No Head

[riverside]

Hi guys, happy with the kit and fresh wort brews i have been making, taste is great, carbination perfect and very clear beer too ! just have one prob, i get very little head/froth. If i do its when first poured in glass out of font and doesnt stay there for longer than about 10 secs. I have mainly been brewing mex cev (morgans) with 15% bb. Clean glasses washed in hot water only..etc. Any suggestions ? Cheers

 

[mwd]

Some steeping grains will help out with the kits.

About 200-300g of pale crystal or maybe caramunich or similar per batch.

Should not be getting the same problem with fresh wort kits they are usually very good and even better if you keep to 20-21litres all up.

edit: don't know what 15% bb is ?

edit 2 : wheat malt is supposed to be good for head retention as in DrS Golden Ale.
( moodgett's looks the business :icon_cheers: )

 

[moodgett]

Hi guys, happy with the kit and fresh wort brews i have been making, taste is great, carbination perfect and very clear beer too ! just have one prob, i get very little head/froth. If i do its when first poured in glass out of font and doesnt stay there for longer than about 10 secs. I have mainly been brewing mex cev (morgans) with 15% bb. Clean glasses washed in hot water only..etc. Any suggestions ? Cheers

hey riverside,

from my limited brewing knowledge, a lot of different things can attribute to head formation/retention.
alot of people recommend steeping some crystal grains for every brew e.g carapils
also hop usage can attribute to great head.
next brew try smurtos golden ale, i am drinking the Kits and Bits version and this is an example of the head and lacing, the best ive ever had in a brew
and its a great intro to steeping grains and doing small boils, hell, straight after that i have done my first extract brew which is fermenting now.

View attachment 31569

ps my beer glasses get washed in dishwashing detergent as do all my dishes, the key is to thoroughly rinse them out with hot water to get rid of any detergent residue

 

[manticle]

To make sure it isn't the glass - wash the glass thoroughly (detergent is fine), then rinse then rinse again with white vinegar. Rinse once more with cold water, whack in the freezer until frosted on removal.

If you still get no head then it's the beer. As suggested above you can try a few grains. One possible problem is that the mexican cerveza is too thin but if that's the style you like then grains may ake it maltier than you like. Malt will contribute to body and head retention though.

Try a light crystal or another light coloured caramelised malt. Wheat malt extract might also help (dried or liquid).

 

[thylacine]

Use small syringe (no needle) to take up a few ml from the glass of beer. Shoot it back in. If the brew is carbonated, an instant head will result.
My LHBS sells the syringes.

 

[Pennywise]

If all else fails and you really want a good head with kit's or extract (makes no diff to the taste of the beer, head that is), then carapils is a good option. It also lends a good "feel" to the beer and is a great option for introducing grain without compromising any flavours you don't want to change.

 

[riverside]

Some steeping grains will help out with the kits.

About 200-300g of pale crystal or maybe caramunich or similar per batch.

Should not be getting the same problem with fresh wort kits they are usually very good and even better if you keep to 20-21litres all up.

edit: don't know what 15% bb is ?

edit 2 : wheat malt is supposed to be good for head retention as in DrS Golden Ale.
( moodgett's looks the business :icon_cheers: )

Thanks for the advise.. edit: 15% brew booster instead of sugar.

 

[riverside]

hey riverside,

from my limited brewing knowledge, a lot of different things can attribute to head formation/retention.
alot of people recommend steeping some crystal grains for every brew e.g carapils
also hop usage can attribute to great head.
next brew try smurtos golden ale, i am drinking the Kits and Bits version and this is an example of the head and lacing, the best ive ever had in a brew
and its a great intro to steeping grains and doing small boils, hell, straight after that i have done my first extract brew which is fermenting now.

View attachment 31569

ps my beer glasses get washed in dishwashing detergent as do all my dishes, the key is to thoroughly rinse them out with hot water to get rid of any detergent residue

Wow Moodgett thats some serious foam formation you have got going on there, clinging to the glass right to the end. looks like a great drop will try the smurtos golden ale next brew for sure,, Cheers

 

[riverside]

To make sure it isn't the glass - wash the glass thoroughly (detergent is fine), then rinse then rinse again with white vinegar. Rinse once more with cold water, whack in the freezer until frosted on removal.

If you still get no head then it's the beer. As suggested above you can try a few grains. One possible problem is that the mexican cerveza is too thin but if that's the style you like then grains may ake it maltier than you like. Malt will contribute to body and head retention though.

Try a light crystal or another light coloured caramelised malt. Wheat malt extract might also help (dried or liquid).

Thanks Manticle, just tried the vinegar (same) So its definantly the beer. If i put a little less water in brew next time, would this help head retention ?

 

[riverside]

If all else fails and you really want a good head with kit's or extract (makes no diff to the taste of the beer, head that is), then carapils is a good option. It also lends a good "feel" to the beer and is a great option for introducing grain without compromising any flavours you don't want to change.

Cheers Hombrewer79, that definantly sounds like the go, i dont want to change the taste of the beer at all, just would be nice to have some froth on top. Thanks