Getting a good head on beer

[Rodan]

hey guys,

I have to bottle my Oatmeal Stout soon and that got me thinking... what do i really like about stouts (besides flavour)? Appearance!!!

As I searched around the net, looking for the best way to prime i discovered that many people have ideosyncratic methods of obtaining that perfect level of carbonation. I also have been recommended this link, which charts out ideal levels of sugar to obtain desired carbonation.
http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

The problem? Only dextrose, sucrose and DME are listed as options! I know that there are many different sugars that will do the job, BUT i cant seem to find suggested levels for them!

I have desided that i would like to use Liquid Invert Sugar to prime my Oatmeal Stout. Does anyone have any suggestions that will allow me to obtain the desired thick and moussy head for my Oatmeal Stout? How much should i use?

 

[disaffected]

I'm not sure about the affect of carbonating sugars on head formation. I think head formation is more a function of the grains used than the carbonation.

For a stout, I think that a small amount of unmalted roast barley or malted wheat would help with head formation and retention. Malted rye can be used to give a nice creamy character. Generally, the dark coloring grains tend to promote nice head and retention, and typically constitute about 10% of the grist in a stout grain bill.

 

[Rodan]

cool

heres what i used for my grain bill.

Oatmeal Stout- 5 gallons
expected OG= 1.052
actual OG= 1.054
IBU approx 35

2-row 9#
Crystal80 1#
Crystal120 0.2#
Oat Flakes 1.15#
Chocolate 0.6#
Roast Barley 0.6#
Black Patent 0.2#

Hops: Northdown (whole/fresh) 1.2#
Irish Moss at end of boil

Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale)- starter was made as well.

Mashing: Step Infusion
Strike temperature of grain was 55 celcius-held for 15 min
Raised to 68 celcius, held for 30 min
Raised to 77 celcius, mash out

sparge for approx 1 hour

Boiling time 1 hour
Hops added at 30 min
Irish moss at 50 mins

Fermentation held at 20 degrees celcius for 2 days. FAST fermentation!
Transferred to secondary (held at 15 degrees celcius for 10 days so far).


I think there is enough specialty grain to hold a good head.

I want to prime with Liquid Invert Sugar. Any tips?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I want to prime with Liquid Invert Sugar. Any tips?

Why? I can't see any advantage over using corn sugar and it costs more.

If you figure out the sugar content per volume from the label you can figure out how to get to around 3/4c corn sugar...probably 20-30% more liquid invert sugar.

 

[Rodan]

Why? I can't see any advantage over using corn sugar and it costs more.

i have a bit of leftover liquid invert sugar from a belgian beer i made a couple months ago... i figure ill just use it to prime this stout.

And, what do you guys think about the stout recipe itself?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Looks like it'll be a pretty tasty recipe - the crystal grains will help the head of your beer. Usually black patent isn't used in a stout, but if it gives you the dark roasted flavor and color you want, I don't think it's a bad thing.

 

[Rodan]

ya... the mission objective was to create a massive, black, thick, rich stout.
I actually took an existing recipe and modified it, adding more crystal( the 120), upping the chocolate and roasted barley, and then adding a bit of black patent.

I also modified it so i could end up with the proper OG, cause my efficiency isnt that high yet....

Making/modifying beer recipes is what homebrewing is all about! I love experimenting with things and if i made a bad choice, i learn for next time.


getting back to priming... i guess ill just use a little over a cup of Liquid Invert Sugar? Sound good? Objections? I want a thick rich moussy head....

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I want a thick rich moussy head....

As beer4breakfast mentioned the choice of priming sugar (or amount for that matter) won't have any effect on the creaminess of your beer's head.

If you want a creamy head such as on a draft Guiness you need to dispense through a stout tap using beer gas (mixture of nitrogen and CO2). The flaked oats you used should help to an extent with head retention.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

As for priming, again, the type of sugar doesn't matter so much as the amount. The equivalent of 3/4c corn sugar would carbonate your beer at around 2.4 volumes of CO2. For a creamier feel, you'd want to carbonate it a bit less, say 1.8-2.0 volumes. Since I don't have a good conversion factor for you, I'll just guess at saying 3/4c of liquid invert sugar would probably work alright.

 

[Rodan]

As beer4breakfast mentioned the choice of priming sugar (or amount for that matter) won't have any effect on the creaminess of your beer's head.

Now that im thinking about it, you guys are probably right....

This is the first stout ive brewed, but i usually try to brew belgian stuff, so its always important to me to get a nice thick rich head...

I guess to broaden the question, how in the hell do the belgian's get that "whipped cream" head!? Sometimes ill crack a bottle of La Chouffe or Chimay White (or something similar) and you can literally sit there and watch as the head forms for over 3 mins! Its insane! I just want THAT on a stout, except for the masive amount of carbonation! to bad... probably impossible without co2/nitrogen kegging which i dont have.... i have been unrealistic before (and probably ill do it again)!

I always figured that the belgian's could get that because of the high levels of carbonation....


thanks for the help! You guys are great!

ill probably use about a cup of liquid invert sugar (maybe a bit less)

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Stouts are usually barely carbonated. The commercial systems use 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2 to achieve the low carbonation level required for that creamy feel while still retaining enough keg pressure to dispense. You'll definitely want to avoid over-carbonating on purpose in search of the perfect pour.

 

[Rodan]

You'll definitely want to avoid over-carbonating on purpose in search of the perfect pour.

Definatly!

When it comes down to homebrews, you always want to strive to get exactly what you want. Thats why i was persistent! Its a shame when your envisioned "perfect" brew turns out to be less than perfect...

... which it would have been if i overcarbonated!

Thanks again guys! Maybe ill post a pic of my stout if it turns out good....