Huge head on latest brew

[GhostShip]

Last Thursday evening, I let the gas out of two of the bottles, screwed the lids back on and then put them in the fridge to drink on Saturday. It made no difference to the first bottle - the head was still half of the glass. The second bottle was much better but whether that’s because the glass had already had beer in (I didn’t rinse it), I don’t know.

I guess I’m stuck with this on this batch - the good news is that the beer tastes great!

Thanks to all for your replies.

 

[jeremy Hall]

Last Thursday evening, I let the gas out of two of the bottles, screwed the lids back on and then put them in the fridge to drink on Saturday. It made no difference to the first bottle - the head was still half of the glass. The second bottle was much better but whether that’s because the glass had already had beer in (I didn’t rinse it), I don’t know.

I guess I’m stuck with this on this batch - the good news is that the beer tastes great!

Thanks to all for your replies.

I assume you aren't using nucleation beer glasses? I have had a similar problem lately when bottling where the beer foams as it's going into the bottle from the fermenter. I think this is related to the time of year. I get foamy beer but I use nucleated glasses. The foam tastes nice so it's not a problem as long as I don't fill the glass.

 

[GhostShip]

The first thing I had to do having read your reply was to Google 'Nucleated beer glass'!! Absolutely not something I have ever been aware of, but I am now!

Mine are plain old pint glasses.

 

[ricardo]

To save anybody else having to use Dr Google.
Nucleated glasses have a laser etched mark on the inside bottom of the glass. The nucleation point facilitates the release of the beer's carbonation, creating a steady stream of bubbles and maintaining a head on the beer.

 

[GhostShip]

As an update, there’s one thing I’ve noticed. Pour the first pint of the evening very carefully into a clean glass - loads of foam, massive head and not much beer. Pour the second pint into the SAME glass and it’s much better - an inch of head and the rest beer.

I’ve no idea what’s going on here, but it’s as if the beer and foam on the sides of the glass from the first pint somehow reduce the amount of foam on the second. Any scientists on here?

 

[Clint]

Is the glass of the nucleation type?

 

[GhostShip]

Is the glass of the nucleation type?

No.

 

[Rwilts]

Isn't it the fact that the glass is wet on the second pour?

 

[MashBag]

Wet your glass before the first pour

 

[GhostShip]

Wet your glass before the first pour

I’ll try that.

 

[GhostShip]

Just poured a Nectaron Pale Ale. First beer I’ve been able to face since Friday, due to the Peterborough Beer Festival, but that’s another story.

I ran the inside of the glass under the tap before pouring so that it was wet when I poured the beer into the glass. It was still lively, but it definitely reduces the head quite a bit, though I have absolutely no idea why.

 

[The Baron]

I would think all the bases have been covered but it could be more than one thing that is creating it. Is the beer a hazy or clear beer because if a hazy it could be nucleation points from hop/yeast debris adding to the issue creating a perfect storm as they say

 

[GhostShip]

I would think all the bases have been covered but it could be more than one thing that is creating it. Is the beer a hazy or clear beer because if a hazy it could be nucleation points from hop/yeast debris adding to the issue creating a perfect storm as they say

It’s a clear beer. After I wet the glass under the tap, the head was less than usual. However, the second pint, which I was pouring into the glass wet from the first beer, was much better again. Pouring into a used beer glass reduces the head considerably. I wish I’d listened in science lessons at school.

 

[roboto]

The nerd in me says it could be something weird like the proteins from your saliva in the "washback", or some grease from your face/lips that are acting like a surfactant and helping prevent excess foam from forming. It's also possible your bottling wasn't perfectly consistent so you're just seeing slight variation from bottle to bottle.

To find out you'll need to perform multiple repeated double-blind taste tests to be rigourous, so best crack on and enjoy your beers

 

[damienair]

I’ve been away from the forum for a while and just seen this post now. Exact same thing happens to me sometimes. As already mentioned I’ve learned to wet the glass before pouring and this has made a huge difference with some of my beers. I noticed that the pour was always much better on the second glass. For some unknown reason one batch of a beer can be way livelier than another batch even though I have used the exact same amount of sugar to batch prime. I used to use 120g of brewing sugar mixed with 400ml of hot water to dissolve and add it to the beer before bottling. I now use 100g to batch prime and it is much better. Carbonation is the same but the head is less lively.