Problem with lack of head (recently changed to single vessel system)

[MartinHaworth]

HI folks,

Advice please.

Recently moved from basic 3 vessel (tea urn, cool box, FV with kettle element) to a single vessel system (Brewmonk).

I'm now not getting as much head as i used to.

So:

- anyone else experienced this
- what solutions did you use
- things to think about or try

Best wishes

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

..I've been particularly frustrated when I brewed @David Heath Trappist Single with M41 - amazing beer, well regarded in a recent bottle swop... high carbonation, but very little head.

 

[foxy]

I use around 250 to 300 grams of Gladiator malt in my beers for good head retention, I don't believe you get NZ malts there so an addition of carapils will help, also try flaked wheat in the pale beers.

 

[user 18729]

HI folks,

Advice please.

Recently moved from basic 3 vessel (tea urn, cool box, FV with kettle element) to a single vessel system (Brewmonk).

I'm now not getting as much head as i used to.

So:

- anyone else experienced this
- what solutions did you use
- things to think about or try

Best wishes

Martin

It could be due to residue on your new kit from the manufacturing process? Any grease or soap residue will prevent head. I’ve even had it brewing a wit where I forgot to scrub the oranges before using the peel.

 

[Hanglow]

This is a good blog post on foam and what helps and hinders it
http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/uncategorized/foam/

 

[MartinHaworth]

This is a good blog post on foam and what helps and hinders it
http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/uncategorized/foam/

Thanks, lots of good stuff here. Mash, boil, fermentation, ph.

I'm pretty OCD on cleaning and did an initial very deep clean. I'm 6 brews in now, and in many ways I'm very happy with the convenience and speed and lack of mess.

With a trapping single grain bill - just pilsner- there's nowhere to hide.

Just bottled a bitter and twisted clone that I fermented with a lager yeast at 9C (took a whole month!), and i had carapils in the bill, so I'll see in a cpuple of weeks.

Hope to brew a tt landlord clone on Monday, so I'll be able to pay attention to these things.

Best wishes Martin

 

[foxy]

Thanks, lots of good stuff here. Mash, boil, fermentation, ph.

I'm pretty OCD on cleaning and did an initial very deep clean. I'm 6 brews in now, and in many ways I'm very happy with the convenience and speed and lack of mess.

With a trapping single grain bill - just pilsner- there's nowhere to hide.

Just bottled a bitter and twisted clone that I fermented with a lager yeast at 9C (took a whole month!), and i had carapils in the bill, so I'll see in a cpuple of weeks.

Hope to brew a tt landlord clone on Monday, so I'll be able to pay attention to these things.

Best wishes Martin

Not all pilsner malts are well modified, did you use a single infusion mash?

 

[MartinHaworth]

Not all pilsner malts are well modified, did you use a single infusion mash?

Thanks Foxy. I did indeed use Weyermann's Bohemian Pilsner Malt (Floor malted). I did use a single infusion mash.

There is some talk online about this malt being undermodified to facilitate the decoction approach favoured by the continental brewmasters.

However, I have also Weyermann seem to suggest that it is fully modified.....

Certainly worth me thinking about!

Incidently, I cracked a bottle of my most recent beer (Bitter and Twisted kind of effort), and there appears to be a layer of white foam on top of the beer!

Thanks

MArtin

 

[AdeDunn]

Everything I have read would suggested that floor malted malt is usually less modified to be honest, really might be worth trying a stepped mash schedule and seeing what happens for sure. With a machine like the Brewmonk it's easy enough to do luckily.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Everything I have read would suggested that floor malted malt is usually less modified to be honest, really might be worth trying a stepped mash schedule and seeing what happens for sure. With a machine like the Brewmonk it's easy enough to do luckily.

Thank you, I think that is the way forward..