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I have just put me ginger beer into the keg, and gassing

I have tried at different times, and the gas starts of giving the ginger beer a great head, but then quickly dissappears.

Will the beer head if i leave it long enough, or am i wasting my time trying to achieve a head?

LOL.. sounds like a personal problem dont it

Cheers

I've made a few ginger beers, mostly non-alcoholic for the kids. None of them have held a head for any amount of time.

we have made a number of ginger beers which i would consider more or less successful - but none keep a head of any note

In order to keep the head I have needed to add 250g of CaraPils during the Mash

Dogger

cheers guys..

mine is getting a great head.. but dissapates quite quickly.

i might even give that CaraPils a go.. what is it??

It is a grain which needs to be mashed with some pale malt. It produces a lot of malto dextrins and can add to a sweetness (from the maltodextrins) It can not be used by itself, it does not have the enzymes required to convert the starches.

Dogger

Would using dried/powdered maltodextrin have the same effect?

Carapils/Carapilsner/Dextrin malt is a lightly kilned crystal malt. & like all "Cara" types of malts it does not need to mashed.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-4-1.html

http://www.grumpys.com.au/phpshop/?page ... 3&keyword=&

I think Chris. that you will find that there is a big difference between Cara Pils and Crystal Malt. The two are not the same at all. And Cara Pils does need to be mashed.

Dogger

Yeah whatever you say Dogger.

Does the Cara not stand for Caramel/Crystal? Suggesting that there has been a certain level of kilning? There may not be the same level as caramelisation as regular crystal. But it does contain sugars.

But maybe before you go handing out incorrect information you should atleast consult the manufacturer? send them an email & let us know how you go Dogger.

http://www.weyermann.de/eng/produkte.as ... &sprache=2

Carapils does not need to be mashed. Steeping will be fine.
& it is essentially the same as dextrin malt.

Uhh,

No,

CaraPils is also called dextrine malt or Cara foam which is malted in the same fashion as any other mash required grain. Unfortunatly the grain that it comes from lacks the enzymes required to break down the starches into sugars and maltodextrins which is why it needs to mashed with Pale Malt or some other grain that has the required enzymes.

Crystal Malt on thee other hand is made from green malt, which is malted barley that hasn't been dried yet and is produced by drying the germinated barley at controled temperatures. Then the malt is mashed in the grain as the temp is brought to 212 deg F which is 100 deg C. Starches are rapidly converted to sugars and while warm, the sugars stay in a liquid state. Once cooled the sugars crystalise. Because of this process, some of the sugars and starches wont ferment so that adds to the sweetness of the beer and aids in the head retention.

But hey, don't take my word, be ignorant.

Whatever but just so you know your links are proving nothing

Dogger

The Dogman cometh

Chris. here are two references I have found on Cara-pils.

First

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-1.html

Second

Homebrewing Guide by Dave Miller
In a section under Specialty Malts, Crystal Malts.

"There is one crystal malt that stands apart from all others, both in its manufacture and use. This is dextrin malt, also known as cara-crystal or cara-pils malt. It is stewed at higher temperature than caramel malt, which results in the creation of a large proportion of compounds called "dextrins." Dextrins are carbohydrates that are intermediate in size between starches and fermentable sugars. They are tasteless but impart mouthfeel (body) and foam retention to the finished beer. To avoid darkening the color, dextrin malt is kilned at a low temperature. This makes it useful both in pale and darker beers."

Then under Using Specialty Malts

"Most specialty malts are best used in a mash along with pale and/or high-kilned brewers' malts. This method assures conversion of any residual starch and, in the case of naked grains, provides some husk material to give porosity to the mash. However, the dark roasted grains and caramel malts (not dextrin malt) can be extracted in hot water to enhance the flavor and color of beers brewed from malt extract."

I have never used Cara-pils however research would suggests it needs to be mashed.

Shaun wrote:I have never used Cara-pils however research would suggests it needs to be mashed.

That's definately been my finding in the past.

"It is stewed at higher temperature than caramel malt, which results in the creation of a large proportion of compounds called "dextrins." Dextrins are carbohydrates that are intermediate in size between starches and fermentable sugars. They are tasteless but impart mouthfeel (body) and foam retention to the finished beer."

- Exactly. the whole point of using Cara-pils is to aid in head retention. Not produce fermentable sugars. & If we were trying to breakdown these starches/dextrins into fermentable sugars (by mashing) wouldn't that be defeating the purpose of using the cara-pils in the first place?
To add unfermentables is the whole point of using it.

Steeping may release some starches from the grain but using it in smaller amounts (100-200g max) isn't going to cause much of an issue.

I would like to take this oppertunity to thank people for the kind E-mails I have recieved over this post. I would like to have answered in person but the Hotmail accounts no longer seem to be functioning.

I have learned all sorts of new names and uses for various parts of my anatomy. In fact, if I could do some of those things I would never have to leave the house.

To the individual who suggested I take "my Budweiser slop and Sepo Yank Ass" and talk a walk, please, get yourself a map.

Guess that about does it folks.

Been a real piece of heaven

Dogger,

I was just reading this post to learn me some brewing.

Your comment on your inbox being hit with 'flame' type emails is poor form.

My name is Sean - and the inbred and ignorant often call me Seamus to get a rise out of me. Like the ribbing a Canuck about Bud eh? Losers.

Anyway, I'd like to thank your for your posts that I have read while learning this craft. Very gratefully appreciated.

Best,

InCider.