What Killed the Head?

[BobM]

I've just opened my latest batch which is a Ritchey's Simply Yorkshire Bitter. It's only my 5th batch since I started brewing from the very basic kits and previous kits have all had a reasonable head on pouring even if it didn't last long. Very disappointing when what comes out has absolutely no sign of head whatsoever. It's like drinking flat coke although it does taste of beer, if slightly sweet suggesting that the priming sugar just didn't ferment. When I bottled it there was certainly some cloudiness which suggested to me there would be some resident yeast.

The only things I did differently to previous batches were:

1) I'd acquired and used a bottle washing device and drying rack,
2) I switched to Suresan from VWP to avoid the hassle of rinsing bottles,
3) I moved the fermenting bin out to the garage for 24 hours before bottling as it seemed very cloudy and thought that would constitute a cold crash (I've since been told that cold crash needs to be down to low fridge temperatures and the Garage was probably only down at 8-10 degrees at the time). I also wanted to do the bottling in a garage to reduce cleaning up.

There has been a slight estery smell / taste to a couple of the batches which after researching I'm putting down to having the bin sitting on tiles on our underfloor heating. This seemed to be maintaining the perfect Fermentation temperature of about 20-22C but perhaps I have completely killed the yeast, but all my other batches have been treated the same and they had a head. I will be lifting future batches slightly off the floor.

Any thoughts on what might be the cause?

Thanks!

 

[The Baron]

First thing to check is your beer glasses have not been near washing up liquid unless you rinse thoroughly to remove all residue as that instantly kills your head.
It sound that the bottles have not fully carbonated if you say there is a sweet taste also even when carbonated it takes further weeks of conditioning before you get a good pouring head sometimes.
Some beers can be flat re head but still reasonably carbonated after 2 weeks but a month or so later they get a head.
Re cold crashing (a term not liked by some) is better done at low temps but if you have not got the facilities a colder environment will help even if not as cold as should be at least it will aid some impurities to drop out but not all so some is better than none in my world.
Estery smells/tastes are yeast dependant so depends on the yeast and to be honest most will tolerate 20/22c only such as Lager yeasts need to be lower in a ideal world/
So to sum up when you get a taste next time you need to search or ask us and describe how it smells taste for help incase it is something that can be eradicated like butterscotch/band aid tastes etc

 

[Donegal john]

Read the title and my first thought was “getting married”

 

[BobM]

First thing to check is your beer glasses have not been near washing up liquid unless you rinse thoroughly to remove all residue as that instantly kills your head.
It sound that the bottles have not fully carbonated if you say there is a sweet taste also even when carbonated it takes further weeks of conditioning before you get a good pouring head sometimes.
Some beers can be flat re head but still reasonably carbonated after 2 weeks but a month or so later they get a head.
Re cold crashing (a term not liked by some) is better done at low temps but if you have not got the facilities a colder environment will help even if not as cold as should be at least it will aid some impurities to drop out but not all so some is better than none in my world.
Estery smells/tastes are yeast dependant so depends on the yeast and to be honest most will tolerate 20/22c only such as Lager yeasts need to be lower in a ideal world/
So to sum up when you get a taste next time you need to search or ask us and describe how it smells taste for help in case it is something that can be eradicated like butterscotch/band aid tastes etc

Thanks Baron!
When you say "Carbonated" do you mean evidence of fizz in the liquid? Because this does not - it's completely flat!
After bottling I kept the beer inside in 21-22C for just over a week and then took it out to cool down / condition in the garage. It was at this point that I sampled a couple and found them flat. It will be interesting to see if time in the cold of the garage resolves this but my understanding was that, if anything that would slow down any incomplete secondary fermentation. Maybe I will bring half the bottles back in a give them another week or 2 in the warm for comparison.
Most of my beers so far appear to have conditioned nicely in that they have come out of the garage after a few weeks looking pretty clear.
My comment about Esters and overheating the yeast in some batches didn't relate to the 21-22C - that was the temperature in the middle of the fermenting bin. I reckon it's the stuff at the bottom that overheated due to the floor temperature it was in almost direct contact with being, probably, up to 35C at times - something I didn't think of when I decided to keep the fermenter there. I will know after my next batch I've just started, sitting on a raised plinth, is done if that solves the Esters problem.

 

[Agentgonzo]

This seemed to be maintaining the perfect Fermentation temperature of about 20-22C but perhaps I have completely killed the yeast, but all my other batches have been treated the same and they had a head

You won't kill the yeast by this temperature (they're happy in the mid 30s).

But higher temperatures generate more phenols which can kill the head. Even though previous batches were treated the same, the cold weather could mean you have the heating on more, and your under-beer heater might have been on a lot more than previous batches.

 

[The Baron]

As Agent has said you will not kill the yeast at the temps you are talking about so I would bring them back in to the warmth and see if they carbonate, you can but try again and see what happens

 

[RoomWithABrew]

A week probably not long enough for yeast to work at room temp.
Some people put some beer when bottling into a plastic bottle. Then it's firmness can be assessed as a guide to carbonation.
You also started process with cool beer and it will take time for all the bottles to warm up.
In fact standing them on your underfloor heating should help.

 

[foxy]

I've just opened my latest batch which is a Ritchey's Simply Yorkshire Bitter. It's only my 5th batch since I started brewing from the very basic kits and previous kits have all had a reasonable head on pouring even if it didn't last long. Very disappointing when what comes out has absolutely no sign of head whatsoever. It's like drinking flat coke although it does taste of beer, if slightly sweet suggesting that the priming sugar just didn't ferment. When I bottled it there was certainly some cloudiness which suggested to me there would be some resident yeast.

The only things I did differently to previous batches were:

1) I'd acquired and used a bottle washing device and drying rack,
2) I switched to Suresan from VWP to avoid the hassle of rinsing bottles,
3) I moved the fermenting bin out to the garage for 24 hours before bottling as it seemed very cloudy and thought that would constitute a cold crash (I've since been told that cold crash needs to be down to low fridge temperatures and the Garage was probably only down at 8-10 degrees at the time). I also wanted to do the bottling in a garage to reduce cleaning up.

There has been a slight estery smell / taste to a couple of the batches which after researching I'm putting down to having the bin sitting on tiles on our underfloor heating. This seemed to be maintaining the perfect Fermentation temperature of about 20-22C but perhaps I have completely killed the yeast, but all my other batches have been treated the same and they had a head. I will be lifting future batches slightly off the floor.

Any thoughts on what might be the cause?

Thanks!

Did you sanitise your bottles 24 hours before? Or right before you filled them?

 

[BobM]

Did you sanitise your bottles 24 hours before? Or right before you filled them?

24 hours before...

 

[matt.]

Flip top bottles or caps? Everything in order re sealing the bottles?

 

[foxy]

24 hours before...

Starsan, which is a similar product recommends sanitising immediately before use.

 

[BobM]

Starsan, which is a similar product recommends sanitising immediately before use.

I will try that next time!

 

[foxy]

I will try that next time!

Your not alone, I have lost two beers by cutting corners in the sanitising dept.

 

[starseeker]

One week is no where near enough to carb your beer, give them another couple of weeks in a warm place and things will be very different , most people give there beer , two weeks fermenting ,two carbonating and two conditioning .

 

[matt.]

One week is no where near enough to carb your beer, give them another couple of weeks in a warm place and things will be very different , most people give there beer , two weeks fermenting ,two carbonating and two conditioning .

Yes indeed. Since I started 2/2/2+ my brews have improved 100%