Tenacious Head! Any Ideas How To Reduce It?

[jivesucka]

Everybody loves a two, three, maybe four or even five finger head, but this is ridiculous! Just after opening a bottle and leaving it resting for about 10 seconds, froth starts to erupt and flow everywhere -- before i even get a chance to pour it into a glass!
The head is relentless, once poured into a glass it stays there forever. Did I overdo it?
I've lost count of the number of brews i've done, but surely i must be past the 20+ mark. surely by now i must have my shit together.
The kit in question is the coopers real ale, of which i decided to go with 1kg dex and 500g LDM. The malt might explain the head, but i'm sure the hops play a crucial role too, i guess i need some clarification.

 

[felten]

How did you carbonate it, how much sugar/carb drops?
How does it taste? could be a gusher infection in the bottles.

Or it could be micro crud in the bottles acting as nucleation points, as discussed in another thread here a few days ago.

 

[Wolfy]

Just after opening a bottle and leaving it resting for about 10 seconds, froth starts to erupt and flow everywhere -- before i even get a chance to pour it into a glass!

How does it taste?
(What you are describing is one of the classic symptoms of an infection).

 

[Pennywise]

The 500g malt wouldn't give you a rediculous head so we can rule that out, and while hops aid in head retention, I don't think they will increase the head. Sounds like it's either way over primed, gusher infection, or the bottles weren't cleaned properly and there's some crud stuck inside them, leaving alot of nucleation points, which over time, will prolly lead to an infection.

 

[RobboMC]

I've got a 1.2 litre jug, sounds like you need one, a jug this size
fits even a frothy longneck, then let it settle. A small spit into the glass will also go a long way to killing
a persistent head. That way at least you get to drink the beer.

next time, less priming sugar. How do you prime?

could you have accidently doubled the sugar, or 3 spoonfuls instead of 2, or something like that.

I'd be putting them all in the fridge before you get bottle bombs;
and even cracking the heads off to release some pressure and recapping

 

[Scruffy]

You could suck it up...?


Sorry, new to Australia...

 

[jivesucka]

How did you carbonate it, how much sugar/carb drops?
How does it taste? could be a gusher infection in the bottles.

Or it could be micro crud in the bottles acting as nucleation points, as discussed in another thread here a few days ago.

I've got a 1.2 litre jug, sounds like you need one, a jug this size
fits even a frothy longneck, then let it settle. A small spit into the glass will also go a long way to killing
a persistent head. That way at least you get to drink the beer.

next time, less priming sugar. How do you prime?

could you have accidently doubled the sugar, or 3 spoonfuls instead of 2, or something like that.

I'd be putting them all in the fridge before you get bottle bombs;
and even cracking the heads off to release some pressure and recapping

they are the brown plastic coopers 750ml bottles. i prime with 2 carbonation drops per bottle. i sterilize thoroughly with napisan.

 

[felten]

Napisan isn't really a sterliser, sure if you add it to boiling water you release hydrogen peroxide but its predominately a cleaning agent. Plus it leaves a residue of washing soda on whatever you put it in, not to mention whatever else they put in naipsan, which you should rinse off.

Do yourself a favour and get a real sanitiser IE. starsan, iodophor.

 

[Acasta]

Where can u get iodophor from? how do you use it?

 

[Wolfy]

Where can u get iodophor from? how do you use it?

You've not entered your location into your profile, so its hard to tell you a local shop, however Grain and Grape (click the sponsor button at the top of the page) stock iodophor.
Usage for most non rinse sanitizers is very easy, simply mix as recommended and immerse/soak/cover/coat/spray all surfaces with the sanitizing solution for the recommended time.

 

[Acasta]

3095

 

[dabre4]

Did you check the final gravity before bottling? It may have still had some fermentables left when you bottled, hence over carbonation.

 

[keifer33]

Did you check the final gravity before bottling? It may have still had some fermentables left when you bottled, hence over carbonation.

Had exactly the same thing on one of my last brews, didnt take notice and one sip was enough to make you burp for 5 mins.