My beer doesn't give proper head

[Simon David kelly]

Hi,

Bit of a tricky question but I was drinking the penultimate of my milds which I bottled in 750ml brown plastic. The first two of three glasses showed only a small amount of effervescence and then low and behold the third pours with the perfect head.

Why? Why would only the bottom third of a bottle contain the desired top bit of my beer?

Si

[JackoNZ]

Could be the glass mate. IF your getting 3 glasses out of one bottle I'd say your glass is too small!! I use the pilsner type glasses at home, 2 full glasses per bottle. I've noticed sometimes no head and other times good head. Could be the cleaning products used on the glass. I've heard of people only using water to clean and only using for beer.

[MrC]

I'd say temperature. The third glass would have been warmer allowing more of the CO2 to come out of solution during the pour thus giving better head.

[denimglen]

Without getting into any brewing process related stuff -

Milds - smaller grain bill, less protein, so less head retention/forming proteins.

I'd be willing to bet your glasses are TOO clean, yes there is such a thing :-P Are they going in the dishwasher? The rinse-aid stuff is an absolute head killer. It's also almost impossible to remove all the residue from any detergents or soaps, again head-killers. I was my glasses with hot tap water mostly, and when they get a bit too grubby I'll give them a soak with hot percarbonate solution (unscented napisan or the like), and then a few rinses with hot tap water.

The above is why your third glass had head, the first two wash away all the left overs of the soap and/or they dirty the glass enough to allow the head to cling on.

[jt]

IF your getting 3 glasses out of one bottle I'd say ...

... time to set yourself up with some kegs !

[Simon David kelly]

I did some testing last night using a dishwasher cleaned glass and my large pilsner glass.

There's definitely nothing going on with a first pour into the dishwasher cleaned glass. However when I poured half of what was left in to the pilsner glass I got the head I was expecting. After consuming the first two I poured the last into the dishwasher clean glass and got a minimal head.

There's definitely something to support the glass theory.

Thanks for giving me something to go on.

Si

JT
I've taken up so much room with all my beer bits, I think kegs would drive the wife over the edge :) Not that I haven't thought about kegs for the regular mild. It would be a little more hassle free.

[David Nicholls]

Try replacing the dishwasher rinse aid with white vinegar. Gives the same effect but you end up with a "beer clean" glass without the detergent issues. Saves some $$$ as well. This works for me but I have my own well water which is medium hardness and no chlorination or additives.

[Tony]

Hi Simon,

rinse aid, kills head. Don't wash your beer glasses in the dishwasher, that would be my first recommendation. Also, how did you carbonate the beer? Did you bulk carbonate or add to each bottle? For sugar carbonation, bulk carbonating is the best way. Pour the beer from your fermenter into a secondary ( I use one of those 20L plastic tapped containers, from plastic centre), add the appropriate amount of sugar, and shake it up. Then bottle it straight away, using one of those beer fillers.

Also, it struck me, were the first 2 bottles sealed properly?

Cheers, good luck

[Stu McKinlay]

I use dishwasher with unscented dishwashing powder. Never had a problem.
I also rince every glass with cold tap water before it goes in. I usually have a glass of water at the end of a session drinking so it really gets a few rinses...

[JoKing]

Does that Pilsner glass have etching on the bottom of it (inside)? Most Pilsner glasses do. It creates more nucleation points for the CO2 to come out of suspension than an ordinary "flat" glass.

Theyre called "Head Keepers" or something along those lines.

Have a look.

[studio1]

I use eco-store dishwasher powder - never had a problem

[Tony]

BTW, my beer doesn't give me any head, good or bad.....