Getting good head

[Dr. B]

I'm gradually getting better at producing beers with a good head.
At first I used 1/2 tsp priming sugar per pint and left at room temp for 2 days.

Now I use close to 1 tsp and leave for 1 week and it's much better.

But I was surprised to crack open a 1L PET bottle last night and pour out two drinks.

Firstly, into a glass side-handled "dimple" beer pint mug. The head formed like of cola and disappeared as quick, before I even started pouring out the second glass.

The second, I poured into a pewter tankard, and a huge frothy head formed, which threatened to spill out, meaning I couldn't pour the whole bottle out until it had settled, and ended up with about half a pint in there! And the head stayed until the last drop!

So, what's going on? Is it just the roughness of the surface causing more head?

 

[Runwell-Steve]

I bet your glass had been washed in the Dishwasher with Rinse Aid, and the Pewter tankard had been washed in the sink with water.

Rinse Aid residue on glassware kills the head on beer.

1/2 a tsp of priming sugar per 500ml should be plenty, but you want to leave it longer, a couple of weeks in the warm, then a few days in a cooler place should be fine.

Patience is the key.

 

[Dr. B]

Nope, don't have a dishwasher.
They would have both been washed in the sink with squirty liquid.

 

[Bebop1980]

I seem to have been conned by the subject line.

 

[Dr. B]

:whistle:
Whatever can you mean...?

 

[graysalchemy]

Head is to do with the bead size of the co2 bubble and the amount of and type of polypeptides which forms the foam. If the bubbles formed are to big then they destroy the foam.

The glass also plays an important part as it is the rough texture of the glass which causes the bubbles to form so detergent, grease and even water on a glass which hasn't been dried properly will affect the head.

Personally I find 'big' birthdays produce good head :lol: :lol:

 

[Friday]

One word, NITRO.

 

[graysalchemy]

might freeze the wedding tackle though :lol: :lol:

 

[Friday]

Ya but that's ok once you go through with the wedding it doesn't get used much. :cry: :drink:

What I meant was a nitrogen kegging set up.

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

I'm told that the best head is from Big Julie from next door :thumb:

 

[graysalchemy]

Ya but that's ok once you go through with the wedding it doesn't get used much. :cry: :drink:

What I meant was a nitrogen kegging set up.

I know I was be facetious.

Yes a nitro set up would be good as would a decent 'northern' hand pull. I bottle all my beer and find that if I use a small 5ml syringe pumped in the beer you get a very good fine head. In actual fact I remember seeing on 'Tomorrows World' that Guinness had trailed it in the early 80's with bottled Guinness in Ireland. However like everything that appeared on 'Tomorrows World' it didn't go far and of course within the decade widgets had been introduced.

As a matter of interest the bottom of a pint glass should be slightly rough and it is also called a widget.

 

[Friday]

One trick you can try is adding a half pound of rolled unmalted barley, or caripils to your recipe. That will help with head retention if your bottling.

 

[graysalchemy]

Wheat malt is also good. :thumb:

 

[shocker]

What sort of percentage wheat malt for head retention , GA ?

 

[graysalchemy]

For the bitter pale ale and barley wine I use 5%. I use don't use any in the stout but I use 7% oatmeal and 7% flaked barley.

 

[shocker]

Thanks GA . I assume lagers would be a similar % to pale ales , would it ?

 

[graysalchemy]

I would have thought so. Wheat malt has a low EBC of 3.5 so it shouldn't effect the colour to much. :thumb:

 

[shocker]

OK , nice one mate , thanks again . Food for thought .