Head retention

[JohnSant]

I would like a little more head retention in my poured beers, but not sure how much carafoam or carafe I, III to use with each style of beer I brew. Is there a sight or publication that will give me this info?

[Beer-lord]

1/2 lb of carapils should do the trick, especially if you only steep grains. If you mash, carapils works as does wheat malt. Flaked barley has also been super great in a few of my beers though I rarely run into problems with head retention.

[RickBeer]

Carapils or Carafoam are supposed to work equally well. I've used both, but not compared them. 1/2 lb for 5 gallons is what I use also.

[gwcr]

Just to pile on here, I also use 1/2lb carapils for a 5 gallon batch, but not in every batch. Depends on what I'm brewing and the other ingredients. Results have been good for me.

[mashani]

I'll just toss in that if your using a bunch of crystal malt you should not need the carafoam/carapils, the crystal malt should be doing the job. You can safely consider those things to be "body but little to no flavor crystal replacement" for beers that have none.

If you are not opposed to tossing in non-grain things, just a bit of wheat DME will do the job too. IE 1/4# in a 2.5 gallon batch does nice things for head retention and doesn't otherwise affect it much.

Powdered maltodextrin also works, basically is adding the same thing as you are getting out of the carafoam/carapils, but you can just toss it in the boil. 2-4oz per 2.5 gallons is enough. If I'm otherwise just using extract / candi syrup and not steeping anything else, I will use this instead of a steep of just the carafoam. Saves time, and has no downsides that I am aware of.

[RickBeer]

Interesting. I've made a Blue Moon clone twice and had wheat LME, Crystal 10 and Carapils. Guess I can save that $.85 in the future. Also have it in an Irish Red recipe in addition to Crystal 120, but the recipe calls for it, but another Red recipe has Crystal 120 and doesn't. I just put 1/2 pound in my Oatmeal Stout in addition to Crystal 120 and flaked oats.

So basically I can eliminate it from all of these.

[Ibasterd]

I would like a little more head retention...

I'm flagging this as inappropriate!!!

[berryman]

I'm on board with the carapils, 1/4 lb in a 2.5 LBK or LBC and .5 lb in a 5 gal. extract. It really helps on a extract brew. Head retention and Lacing.

[JohnSant]

Thanks BORG for the quick response. Checked the thread before heading out the door to LHBS and picked up a 1/2 lb. of carafoam for my Summer Ale I'm going to do. Just to let you all know I have had very little head retention or hardly any lacing in any of my brews, and thought I should work on this to improve my brews, I do show plenty of carbonation so thought I needed something else to help.

BORG

[philm00x]

I can definitely attest to the benefits of carapils/carafoam in the grist. I love using it, especially on my Belgian styles because they should be heady and lace well, and the foam promotes great aroma. Like Don mentioned, just 1/4 lb for 2.5 gallons does the trick every time.