Low head retention on my first batch

[Boppcity]

Hello fellow brewers, I have just joined the club and actually just enjoyed the first bottle of my caribou slobber. It tast good, maybe not great, but then again first attempt at a beer so I am very happy.
This was a 1gallon extract kit, fermentation 14 days at about 70-72 degrees. And bottle conditioned at the same temp for 12 more days(2 days shy of planned). The beer was well carbonated (just going off of what I have come to expect from commercial examples), but the 1 inch head went away almost immediately after I finished pouring. The beer still had the typical bubbles working there way to the top of the beer for about 3-5minutrs and then went flat. I plan on letting the other bottles continue to condition for several more day, but wondered if this was normal or I'd I have messed something up?

[squeegeethree]

I suggest you leave your fully carbonated bottles in the fridge for a minimum of 2 days before serving, preferably 3 days. This will allow the CO2 to become "dissolved" in your beer and will give you a longer carbonation. I don't often have the patience for this myself.

[Boppcity]

Thanks for the much needed advice, and I think I have the same patience issue. After all it takes at least a month to get that first sip In! It was worth it though!

[squeegeethree]

Eventually you will have a pipeline established and a steady supply stream. I quickly realized that doing 5 gallons at a time, instead of the 2.5g I started learning with, was no additional work or time and twice the supply. The trick is to be fermenting a new batch as soon the previous batch is bottled.

[sneezles61]

Soaps and such will affect the brew in your glass...
A very hot water rinsing... spray some star san on, then one more rinsing... Stored with the rim down... Room temp or frozen..
Sneezles61

[dannyboy58]

Both responses are great advice that should help. There are a lot of other recipe factors that can effect head retention as well.

If you put your glasses through the dishwasher just know that the biggest head killer is the rinse agents some folks use in their dishwasher. These will knock out head in a heart beat and affect retention and lacing.

[Boppcity]

Thank you all for the advice, sounds like I didn't do anything wrong so that's good. I'll change my cleaning methods for my glasses and chill the bottles to see if the head retention improves.
Just bottled a second batch last night. Does fermentation/bottle conditioning temperature affect this at all? My apartment is reliable on the high end of the recomended fermentation Temps, 72 degrees ambient.

[sneezles61]

Carbonating in the bottle at 72*F is good. Some turn the bottles a few times during this time.. Suppose to git the yeast back into the solution and finish its job.
Sneezles61

[dannyboy58]

72F is a little warm for ale fermentation for my taste but if it's working well for you it shouldn't have much impact on the head. You'll just have more esters and likely more fruity flavored ales than one fermented 8-10 degrees cooler. If you're interested in lowering the ferm temp google swamp cooler for a cheap n easy setup idea. For bottle carbonation, warmer is better within reason.

[squeegeethree]

I haven't really noticed (even rather extreme) temps effecting bottle conditioning tastes

[MFED]

Buy another case of beer from the store, leave your homebrew bottles in room temperature for another 2 or 3 weeks (ok, maybe buy 2 cases), then as suggested put one in the fridge, wait 2 days and see how much head you have... you will probably be ok. If not do it again.. I typically think that you need a month to bottle condition.

With less than 2 weeks in a bottle I don't think you gave it enough time to be able to come to a conclusion that it is your process..

[sneezles61]

Lets see... 12 bottles a day.. times 14... comes to.... I don't think 2 cases is enuff...
Sneezles61

[tominboston]

When I carb’d in the bottles I found I needed 3 weeks before they were where I liked for carbonation. I have never brewed the caribou slobber however but many other ales.
All this beer talk, I need to go to the basement and grab me a Baltic porter. Perfect for a cold rainy afternoon....