Getting a good head on your brew.

Mau5

Ive brewed a stout from a kit but it has a poor head, pretty much nothing.

Is there anything I can add to my wort in the first place to give a better head? I added beer heading liquid to my stout before bottling but it seems to have done nothing.

Ive been told that if I boil rice to extract its starch and then pour the extract into the wort it will give a better head, is this true? if so is there anything else I can boil up and add to my wort for a better head?
Also read adding hops helps with head retention, I dont think im ready for hopping myself yet so any help would be great!

Thanks

BeerNut

The first things I'd be looking at are the condition, ie is the beer carbonated enough; and your glassware: is it clean and soap-free?

Edit: Though you won't ever get a thick and lasting Draught Guinness-style head on a naturally conditioned bottled beer, on the off-chance that that's what you're going for.

Mau5

well ive cleaned out my glass so im pretty sure it not that, carbonation is pretty low as i didnt add much sugar because its a stout and I didnt want it overly fizzy.

Would conditioning temperature effect it?

BeerNut

Only in as much as it'll slow down the conditioning process. But if your carbonation is right then it's not that.

Did you use any soap on the bottles or fermentation vessels?

Mau5

Nope no soap just Youngs sanitiser and a bit of milton!
It could be just early days its been in carbonation for a bout 2 weeks now so maybe it need longer?

BeerNut

Could be. Though if it's that, the beer would seem flat.

Mau5

True, ill see how it goes anyway.

Any ideas about the adding rice thing? Does it work?

BeerNut

Not a clue. Sorry.

oblivious

Leave the starch out its only going to be food for a potential infection an is not needed

A fermentation temps are important , higher alcohols reduce head formation

Hop oils also play a role, if your all grain brew to long of a protein rest can be damaging and nay not bee needed with modern malts.

BeerNut

oblivious wrote: »

Hop oils also play a role

If that's the case here then it's a fault with the kit.

oblivious

BeerNut wrote: »

If that's the case here then it's a fault with the kit.

why?

BeerNut

'Cos the OP hasn't touched a hop at any point: they're supposedly already in the can.

Blisterman

Isn't head caused by the protein from the grain?

oblivious

BeerNut wrote: »

'Cos the OP hasn't touched a hop at any point: they're supposedly already in the can.

True, but fermentation management can play role and could just as well been a poor mash temp control, slipping into a protein rest when making the extract.

oblivious

Blisterman wrote: »

Isn't head caused by the protein from the grain?

yes but the a number of factors the influence it to

Carawaystick

get a can or bottle of one of the commercial stouts and see if it's considerably better than your own brew. I know I've had large bottles of stout that the head died to just a ring in less than a minute.