tips for better head retention in lagers

[Andrewbarnes83]

Hi,

Do you find you can get decent head retention in lagers when using all base malts, e.g. all pils malt, or do you find that you need to add stuff like wheat and carapils to help boost head retention?

Any tips/things you have learned that you would like to share would be greatly appreciated.

I brew BIAB and have only used single-infusion mashes so far.

 

[anthonyUK]

I think you'll need to look at a stepped mash if just using base malts.
Have a look at this thread for some info - http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/46676-lagers-and-step-mashing/

Generally avoid a protein rest at lower temps.

Another good resource is on Braukaisers site - http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Infusion_Mashing

 

[manticle]

A 5 min rest at 55 and a 10 min rest at 72 (bookending whatever amylase rests you have) does wonders for head formation and retention in all my beers, whether ale or lager.
Beyond that, clean, well rinsed glasses, usual story.

 

[Bribie G]

Hochkurz mash schedule (Braukaiser, look down their page)

63/72/mashout using Weyermann Premium Pilsener Malt, a touch of Melanoidin and two hops.

I just finished the keg. Actually a bit fuckn annoying, when do I get to drink my beer, come on stop showing off and let me get to that sweet nectar underneath :blink: :blink:




Edit as Anthony says

 

[Andrewbarnes83]

Thanks guys,

What about if I still want a fairly light body (e.g. 1.006 - 1.008), what temp would you guys make your middle rest?

 

[nosco]

Im up to my 15th biab and ive never had any trouble with head retention. I always do a 90min mash and 90 boil single infusion. I dont know if it makes a difference coz ive never done it any other way.

Ive done a protein rest using bo pils once but its just gone in the keg at 0c so i dont know what its like yet.

I also clean and rinse the shit out of my glasses and air dry them.

 

[manticle]

Thanks guys,
What about if I still want a fairly light body (e.g. 1.006 - 1.008), what temp would you guys make your middle rest?

I'd do a rest of at least 20 minutes at 62 but if you like really dry and thin, anywhere up to 90. However doing a rest for beta and another rest for alpha helps retain some dextrins which add to body and head.

 

[fraser_john]

I'd do a rest of at least 20 minutes at 62 but if you like really dry and thin, anywhere up to 90. However doing a rest for beta and another rest for alpha helps retain some dextrins which add to body and head.

Very similar, my PID is set for a 55c rest for 15 min then 61-63c over 30 minutes, 70c for 20 minutes then mashout.

Make sure you are using a premium pilsner malt, I use Best Maltz Heidelburg Pilsner and have never had an issue.

 

[Bribie G]

Australian malts don't seem to give as good a head and maybe this is deliberate. Pub beers in Australia have very small heads compared to the big heads preferred in Europe - for example Heineken gets skimmed off at the top leaving about a 5 cm head in the glass. When I first arrived in Australia, Queensland beers were served with no head at all, right up to the top of the glass and if a novice barmaid poured one with a head the common rebuke was "ya going to put a tie on it as well?"

 

[Grott]

How true Bribie G, I used to complain if a front bar beer had ahead more than 5 mil, and laugh at the heads on German style beers seen on tv. Oh how much I've missed out on in earlier years, but enjoying it now.
Cheers

 

[ebyelyakov]

dash of wheat (100-200 gm /20lt) can also help as well level of carbonation as well as IBU -- 40 IBU (Urquell) will have a better head compared to 22 IBU (Spaten)

 

[jimmy_jangles]

I've been using 2% of my grain bill as wheat on a beer that is majority pilsner malt and then making sure i have a good long lager period ( 3 weeks) as well as at least 3 months in the bottle. i found that beers that i tried without these variables had far less superior head. i am not up to speed on my mash temp variations sorry, i generally mash at 67 for 90 mins ( someone please tell me if i am doing something wrong) and have been having really good crisp beers with a nice creamy head

cheers!

 

[ebyelyakov]

jimmy_jangles
It's kinda sounds perfect
I will be taking a stab at Ordinary Bitter this weekend (after half a dozen subsequitive batches of Pils where I experiemented different yeast strains keeping everything else the same) -- my intentio to rest at 55C for betaglucan and then keep at at 67 for a while since I want to get to a decent body with failty shallow grain bill so I can hit by target ABV in vicinity of 3.5% with the OG=1.036