Head Formation and Rentention

Some very useful information about cleaning glassware in this thread which is part of Beer 101 under Articles.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glassware/

 

As a consumer beer-drinker there is little that you can do to improve head retention other than the drinking glass/mug being free of soap or oil. (Maybe a warmer beer will give you a larger head, but Head retention can be affected by certain ingredients during the brewing process, i.e. certain grains, but these grains are not typical of most recipes because they provide color or flavor that negatively affects the beer's style, thus can't be used in every beer just for the head retention properties. Here is a link to a search that I did of the Homebrewing forum that discusses head retention in homebrewed beers. https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...?q=retention&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=8 Hopefully there is good info in these threads to help you get an answer.

 

I have not used soap on my glassware in over a year. I have a beer and then rinse with very hot water. My beers now have a perfect foamy head and awesome lacing. I never have any off flavors from soap etc. If you wash right after using you don't get any residue or smells, it always comes out clean. (Check out pic below, this is typical on most beers now).
Cheers

 

Whatever you do... don't put your glass in the freezer

 

Dr. Charlie Bamforth will be able to give you WAY more than you ever wanted to know about foam and head retention. He has appeared on several Beersmith podcasts discussing it.

 

In the past year or so, my FIL has gotten into this habit, and always mentions "hey theres a cpl chilled glasses in the freezer if you want one"... politely refuse it every time. I'd rather drink out of a Solo cup to be honest.

 

The worst part is the people who are offering always have the best intentions

 

OK shoot me but on a very hot day a glass of bud or miller in an iced over mug is dam good. I know its not what we should do but dam if it was not tasty when scorching outside. LOL

 

I won't shoot you. You should drink what you like.

And since you live in AZ I suspect you experience a lot of "very hot days".

Cheers!

 

When its 115 out and you get an ice cold beer and the cup is ice cold man it does taste good. Especially if you have been out in the sun all day. I wont do it often but it has its place for sure.

 

Yep, and I don’t expect much in the way of looks other than a thin foamy head.

 

Not pretty to look at that's for sure but it gets the job done.

 

Seems that no one has offered the obvious, pour your beer right. Start your pour low into a glass tipped to 45 degrees, with about a third left tip the glass upright and finish your pour. That and clean glassware are all the control we have as consumers

 

That's not the technique that Randy Mosher suggests in Tasting Beer - POUR FOR GREAT FOAM - he's a "pour aggressively down the middle of the (untilted) glass" advocate, which is also the method many US brewers over the years recommend for PROPER POURING - as can be seen, with some slightly variations.

 

As others have said. Properly cleaned glass. What that really means is that it is rinsed out thoroughly and that there are no nucleation points present.
Pour how you like, but you will get a better presentation of the beer you are about to drink if you take a minute or two and pour it aggressively. Why? The C02 is poured out of solution which creates head, and also releases aromatics.
Use soap. Do whatever, and use it well. Just make sure you rinse that cleansing agent you used out thoroughly.

 

I asked a local Brewer about this and he said that if he used an inferior malt he could produce a head like a Mr Whippy ice cream. But he persists in using floor malted Maris Otter
A large head in these parts is not regarded as a sign of quality. Anything more than a finger width wastes beer room in a glass. But with a well brewed and served cask ale the head is tight and lasts to the bottom of the glass.

 

There really are an enormous amount of factors and assuming that you are at your home, only so many of them are within your control. First things first.
1) Beer clean glass. VERY few dishwashers will get glassware this clean. Much better to use a fresh sponge or brush with HOT soapy water. Then rinse repeatedly with HOT water. That should do it.
2) Final rinse should be done with cool clean, preferably filtered water immediately prior to filling the glass. If your water at the house is either hard (over 100ppm of alkalinity) and/or is high in chlorine, bromine, chlorimates or bromates filtered water is best. The later can be removed with a carbon filter alone, the prior you would need RO.

Lastly, if you are pouring beer into scratched glassware (any shaker pint that has been stacked will be scratched) there really is no way to get the glass beer clean.