No Head Retention -Can't Understand Why?

[harry_mac]

If you aren't sure what's wrong, stir it with a scrupulously clean fork. If a head forms, its carbonated

That must be a southern thing - the northern equivalent would be to take a mouthful of beer and spit it back into the glass.

[beer gut]

I have had the same problem with some of my ales.We should also not forget that when buying a bottle of real ale from the supermarket alot if not all are not bottled conditioned there for there are never going to be like are ales caus we bottle conditioned the ale's.I have proved this in the past when i bought 3 bottles of yorkhire ale from Mark&spencers that where bottled conditioned and they did not keep there heads for long peroids.I also think long maturation is very importent to get a nice tight head and when it comes to high grav ales it is well known that ther don't keep there head as long as a session ale i can't seem to remember why but there is a scientific bull s**!treason for it.I have also read that hops have something to do with good head formation and retenion that's why the highly hoped I.P.A's ect normally have great head "giggedy giggedy".Hope my rant has helped but there is alot of diffrent reasons/mystery's with craft brewing.

[beer gut]

Thanx for that i knew there was reason on why high grav beers don't keep there heads.The best ale i have made that kept it's head perfectly was my brown ale it had a fabulose head creamy and it staid all the way through the pint, in fact that is one if not thee best ale i have made so far that's why it went on the pumps at my local micro brewery.