Head Retention

[woodmac66]

I have just started in brewing and my first Brews are getting a good head when I pour but the Head is not lasting very long.
The Brew so far is a Coopers Pale Ale kit and I am kegging.
I have tried Chilling Glasses , increasing Carbonation and even tried glasses that have not been washed in detergent.
Can someone please offer some advice on other things I should look at?
I was chilling down to 1 degree but have increased it to 3.
Also how long shold an Ale retain a good head?

 

[manticle]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=70

 

[Scruffy]

The Brew so far is a Coopers Pale Ale kit and I am kegging.
Also how long shold an Ale retain a good head?

The science link is all very well, maybe a bit daunting if you're just starting...

CPA isn't too bad as they go... boil the crap out of it with a few litres of water (add a 1KG bag of brew enhancer) and add your own hops (Fuggles, Styrian or even Cascade) like you would an AG. At the end of the boil you could dissolve about 500 gms of Dried Light Malt and add this to the fermenter... should produce a bit of creamy head that clings to the side of the glass, and lasts longer than the beer stays in the glass...

 

[Cube]

I'd get some grain in there. Steep some carapils or similar. 200grm is good to start with to get the 'feel and taste' of using grain. I use the APA kit alot - my house beer loaded with Galaxy hops... :icon_drool2:

I have steeped hot and cold. Funnily enough the hot steeping has had a much better head than cold steeping the grains. Anyone else found this or have a theory on this ie: hot water extracts more proteins or something?


Butters??? :lol: :lol:

 

[muckey]

Butters??? :lol: :lol:

Laugh all you want, he's off the net at the moment but even better still he's a headmaster glass convert :lol:

 

[zabond]

+1 for CARAPILS for a good creamy head,just finished a keg
Coopers Draught-BE2-150 steeped Carapils-200 LDME-100 caramber[wanted it a darker red]cascade pellet steepd for 15min after boil-Saf05
mates gave it a 9/10 with a thick creamy head that lasted the glass [guinessish]
Russ

 

[Gavo]

B!00@y headmaster glasses. Great for K&K, I have a personal hate for them now. As already said, steep some carapils, cara-anything. Try some crystal. Any of these will help and give you a better tasting beer.

Gavo.

 

[Renegade]

Isnt maltodextrin supposed to be good for head retention, or is that a dirty word around here ?

 

[hazard]

B!00@y headmaster glasses. Great for K&K, I have a personal hate for them now. As already said, steep some carapils, cara-anything. Try some crystal. Any of these will help and give you a better tasting beer.

Gavo.

Never used headmaster galsses (what are they??) but I always use plastic glasses just like you get at the footy - $3 per pack of 25 from Woolies (Safeways fro mexicans). I always get an excellent head in these (and can never get a decent head in glass). I made a partial TTL recently - pale malt, munich malt, light DME - and I get an excellent head all the way to the bootm - NO cara-anything. But pour it into a glass and its pretty average.

I just wash the plastic cups with cold water and leave it to drain - get a fresh one for the next stubbie - next night they are good to go all over again, last pack I bought has lasted about 6 months so a very cheap investment.

hazard

 

[bum]

Never used headmaster galsses (what are they??)

Pub-style beer glasses with etched bottoms - makes the beer bubble longer apparently. I've got some but never done an A/B comparison with normal glasses.

I'll put that on the to-do list for the next time I'm bored and drunk.

[edit: sperlunking]

 

[flattop]

i got more head before she moved in with me

Seriously though, hops help head

 

[bigpots]

I made my own headmasters by sandpapering the bottoms with a fine grit paper, throws heaps of bubbles now.try one and see the difference.

cheers mick.

 

[haysie]

I made my own headmasters by sandpapering the bottoms with a fine grit paper, throws heaps of bubbles now.try one and see the difference.

cheers mick.

We have Mick,
The beer goes flat much much quicker than a Headmaster. Regardless how/much you scratch it.

edit, oops ignorance Welcome Mick :beer:

 

[DUANNE]

last time there was a big hoo ha on here about the headmasters i decided to go get some and try for myself. i personaly thought they were dissapointing. lots of bubbles and head for five minutes and after that the beer went flat as a shitcarters hat. i know i could always drink quicker but 12 beers an hour is just a bit much for me! on the other hand my brother spoted them and gave them a go and he loves the things, each to there own i spose.

 

[haysie]

last time there was a big hoo ha on here about the headmasters i decided to go get some and try for myself. i personaly thought they were dissapointing. lots of bubbles and head for five minutes and after that the beer went flat as a shitcarters hat. i know i could always drink quicker but 12 beers an hour is just a bit much for me! on the other hand my brother spoted them and gave them a go and he loves the things, each to there own i spose.

a hoohaa here? you cannot be serious! If your beer goes flat after 5 minutes (whats a shitcarters hat?) its more the beer than the glass.
I reckon they are grouse for my belgians and not so good for my english. Horse`s 4 course`s.
They also improve the perception of megaswill i.e head retention, you gotta love that!

 

[DUANNE]

i found that i had the problem with most beers commercial or my own with the exception of my wheat beer. could even be the way i pour? i know i dont do that to well after a couple. as for a shit carters hat it goes well back bfore my time but the fella that used to collect the dunny cans before flushing toilets existed would carry them on his head hence the term flat as a shit carters hat.

 

[haysie]

i found that i had the problem with most beers commercial or my own with the exception of my wheat beer. could even be the way i pour? i know i dont do that to well after a couple. as for a shit carters hat it goes well back bfore my time but the fella that used to collect the dunny cans before flushing toilets existed would carry them on his head hence the term flat as a shit carters hat.

:lol:
Yeah I remember them now, when I was a kid staying at my nan`s the border collie Rex latched onto him one morning, there was a lot of yelling and commotion and a wee bit of spillage.
Cheers

 

[Thunderlips]

I have just started in brewing and my first Brews are getting a good head when I pour but the Head is not lasting very long.

Aside from the CPA tin, you don't say what else your adding.
If your using 1kg sugar you can't expect much. Possibly a Headmaster glass will help.

You really need to add some malt.
Even a 50/50 mix of malt and dextrose instead of sugar will help things a long way.

200gms or so of dry wheat malt can also do wonders.

 

[DUANNE]

:lol:
Yeah I remember them now, when I was a kid staying at my nan`s the border collie Rex latched onto him one morning, there was a lot of yelling and commotion and a wee bit of spillage.
Cheers

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Pollux]

Could always try the patented Butters pocket sparkler trick, works for me if I leave a beer lying about to then return later to see it's lost it's head.