Head Retention

[Weiss]

Anyone got any secrets for improving head retention with kits? 

[Ciderhead]

Coopers BE2

[johnrm]

You could use 'heading powder' too.
Available in sachets in your brew-store.

[Ciderhead]

You could use 'heading powder' too.
Available in sachets in your brew-store.

All the head shops have been closed John.
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/06/25/enhancing-beer-head-retention-for-home-brewers/

[Will_D]

I am just waiting for the latest Tube'ism:

Wallpaper paste?

Don't drink beer near a guillotine?

[Damo]

Oh good lord will!

I'll place a tenner on Tube'ism by the end of day 

on topic:

You could try swap out some fermentables for maybe 250g of wheat spray malt

[Greg2013]

Steep some carapils in a muslin bag in a couple of litres of water and bring to boil and add to wort.

[LordEoin]

use a dirty glass...
or all of the previous suggestions

[loftybush]

What fermentables have you been using with your kits?

[irish_goat]

I have done my amber ale recipe twice in a row with the only main difference being the use of wheat malt and carapils. The wheat malt has given far better head retention (imo).

[LordEoin]

Yeah, the wheat malt kicks ass but I generally just stick with 250G carapils.
It's simple to steep, easier to store and you get 4 batches out of a kilo for about 3euro, precrushed.

Avoiding using sugar and brewing to 20L also help.

I've never used heading powder or maltodextrin, and generally stay away from the brew enhancers.

[Weiss]

What fermentables have you been using with your kits?

Usually just a tin of malt extract and have steeped some malt or orange peel if I'm doing a dunkel, wit or choc stout.

[Garry]

Apologies for hyjacking this tread! The carapils sounds interesting but I'm still very much a novice and have never used grains before.

What temperature do you steep the carapils at and for how long?

[Ciderhead]

That's for shaving your legs

[LordEoin]

I generally steep carapils at 65-70C for about 30 minutes. You can steep it in cold water overnight too.

Then strain the liquid and bring it to the boil for a minute to clean it up.