Why do I get too much head

[william_shakes_beer]

I have a Raison D'Etre clone that has been 4 weeks primary, 8 weeks bottle conditioned and 2 weeks in the frige. It tastes great, but when I pour it carefully down the side of the glass I get half a glass of head. The head consists of large bubbles that disapate completely within 3-5 minutes. Any sugggestions on what I can do to fix this problem without altering the flavor profile?

 

[Quaker]

William, don't shake the beer.

I've had the same problem. For future batches cut back on priming sugar. For this one try chilling your glass first. I hate too cold of beer and chilled glasses, but it could help the foam up on pour.

 

[stratslinger]

Your timeframes sound good, so maybe your priming sugar amounts are too high, leading to overcarbed bottles.

You could try, with a couple bottles, just prying up the edge of the bottle cap enough to let a little gas escape - but do not actually remove the cap! Then put those bottles back in the fridge overnight. The next night, try pouring one of them and see if it's any better.

 

[mpenn35]

Must...resist...thread...title...joke.

 

[permo]

Must...resist...thread...title...joke.

+1............seriously.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

I've always thought it was my rugged good looks and witty charm for me

 

[EllisTX]

This thread may need to be moved to The Boneyard....


X2 on cutting back the priming sugar. I always carb a bit less than the volume recommended when bottle conditioning.

 

[AmandaK]

Must...resist...thread...title...joke.

+2 I nearly spit out my water when I read it.

In other news, I think you should cut back on the priming sugar. Can you tell us how much you used?

 

[jmoore051]

Must...resist...thread...title...joke.

I cant resist.... You must not be married

 

[unionrdr]

I just can't understand a grown man complaining about too much head. This is why priming calculators ask for the highest brew temp. It adjusts the priming sugar for volumes of co2 minus co2 in solution at a given temp.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Is that style supposed tobe highly carbed? I know my Dunkelweizens do that because we tried to carb them to style, (4.5 volumes or something). I just pour them in a huge mug that hods the head, but I'll cut back on the priming sugar next time.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Must...resist...thread...title...joke.

i know, right! not something i usually find myself complaining about!
really tho, W_S_B, it sounds like you may have over primed this batch. as another poster stated, you can chill your glassware, or you can pop the caps, let them degas a bit and recap. if you do that, do it when the bottles are warm, since more co2 will release from a warmer liquid.

 

[unionrdr]

4.5 volumes seems like an awful lot. Like it would tax the pressure limits of the bottles. I just did 2.5V on my APA like I used to do. Those & the IPA had to be poured slowly at first to control the amount of head at the start.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I just can't understand a grown man complaining about too much head. This is why priming calculators ask for the highest brew temp. It adjusts the priming sugar for volumes of co2 minus co2 in solution at a given temp.

Priming calculators. pffffth. I always prime with 5 oz corn sugar in a 5 gallon batch.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Priming calculators. pffffth. I always prime with 5 oz corn sugar in a 5 gallon batch.

yeah, 5 oz is a lot for most brews. i find 3 to be more normal if your going to ballpark it. but really, priming calcs are great, lets you carb the beer 'to style'.

 

[thedingo]

Any sugggestions on what I can do to fix this problem without altering the flavor profile?

Yep stop carbing so much like others have said the calculators are made for a reason.
Leave the fizzyness to the coke

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,I prefer to be accurate,not just toss the whole kit bag in. That always kinda bugged me. what if the kit is an English bitter? They give you 5oz,which is way out of style. Bitters are low carb volume to accentuate the malt.
So the amount of carbonation is also part of the flavor profile. Less to accentuate the malt,more to accentuate the hops.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

It has the usual "cat fart" when I pop the top, no gushers. I do not sense the pressure is higher than any of the other brews, and I would think that after 4 weeks under primary temp control the yeast has eaten all the sugar it is going to eat. The closet I condition in runs about 62 degrees, which is at the lower end of the active range for the yeast.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

OK, Ok, I surrender. I hereby solemly swear under oath as an unlicensed amateur brewer that here forward i will consult yet another web site to receive a random factoid in my pursuit if a better pint.


(cheese, guys I guess next you're gonna make me buy a scale and everything)

 

[unionrdr]

Yup,$20 at Walmart. Now getta goin! Seroiusly though,the digital scale has made many brewing day things easier. PBW is also measured by weight,so that's another one to be accurate with to keep levels food safe.

 

[brewinggirl]

Haha...best thread title ever! This made my Friday at work

Of course now I'll be waiting for the...Not enough head thread....lmfao.

 

[BoltsFan704]

This thread may need to be moved to The Boneyard....

Speaking of which.. How do I get access to the Boneyard?

 

[zeus53219]

Speaking of which.. How do I get access to the Boneyard?

Contact TxBrew the administrator by PM and let him know you want access.

 

[Cordane]

Look into snagging BeerSmith or another bit of beermaking software. I've grown to love BeerSmith's help with calculations. It hasn't steered me wrong yet.

 

[AdamPag]

There's no such thing.