[flbrewer]

I've noticed that a particular beer I'm enjoying right now (Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale) has a very distinct head. It doesn't look like the typical beer head. Any thoughts?

[flbrewer]

I've noticed that a particular beer I'm enjoying right now (Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale) has a very distinct head. It doesn't look like the typical beer head. Any thoughts? I have noticed this before with this beer FWIW.

[HoosierBrew]

1/ Grist differences - small amounts of wheat or flaked barley contribute to good foam. Don't know their grist makeup, though.

2/ Hop levels - hop forward beers have better foam as a rule. I see it's an APA, but some are fairly hoppy.

3/ Carbonation level - highly carbed beers often have rocky foam. Think Belgian.

4/ Process - they're a great brewery, so I'm sure their fermentation temp, mash schedule, pH, etc are conducive to that.

5/ Your glass - is this glass a little cleaner/better rinsed than your others? Cleanliness and method of cleaning make a huge difference. There was a recent thread along these lines.

[Stevie]

Yeah, I tend to get that sort of foam from a beer with a large amount of hops. I rye IPA I brewed a few years back had cappuccino foam.

[HoosierBrew]

Yeah, I tend to get that sort of foam from a beer with a large amount of hops. I rye IPA I brewed a few years back had cappuccino foam.

I think maybe even more than IPAs , the best, rocky foam I ever get is from my American stout  -  I use flaked barley and of course some finishing hops. Crazy thick foam. If it didn't have that flavor in pale beers, I'd put flaked barley in damn near everything.

[majorvices]

Hops are incredible foam enhancers. There are also a myriad of thing you can do to enhance your foam at the homebrew level. Carbonation level is a HUGE factor. You can't float a head of foam on subpar carbonation.

[brewday]

This month's Zymurgy has an excerpt from the Malt book in which Wayne Wambles discusses using Cara-Foam.  He's the head brewer there.

 

[flbrewer]

You know what sad? I read that earlier today and obviously didn't pay close enough attention!

[toby]

1/ Grist differences - small amounts of wheat or flaked barley contribute to good foam. Don't know their grist makeup, though.

2/ Hop levels - hop forward beers have better foam as a rule. I see it's an APA, but some are fairly hoppy.

3/ Carbonation level - highly carbed beers often have rocky foam. Think Belgian.

4/ Process - they're a great brewery, so I'm sure their fermentation temp, mash schedule, pH, etc are conducive to that.

5/ Your glass - is this glass a little cleaner/better rinsed than your others? Cleanliness and method of cleaning make a huge difference. There was a recent thread along these lines.

All this.  The two things that make a huge difference for me in such a case are hopping and Carafoam.  My IPAs and late/dry hopped beers have incredible retention due to those two factors.  I add 1/2# of Carafoam per 5 gallons and it makes a tremendous difference in head forming proteins.  Add late/dry hops and you'll get head for days.

[pete b]

What's the flavor contribution of cara foam? Would it be used in place of caramel/ crystal?

[klickitat jim]

<10% in an IPA will be undetectable.

[HoosierBrew]

What's the flavor contribution of cara foam? Would it be used in place of caramel/ crystal?

Carafoam is Weyermann's carapils. Just a pale dextrin malt.

[hopfenundmalz]

What's the flavor contribution of cara foam? Would it be used in place of caramel/ crystal?

Carafoam is Weyermann's carapils. Just a pale dextrin malt.

Weyermann has the trademark for carapils in the rest of the world, but somehow Briess has the trademark in the US.

[HoosierBrew]

What's the flavor contribution of cara foam? Would it be used in place of caramel/ crystal?

Carafoam is Weyermann's carapils. Just a pale dextrin malt.

Weyermann has the trademark for carapils in the rest of the world, but somehow Briess has the trademark in the US.

Hadn't heard that.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

actually think carafoam is a better marketing name anyway.