How to give good head

[Ciaran12s]

Just wondering what you guys and girls do to give good head and hopefully keep it good right to the end?

I'm only a couple of brews in but the head formation and retention has been poor to date. I'm drinking a ghost ship clone available from the malt Miller. It uses carapils which apparently.promotes good head. Not in my brew!

 

[TJ2You]

I hope you are talking about your beer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[chub1]

I sometimes use a syringe,that gets it up ok:lol::lol:

 

[Ciaran12s]

Aye the beer! Not bothered about head on my cider haha

 

[bomberns127]

add some torrified wheat to your mash, it helps with body and head retention

 

[Ciaran12s]

add some torrified wheat to your mash, it helps with body and head retention

What kinda percentage?

I've read about rolled oats but also worried about stuck sparge as I've had one without. Is there a 'perfect combination?

 

[MyQul]

It all about protiens in the wort. Things like oats and carapils aid this. Flaked barley is another good one

 

[terrym]

If you use torrified wheat (TW) you will need to mash it with a diastase containing grain like pale malt to convert the starch to fermentable sugars, since TW contains no diastase. Max recommended amount of TW in the grain bill is about 10% as far as I am aware.
I read on here some time ago that head on beers can be improved with longer maturing, something to do with bubble size being smaller which encourages head retention.
Finally look at your serving glasses. If you drink out of glasses that are dirty/greasy that will kill the head. If you have small bubbles clinging to your glass wall when it is filled that indicates that the glass is not clean. I always wash my beer glasses separately and dry them with a dedicated clean glasses cloth.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
+1 for ultra clean glasses, including well rinsed to remove cleaning product residue.
I have flaked barley to help head retention. Because I underlet the mash, I layer the flaked barley on the false bottom of my mash tun and this helps to build a good filter bed.
I also have powdered maltodextrin for the occasional kit brew. Add about 300g at the end of the boil to promote better head retention.

 

[Bigcol49]

I've read about rolled oats . . .

Hi!
The jury seems to be out on this subject. There are posts insisting that oats, being high in fat, suppress head retention.
Others report success when using rolled oats to get a good head.
Try Googling "rolled oats head retention" to see the evidence.

 

[Gunge]

It all about protiens in the wort. Things like oats and carapils aid this. Flaked barley is another good one

You knew I wouldn't be able to resist chiming in on this, MyQul! But ye flaked barley is the way to go. Gives body and promotes a tight, long-lasting head without any of the baggage and possibly unwanted flavours that other adjuncts bring. It's simple and for the life of me don't know why folk entertain the idea of using owt else for the stated purpose.

 

[MyQul]

You knew I wouldn't be able to resist chiming in on this, MyQul! But ye flaked barley is the way to go. Gives body and promotes a tight, long-lasting head without any of the baggage and possibly unwanted flavours that other adjuncts bring. It's simple and for the life of me don't know why folk entertain the idea of using owt else for the stated purpose.

You saw my massive elephant trap and still couldn't resist stepping in :twisted: :lol:

I used FB for the first time in a bitter not so long ago and everything you say above is true

 

[MyQul]

I've read that doing a mashout and holding it for ten mins also promotes head retention. Haven't tried it out though, as I normally dont do a mash out

 

[Bigcol49]

I've read that doing a mashout and holding it for ten mins also promotes head retention. Haven't tried it out though, as I normally dont do a mash out

Hi!
I do a Hochkurz mash, and one website suggested that holding the main mash (70°C) for 45 minutes promotes head retention.
I don't know whether it's the flaked barley or the mash that gives a decent head on my beers.

 

[Ciaran12s]

Thanks for replies and advice folks! I do try and keep the glasses nice and sparkly and don't let them go in the dishwasher.

I think I'll try the flaked barley next time, I'm worried that I if try anything else, gunge might come round and rough up my mash tun!

I've got a couple of kilos of carapils sat so they'll get chucked in as well probably.

 

[foxbat]

You knew I wouldn't be able to resist chiming in on this, MyQul! But ye flaked barley is the way to go. Gives body and promotes a tight, long-lasting head without any of the baggage and possibly unwanted flavours that other adjuncts bring. It's simple and for the life of me don't know why folk entertain the idea of using owt else for the stated purpose.

Have you noticed a flavour impact using flaked Barley? Martin Brungard, whose opinion I highly respect, claims that you notice graininess in pale ales when using it. (example).

Other than that, he claims it's 10x more effective than flaked wheat and you don't need much of it if you do use it.

 

[Gunge]

Have you noticed a flavour impact using flaked Barley? Martin Brungard, whose opinion I highly respect, claims that you notice graininess in pale ales when using it. (example).

Other than that, he claims it's 10x more effective than flaked wheat and you don't need much of it if you do use it.

I honestly haven't noticed any 'graininess', but then I haven't used it to excess (like, more than 20% of the grain bill). I suppose there must be a point where it is noticeable, same as the much-touted haziness ...something else I've never seen a trace of. I read something recently where FB was put head-to-head with carapils and the FB won hands down wrt mouthfeel and head retention. Flaked barley - the great unsung hero of homebrew!

 

[foxbat]

I honestly haven't noticed any 'graininess', but then I haven't used it to excess (like, more than 20% of the grain bill). I suppose there must be a point where it is noticeable, same as the much-touted haziness ...something else I've never seen a trace of. I read something recently where FB was put head-to-head with carapils and the FB won hands down wrt mouthfeel and head retention. Flaked barley - the great unsung hero of homebrew!

Maybe UK flaked barley tastes different to the US 2 row. I'm going to try a small percentage in my next pale ale instead of Carapils to see what happens.

 

[Gunge]

Maybe UK flaked barley tastes different to the US 2 row. I'm going to try a small percentage in my next pale ale instead of Carapils to see what happens.

I should add that the only stuff I've ever used is from Holland & Barrett, not homebrew suppliers.

 

[Bigcol49]

I should add that the only stuff I've ever used is from Holland & Barrett, not homebrew suppliers.

Hi!
Right! Off to H&B today!