super carbonated. It’s perfect. But the head runs away with that fizz sound u get when u pour a class of Pepsi. So weird.
I guess I’ll try hand washing the glass.

 

[Desert_Sky]

are you pitching enough?
Is the boil hard enough to denature LTP1?
Hows the attenuation?
Have you recently switched cleaners?
Are you shaking the shieet out of your kegs during carbonation? Dont do that
Are you positive its all clean?

 

[AngryAndy]

I’m pitching enough. I don’t know anything about ltp1. Attenuation is great. I haven’t changed cleaners. I do shake that crap out of the keg. I normally put 30psi on it and lay it on its side and rock that bastard for 2 minutes. 24 hours later stand it up and lower the pressure to 12psi. Is this no good? Maybe that’s the problem?

 

[Jaybird]

I’m pitching enough. I don’t know anything about ltp1. Attenuation is great. I haven’t changed cleaners. I do shake that crap out of the keg. I normally put 30psi on it and lay it on its side and rock that bastard for 2 minutes. 24 hours later stand it up and lower the pressure to 12psi. Is this no good? Maybe that’s the problem?

Yeah don't do that! Shaking the keg has a tendency to release head forming proteins and when they are gone.... They are gone. At least that is my experience anyway. You have spent so much time making the best beer you can. WHY RUSH IT NOW? I feel you probably are getting a fair amount of carb bite as well. Anyway just my .02 evacuate the keg of O2 fill pressurize to about 20# just to check and make sure it'e sealed up and no leaks then get it to about 15# and leave it alone till its carbed up well. Do all that at about 35*F and call it a day.
Good luck!

Cheers
Jay

 

[AngryAndy]

Thanks Jay. So 20psi to confirm it’s sealed and drop it to 15psi and leave it be for a couple days.

Will do.

 

[Jaybird]

Thanks Jay. So 20psi to confirm it’s sealed and drop it to 15psi and leave it be for a couple days.

Will do.

YUP! it has worked for me for YEARS! 18 to be exact. I NEVER RUSH the beer at this stage. Way too much effort has been expelled coddling it and watching over it and smelling it and and and singing to it and reading it bed time stories (too much?)... to beat it up now. Enjoy the journey of patience in kegging!

Cheers
Jay

 

[day_trippr]

There are proteins that contribute to beer head that are literally referred to as "foam once", which implies the "shake 'n' bake" method of carbonation is detrimental to head formation and longevity.

So, yeah, try not to do that...

Cheers!

 

[AngryAndy]

Hey day tripper and/or jaybird, i'm about to keg a warrior ipa. I AM going to do it the way you guys suggest. I'll set it 20psi to confirm no leaks and than drop it down to 15psi. 2 final questions though:

1) after getting it to 20psi do i set it to 15 and burp it a few times to get it down to 15 or just leave it?

2) how long am I talking....I mean, the shake and bake method vs set and forget it method. My old foolish way of carb'ing a beer meant I was drinking carbonated (no head) beer in two days. I just want to know who long should I expect to leave it at 15psi before my beer looks like one of those sexy Coors Light commercials......

 

[Yooper]

Hey day tripper and/or jaybird, i'm about to keg a warrior ipa. I AM going to do it the way you guys suggest. I'll set it 20psi to confirm no leaks and than drop it down to 15psi. 2 final questions though:

1) after getting it to 20psi do i set it to 15 and burp it a few times to get it down to 15 or just leave it?

2) how long am I talking....I mean, the shake and bake method vs set and forget it method. My old foolish way of carb'ing a beer meant I was drinking carbonated (no head) beer in two days. I just want to know who long should I expect to leave it at 15psi before my beer looks like one of those sexy Coors Light commercials......

My way is a bit different, because I do 30 psi for 36 hours and the purge and set to 12 psi (my usual pressure).

I'm still drinking it in two days, but it's better in three.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, ime it takes 2.5 weeks for a cornelius keg filled with exactly 5 gallons of a typical ipa to reach equilibrium via the so-called "set and forget" carbonation method that I use exclusively.
I've built my pipeline around that...

Cheers!

 

[AngryAndy]

Everyone. Thank you for the help on this.

 

[Sparkncode]

Many early kings and queens also suffered from poor head retention.

Sorry, couldnt resist.
I don't have issues with head retention on my beers unless i shake a over carbed keg too much to get it back to the right amount. I moved away from shaking kegs to carbonate too.
Like yooper I just at 30psi for 1 to 1.5 days for 5g then purge to 12psi and leave. Way less chancr of over carbonation.

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

I set my kegs at 30 psi for 48 hours. Then drop the pressure to my serving pressure of 12 psi. The beer is ready to drink in two days.