How do I get a creamy head on my stout?

[Scott Lyon]

Hi Folks, 

I've recently Brewed a oatmeal stout and found it quite tasty but completely lacking head, to me the creamy head on a stout is almost the best part so I was a bit disappointed. All of my other ales before and after have been fine, no problems.

The BIAB recipe is below:

63% Maris Otter

11% Flaked Oats

7.8% Med. Crystal

7.8% Choc Malt

5.2% Carapils

3.9% Roasted Barley

Hopped with Kent Golding

60 mash @ 67C

60 min boil 

O.G. 1.069

US-05

 

Anyone got any advice/ideas on how to maximize the head on the next one?????

 

Cheers

Scottie

 

[James P]

I use a mixture of carpils and rolled oats (Pams / budget whatever is in the cupboard).

 

In my opinion you are using too much kopafloc, I would be trying to get some heroin scales and add at the rate of .4~ grams per 10 litres, or 1.2 - 1.3 grams for 30 litres (a teaspoon is about 5gms if I remember form 2 home ec...).

[Ralph]

I over fined a couple of beers and they had no head too. Does a stout even need finings? Not like you should be able to see the clarity through it?

 

[Greig McGill]

Clarity does matter, even if you can't tell. A wise man once told me "if you can see it, you can probably taste it" - no in the case of dry hop haze or similar, that might not be a bad thing! At your discretion, but I usually go for clarity even in dark beers. Noboday ask about Pumpkin ones though... ;)

[Greig McGill]

Nate: I said I didn't want to talk about it! ;)

[Scott Lyon]

Just had a look at the fine print on the flemmings milk oatys box, and hard to believe but the total fat by weight is 8.8%........ not sure how this compares with other oats but would be worth looking for the lowest fat ones for next time , cheers Greig

[Dai]

I find that if my glasses are really clean, then I am more likely to keep the foam for longer... like, rinsing them with hot water after going through the dishwasher, or rinsing (and then drying) before pouring.  I find that foam retention is highly variable for my brews, and sometimes it is there and other times it is not; even if I am drinking the same batch.  I assume this must be some environmental variable that I am not controlling (like glass cleanliness)?