Advice needed after 2nd beer brewed with no head and has flat profile

[Shanna]

Hi there

Just sampled a bottle of Scotch ale that unfortunately has no head.  When I open the swing top bottle there is a loud pop telling me there is a fair amount of pressure in the bottle. When I pour the beer I get a head on the beer but within a minute it is completely gone and the beer is flat. This is the 2nd beer I have had this problem.  The first was a ginger and it was the previous beer I made (two in a row n is I a worrying trend) I put it down to me using too much table sugar and the fact that it was an extract brew also using spray malt.

I am pretty sure the issue with the Scotch ale is in how I clean the bottles. I use 4 scoops of lidl oxy soaking them in a large pharma drum with cold water. I drain them off and then wash them out either with cold water or else use a container of star San. I have read that residual cleaning products in the bottles break down fats that are critical for the head.

Is this something that might sort itself with age or should I chuck these beers? How do others who use oxy wash their bottles and ensure they are free of residue? Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Shanna

[Dunkel]

I usually oxy wash my bottles, and then rinse them three times in plain water (wait until the water charge comes in). Is it possible that the Starsan does not remove any residual traces of oxy? Or could it be your glasses? Apparently any trace of washing up liquid will kill the head, but glasses through the dishwasher are ok. Safest is just washing them yourself with plain water.
I wouldn't chuck the beer. You know it's carbonated, so I presume it tastes grand. Drink it from a porcelain mug if the appearance worries you overmuch. 

[BrewCity]

Besides addressing your bottle cleaning, you can also try adding dextrins to your beer.  This is easy to add in to your grain bill when you're brewing all grain, but if you want to stick to extract syrup brews it can be added through something called heading powder, or also through Cooper's "Beer Enhancer"

[Shanna]

I presume you mean rinse three times under the tap? I have a bottle cleaner that I used to use to squirt  water into the bottles but was trying using StarSan solution more recently to try save some time in preparing bottles.  Best to revert back and seers if this helps. Next batch of beer I brew I might try a few different approaches to try nail it down.

The flat beer is a serious demotivator as while the beer had alcohol it tastes flat and is not nice to drink  unfortunately.

Shanna

I usually oxy wash my bottles, and then rinse them three times in plain water (wait until the water charge comes in). Is it possible that the Starsan does not remove any residual traces of oxy? Or could it be your glasses? Apparently any trace of washing up liquid will kill the head, but glasses through the dishwasher are ok. Safest is just washing them yourself with plain water.
I wouldn't chuck the beer. You know it's carbonated, so I presume it tastes grand. Drink it from a porcelain mug if the appearance worries you overmuch. 

[Dunkel]

   Firstly, yes, I drain the bottles, then wash the outside under a running tap, then fill three times with water and drain. Possibly OCD. Then spray with Videne (Iodine solution) and drain, then fill.
   When you say the beer is flat, do you mean the beer isn't carbonated? I would think it should be if you get a pop from the fliptops.

[Shanna]

No it has loads of Co2 but it is not staying in solution within the beer.  It stays within the bottle because it is c sealed but as soon as you pour it the beer goes entirely flat within 45 to 60 seconds.

Shanna

   Firstly, yes, I drain the bottles, then wash the outside under a running tap, then fill three times with water and drain. Possibly OCD. Then spray with Videne (Iodine solution) and drain, then fill.
   When you say the beer is flat, do you mean the beer isn't carbonated? I would think it should be if you get a pop from the fliptops.

[Ciderhead]

I was going to tell a joke about ..
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/06/25/enhancing-beer-head-retention-for-home-brewers/

[Shanna]

What stopped you Nice article ginger beer had no hops or grains.  The Scotch ale had hops and some grains with high dextrin content.  Will be focusing on washing the bottles better next time and will also add some higher alpha acid hops. Might do an ipa and then a stout that I should have less issues hopefully.

Shanna

I was going to tell a joke about ..
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/06/25/enhancing-beer-head-retention-for-home-brewers/

[Ciderhead]

Ladies present and I am too much of a Gentleman.

[RichC]

I know it's only suitable for some styles but dry hopping seems to dramatically improve head retention. I did a side by side with a kit a few years ago and the DH made a big difference. Strange because the beersmith article says that it's the additional AAs that help head retention, although DHopping doesn't increase bitterness, just aroma/flavour.....

[BrewCity]

Strange because the beersmith article says that it's the additional AAs that help head retention, although DHopping doesn't increase bitterness, just aroma/flavour.....

The bitterness doesn't come from Alpha Acids exactly, it comes from iso-alpha acids. When the hops are boiled the alpha acids are isomerized. If you don't boil hops you just get the natural alpha acids which can add flavor and aroma, not the iso-alpha acids that cause bitterness.

[RichC]

Thanks Brewcity!
I should probably read that Stan Hieronymous book I bought:)

[ColMack]

I don't use anything to wash my bottles only rinse with water after drinking and then starsan to sterilise before bottling.

You could try adding a bit of wheat DME to each of your brews.  I almost always use a bit of wheat in my brews 5 - 10% which seems to help head retention.

[beerfly]

i generally have the same problem, little or no head after a minute sometimes a lot less.  i just rinse my bottles with starsan

[Shanna]

If I remember correctly I used a container of star san to dunk the bottles in and I probably ended up just concentrating the oxy residue in it.

Shanna

i generally have the same problem, little or no head after a minute sometimes a lot less.  i just rinse my bottles with starsan