My third batch of pombe, unlike the first two, is a fantastic success. I wouldn't serve it to company, but it makes me confident that I shall have something presentable in the near future.
Only one wee problem: I didn't have any sugar left in the house, that all having gone into the ale, so I finished it with a can of caramel syrup I had lying around from one of my daughter's sandwich sprees. Then after I'd melted it in hot water and tossed it into the brew, I got around to reading the label. "...hydrogenated vegetable oil or coconut oil..." Oops. This means no head, and you have to pour it through a strainer to get rid of the slices of fat floating on the surface.
Cheers to all.
-dlj.