Head Retention

[Doc]

I've never had a problem with head retention (both brewing and other wise ) but I've recently conducted a little experiment (on the brewing side )

First this is how my glasses get cleaned.
We have one of those two drawer Fisher and Paykel dishwashers. The bottom drawer is reserved for beer glasses and jugs only.
When the drawer is full it gets the normal cycle but without any dish washer powder/tablets.

So after 18 months in this house a few of the beer glasses were looking a tad non-sparkly so I put a dish washer tablet in when washing the glasses.

Now I've been drinking from two kegs ( a hefeweizen and a wit). Both have had great consistant stable foamy head.

After washing these glasses in the detergent the head is gone within a minute.
If I use a glass that hasn't been washed with detergent, good consistant foamy head until the bottom of the glass. And nice foam rings on the glass.

Not the be-all end-all of head retention experiments but the you can definitely conclude that dish washing detergent KILLS HEAD.

Cheers,
Doc

 

[Pete of Meat]

If I'm enjoying a good beer, I'll tip just a little (like less than 10 grains - and no I don't count them .

 

[Indy]

Not the be-all end-all of head retention experiments but the you can definitely conclude that dish washing detergent KILLS HEAD.

well, this is because bubbles only form in the cracks and abnormalities,
when there is some detergent still in the glass - it fills the cracks and smooths things out a bit.
if you could possibly get a glass perfectly smooth, and beer with no particles floating in it, there would be no bubbles at all.

beer glasses like 'head master' etc, the new fizzy ones they have in pubs, all have rough bases in them, i'm told that they are sand-blasted.

so as pete said, if you wash them thoroughly (sp?) with water
(perhaphs warm water would be best?) they should be fine

or another way, if you are game, is to sprinkle a few grains of anything: sugar; dextrose; salt; hundreds & thousands , whatever, that should give you good head :chug:

if you try, tell us if it works

cbeers

 

[nicko]

Doc,

I just did this test, on a beer where i found i wasnt getting a good head.

With a new glass, just rinsed with hot water, beautiful head, and it retained it as well, im very happy, i didnt really realise how important a real clean glass is

cheers

:chug:

 

[GSRman]

Ive got a couple of brews in the fridge that aren't so good on the head.. so i rinse my glasses well in HOT water and then 5 mins before i am pouring, i chuck them from the fridge to the freezer.. unfortunately if i put them in the freezer for too long, it ends up like a mushroom.. ...all head.. no shaft..

 

[kook]

I find if the glasses are cold I get inital head, but the lacing/retention is not so good.

I wash mine in soapy water, then rinse 2-3 times in *hot* water and let drip dry.

 

[PostModern]

If you have real problems with head, you can scratch an X into the base of the glass, preferably with a glass cutter.