Head Retention

[Ross]

Guy's,

If I want to improve head retention in a recipe that just calls for pale ale malt & crystal. Should I be adding 5% wheat malt or will this alter the taste?
Should I substitute some crystal for caramalt?

The recipies I'm looking at never seem to mention caramalt at all only crystal - I'm a little confused...

 

[Darren]

Ross,
If you are making all-grain beer head retention should not be a problem.
Wheat malt is reported to improve HR but it also increases cloudiness.
If you are running through a very fine filter you could be stripping some of the head forming protein.
cheers
Darren

 

[AndrewQLD]

Ross,

Darren is right, you shouldn't need anything for head retension in an all grain beer. If your concerned use a little (100-200g) of cara-pils, it will help greatly with the head but won't contribute too much to the color or flavor.

Andrew

 

[Guest Lurker]

Ross,

Darren is right, you shouldn't need anything for head retension in an all grain beer. If your concerned use a little (100-200g) of cara-pils, it will help greatly with the head but won't contribute too much to the color or flavor.

Andrew

[post="48220"][/post]​

I'm a big fan of carapils over wheat for head on beer. I reckon I can taste wheat in small quantities. Like everyone says, the grain should provide a head anyway. But what I find carapils adds is lacy rings which cement themselves to the glass as you drink, which is what I like to see in my beer.

 

[Asher]

~5% Carapils is commonplace in my brewery too

Asher for now

 

[jayse]

Should I substitute some crystal for caramalt?

The recipies I'm looking at never seem to mention caramalt at all only crystal - I'm a little confused...

[post="48216"][/post]​

The two are the same. Different companies have different names, use the colour as your guide. ie caramalt 50ebc and crystal malt 50ebc would both be considered pretty much the exact same thing only made by someone else.

I like using wheat malt and I have found 5% isn't really worth it. I go right up to 20% in pale ales sometimes. I haven't had any problem with the beers clearing up perfectly with this much. :super:

Carapils is like little magic foam pills! :blink:

Jayse

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

Carapils is excellent, 5% is a good amount.
I don't think you'd taste 5% wheat, but then again I don't think you'd notice any effects. Carapils has that great property of filling your mouth too, so it gets my vote. Crystal does increase heat retention and lacing as well, don't forget, especially the German ones.

 

[Batz]

Well I add wheat malt to most of my brews , and around 5% or more , I believe it makes a wonderful head , I can't taste any difference between brew with or without it.
Still we all brew to our own , this in the great thing about AG brewing.

Batz

 

[Ross]

Thanks guys,

Haven't gassed up my first 2 AG's yet, so how good the head is, remains to be seen.

Wanted to get another couple underway this week & therefore the question...
Leaning on the side of carapils by your comments, especially as a good drinking friend reacts to wheat...

Cheers :chug:

 

[Barry]

Good Day
Carapils sounds good , must give it a go again. Alternative is 100 gms of torrified wheat.

 

[Ross]

Is that what torrified wheat is used for? improved head retention...

 

[Sparrow62]

Is that what torrified wheat is used for? improved head retention...

[post="48267"][/post]​

Ross.
I go with wheat but will try the other suggestions as well. I am glad you asked this question for I was about to do the same. The only difference is I was going to wait a week or so as I am wating for the results of my first AG. If the results regarding head retention is not to my liking, I now have sufficient info thanks to this group to attempt to imrove it the next time.

Just for interest, I just finished reading rec.craft.brewing. There was about thirty replies to this guys question on the same subject. The difference is that 28 of those replies failed to answer the question.

 

[nonicman]

Is that what torrified wheat is used for?

Makes a good wit as well, at around 50% of the grist.

 

[wee stu]

Is that what torrified wheat is used for?

And breakfast cereal too

Personally I prefer jayse's little magic foam pills. But I have been having a few problem sparges lately, so am keeping away from wheat for a while, until my new tun is ready.

 

[dicko]

Hi Ross,
I note from some of you previous posts that you are a fan of English bitters and I have noticed that Torrified Wheat appears in a lot of those styles in recorded recipes.
I am starting to use it with good success for head retention and at present I am adding it at around the 8% mark. some recipes go as high as 15% in an ale.
I personally think that I can taste the carapils additions that I have included in my english ales but this is only my opinion.
Cheers

 

[Ross]

dicko,

the torrefied wheat I've bought is puffed wheat & has an enormous volume to weight ratio - I've seen online recently a pic of torrefied wheat that just looks like regular grain - which type are people using - is there any difference?

Sparrow62,

A newbie like me to AG - what part of Brizzy you from?...

 

[nonicman]

the torried wheat I have is Thomas Faucet brand and is the puffy stuff. It is unmalted wheat that has been air dried (hence it puffs up). The puffiness (no husk on wheat, hence the hard puffed up wheat sort of acts as a husk) assists with sparging, whereas malted wheat can a little more difficult to sparge.

 

[Ross]

Got mine from Coles in the cereal section - by Sanitarium

 

[PeterS]

Got mine from Coles in the cereal section - by Sanitarium

[post="48301"][/post]​

Ross.

I take it you are talking about Torrified Wheat?

Bye the way, I just changed my Log In Name from Sparrow62 to my name for reasons that will take too long to explain. I am from Manly West.

:chug:

 

[Ross]

I hope so - just called puffed wheat, but I was assured by another brewer that it's what i needed - I'm down at Carbrook (Logan) - not been Manly way since i sold my boat - used to launch there all the time...