Head on beer

[paddy1975]

I have fermented my beerm, transferred it to the pressure barrel and left for two weeks, I have tasted the ber and it taste fine and looks good, however, it does not keep it's head at all, is there something that I have done wrong for it to lose it's head or is this normal for homebrew. It's my first attempt so not surprised it's not perfect.

 

[Moley]

That's quite normal when it's that young, head retention improves when it has been kept for a while longer.

 

[paddy1975]

Thanks, it's just so hard not drinking it when it is just stood there asking to be drunk.

 

[Rhinopig]

Hi

I've had the same problem with my first brew as well, after the advice on here and looking at some of the guides I reckon that the kit instructions are too optimistic. For my next brew I will be increasing the times recommended by quite a bit.

Good Luck!

 

[Wendy1971]

When we started brewing we couldnt leave the beer alone either but we found it gets alot better after a few weeks head retention too

 

[luckyeddie]

Get yourself some bottles and a crown capper, then every time you brew (over the next 2 or 3 brews), fill a dozen bottles. Put the rest in the barrel and sure, dip into that every now and again, but try to leave the bottles alone. Before you know it, 2 months or so will have passed - then crack open a bottle or two.

The difference in taste is usually remarkable - certainly enough to convince you to go out and buy another 2 or 3 FVs and a couple of spare barrels.

Within a year, your mates will be even more matey - and forego the pub to visit you. Inside 2 years, you will be brewing all grain, have a beard, your own pewter tankard and wear sandals.

:

 

[evanvine]

and wear sandals.

:shock: :shock: Next you will be suggesting that they are worn with socks! :twisted: :twisted: :whistle:

 

[Lobes]

Within a year, your mates will be even more matey - and forego the pub to visit you. Inside 2 years, you will be brewing all grain, have a beard, your own pewter tankard and wear sandals.

Sounds very familiar!! (bar the sandals!)

 

[paddy1975]

I best get straight down to Windsors world of shoes for my sandals then, beard could be good but I doubt the missus will like it, :nono:

Then again socks and sandals, something wrong with that, something very wrong

 

[graysalchemy]

If you want to be a bit more in vogue but keeping up the crusty cred wear crocs with socks preferable white socks

 

[paddy1975]

Well kept the beer for several more weeks and no head, have made a second and again no head, I was wondering if the reason is because I put the beer in a pressure barrel and it only has a tap on teh bottom, not a sparkler like they have in pubs.
Is it something I might have done wrong as I have to siphon off a third batch tonight into a barrel

 

[adrianmole72]

This is probably an obvious question, but you DID prime the brew when you put it in the keg, didn't you ?? :whistle:

Stephen

 

[paddy1975]

It was primed on both of them yes, I shall just have to drink it woithout a head, I know some people like it that way but being Yorkshire I like a nice head on my beer. There;s a joke there somewhere about liking good head I'm sure

 

[Ceejay]

lol! I like a good head if I go up north....

The only thing I can think of is you might have a leakage problem. Silly question, but you are gassing it up aren't you? Just trying to cover all the bases... :hmm:

 

[paddy1975]

As it's a beer I was told that priming it with sugar should carbonate it enough and that I didn't need to add any pressure to it by Co2. Not sure what thred it was but it was on here so I primed the barrel and left it for a few weeks

 

[StubbsPKS]

Are you mixing the sugar into water when priming or just chucking it into the keg?

I USUALLY don't have to add CO2 until about half way through the keg, but sometimes I do.

 

[shearclass]

I have jsut found a similar problem. Tongiht i had the first sample of a brew that has been in the barrel for 4 weeks. I expected it to be gassy, but there was not even enough pressure to get a pint out.

I think there is a problem with my barrel, as my first kit brew last month, which was kept in a different barrel, was very gassy at first.

Has anyone got any nifty suggestions about how to check if my barrel is leaking? I have 2 barrels, and this is the first time i've used this one.

 

[adrianmole72]

When this happened to me, I re-primed the barrel, and put it back into the warm for another week or two, and that did it for me...

Individual experiences may vary,though...

Stephen

 

[Virgilartois]

If you're using a Wilkinson/Youngs pressure barrel, I've never ever been able to achieve any kind of carbonation in one of them. I believe it has to do with the pressure relief valve that's built in to the cap; it just lets all the CO2 out, thus none of it is absorbed into the beer. You can buy a cap from Wilko that has a CO2 dispenser built in but they're around £18-20. Finally, beer conditions MUCH faster in bottles than it does in barrels!

Today, I only use my barrels for pale ale/very lightly carbonated bitters and I bottle/crown cap *everything* else. You can get an amazingly good head and carbonation by bottling. If you're doing beer kits, I'd recommend using dried malt extract instead of granulated sugar in your brew. I think it makes a big difference in the head and taste of my kits (though others say they don't notice a difference). Plain old Tate & Lyle is just fine for priming though.

Lucky Eddie got it right! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go stare at the air locks on my FV's for a few hours.

Good luck!

 

[paddy1975]

You know that could be it, I am using a Youngs Barrel from wilkinsons on both batches so that might be my problem, I'll persevere with these two and see how they go. As opposed to buying lots of glass bottles would 2 litre coke bottles work as they can hold the pressure of the carbonated coke in them and they are much cheaper than glass bottles.