Beer Forum

So I'm trying to make a "proper" mild ale as described in BCS. The beer tastes great. My question is regarding proper carbonation.

It's been conditioning at 6psi, 42F for 1 week, no shaking or acceleration techniques employed. Poured a glass last night-- the head was coarse with large bubbles. The beer seemed flat -- could feel the carbonation but the head fell really quickly leaving a small rim of foam around the edge of the glass.

So do you think I am dealing with incompletely carbonated beer or with a beer at 1.5 volumes? I've never had a real mild -- if this were any other beer I've made, this is what I would describe as not-yet-ready ...........

It can take some time for the CO2 to "meld" with he beer. Give it a few weeks and see what happens. OTOH if you have somehow destroyed all the protein there will be nothing to support a head.

That's kinda what I was thinking .... but never having had a beer (properly) carbonated so low, I don't have a reference point for comparison.

I don't usually try it before it's been conditioning for 2 weeks --- it seems that's what it takes with my system of benign neglect .....

-- Scott

JZ talks about this in the lagering episode of brew strong. Fine head negative particulates will fall out of the beer while cold aging over time. At first you'll have big bubbles that quickly dissipate, but after the particles fall out you'll get smaller bubbles that hang around longer, provided you've still got enough protein to support a head as aj suggested. Give it a few weeks in the fridge and see how it goes, or you could try accelerating the process with some finings.

Tasting right at the 2 week mark I get the small bubbles and creamy head we are talking about .... the head is a bit thin and falls pretty quickly, but otherwise it looks and tastes good.

I get a Fuller's London Pride - like taste .... (but thats a bitter, right?) ...... only a little "smaller". A nice beer -- are there any commercially available Milds available over here, either microbrew or imported?