Cool trick to prevent boil overs

SWMBO found this tip on Pinterest and told me about it. Basically, you just put a wooden, anything really, over the top of your kettle and as soon as the bubbles that are about to boil over hit the wood, it all goes away. I did a small scale test with the starter I made today and it totally worked. I am going to find a bigger wooden kitchen spoon to try it out on my next brew. In theory, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work as long as the spoon is big enough.

...so what does the spoon or rather wood actually do for the boil over? Does it give the bubbles something to pop against? Metal work? I play with my flame know like its going out if style until all settles

I have no idea how it works, just that it does. I did a quick search and all I found out was that the spoon makes the bubbles pop and that you could, in fact, use something metal. From watching it happen, though, I'd say it's got to be more than just making the bubbles pop. I mean, as soon as the bubbles hit the spoon, they all went away, not just the ones that touched the spoon. I'll see if I can find some more info.

True!

jmtwo said:

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I love this idea... will have to look into it more.

and this picture made me laugh!

Thanks. I'm going to try a wooden spoon handle in the neck of my flask for my next starter.

I did a little more research and apparently since the wood is cooler than the wort, when the bubbles hit, a lot of heat get dissipated to the spoon causing the boil over to stop. Knowing that, my new plan is to only use the spoon at the high boil over risk points (beginning of boil and all hop charges). That way the spoon doesn't get so hot that it won't be effective at countering the boil over.

I'm gonna have to give this a try. I use a 9 gallon kettle and always seem to come dangerously close to a boil over, although I haven't actually had one in quite a while. Still this seems a lot easier than hovering over the propane regulator.

There has to be something more to it here, right? My lid doesn't stop boil overs but it's basically the same temperature. I will be testing this next brew day as well.. I have to admit, I am skeptical but I will try anything. I have heard of using some silicon additive. I would rather take my chances on a boil over than put junk in my beer.

I live and die by fermcap-s! I started using it a couple of months ago and I'm never looking back! This stuff is like magic! It is especially useful in my flask when making starters!

rgontasz said:

I live and die by fermcap-s! I started using it a couple of months ago and I'm never looking back! This stuff is like magic! It is especially useful in my flask when making starters!

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Ditto. I'm sure you're wooden spoon trick works just fine. I'll take Fermcap-S over a wooden spoon though.

Another thing that works good is a spray bottle full of water.

Still take Fermcap-S over that also.

I use one drop of Fermcap for my vigorous starters, never used it at boil.. I"m skeptic it will affect head retention.
For me, old trick with few coins in BK does the job to prevent boil-over.

nukebrewer said:

SWMBO found this tip on Pinterest and told me about it. Basically, you just put a wooden, anything really, over the top of your kettle and as soon as the bubbles that are about to boil over hit the wood, it all goes away. I did a small scale test with the starter I made today and it totally worked. I am going to find a bigger wooden kitchen spoon to try it out on my next brew. In theory, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work as long as the spoon is big enough.

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I will try anything....

Since I switched to Keggels, my Blichmann does not fit the brewtree, I have had many boil overs... (and I am watching the damn thing)

I assume it has something to do with the geomatry of a Keggle, narrow and tall. but it has been a "BirchTree"....

Multiple boil overs for the same batch.... I think I had more in one day than I had had in ten years....

DPB

... Oh and welcome to CONUS.... you will now get all four seasons... and being in CT I think it goes like this 2 months Spring, 2 months Summer, 2 months Fall, and 9 months Winter... (then again my math could be off a bit,,, maybe there is more Winter....)

My wife does that on all the food she cooks. It is a good place to rest the spoon and it prevents boil overs.

Also, having a spray bottle of water is very helpful. When the boil starts getting out of control, a few sprays brings it down quickly.

I just give it a few shots of water from a spray bottle and the foam subsides. Works like a charm every time. Maybe this works on the same principle though, the water being a cooler temperature than the wort and breaking the bubbles.

I usually use a spray bottle with water in it to help with the foam and boil overs. Works great for me!

Aim a fan at the top of your kettle.

Fireplace bellows ?

Oils in the wooden spoon maybe? You can drop the head off of a soda (or beer) if you swipe the bridge of your nose or forehead and touch the foam. The oils from your skin break the cohesion/surface tension of the bubbles; it’s pretty much the principle behind Fermcap-s.

I use a big BP, and hit the protein break using a temp probe to tell me when it's 209F or about to start boiling. After the protein break, it's not going to boil over as easly.

diS said:

I use one drop of Fermcap for my vigorous starters, never used it at boil.. I"m skeptic it will affect head retention.
For me, old trick with few coins in BK does the job to prevent boil-over.

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I use 3-4 drops in 10 gallon batches with no effect on head retention at all.

Demon said:

I use 3-4 drops in 10 gallon batches with no effect on head retention at all.

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Agreed. That "Fermcap junk" doesn't effect head retention, taste or the beer in general for that matter. Also, contrary to the fear mongers, I haven't died yet either. And I've used it since batch #27.

Wooden spoon sounds cool though.

Fermcap-S for me. I use 2 drops per gallon...is that to much? Haven't noticed any issues with my beer.

Mitch Steele from Stone Brewery mentioned that using some of your hops before boil (FWH) helps prevent boil-overs. Something about the hop oils I think.
I've tried it twice so far, with my normal at boil addition going in as soon as I'm done sparging, and so far no boil-overs.
Typically I'm running for the spray bottle while also trying to turn down the burner at least once per session, so maybe it's working?

I just use a spray bottle with water to mist it as it boils up and it controls it well. It knocks the bubbles right down.

I tried the spray bottle with no luck, ... I think I was using a pretty fine mist and it was room temp. Is this why it doesn't work for me? I have definately noticed that extract batches are tougher to contain than AG..

Anyone care to elaborate specifics for the spray bottle trick?

agentEhrman said:

I tried the spray bottle with no luck, ... I think I was using a pretty fine mist and it was room temp. Is this why it doesn't work for me? I have definately noticed that extract batches are tougher to contain than AG..

Anyone care to elaborate specifics for the spray bottle trick?

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Basically, you just repeatedly spray the foam with water until it drops down. It should only take a few sprays, sometimes several, but I've never had an instance where it didn't work. The water I use is room temperature and I start spraying as I see the foam starting to rise...

used this trick last night on a yeast starter I was boiling in my flask. Just let the wooden spoon rest with the handle going straight down the neck. Not even once did the wort attempt to climb the neck. I dont think I will ever try and boil in my flask without it.

The wood is acting as a nucleation site. The stir bar will do the same thing if you boil the starter with the stir bar in the flask. I found this out one day when I wanted to make a starter and I didn't have star san available to sanitize the stir bar. I decided that boiling it would do the trick and the lack of boil over was a nice surprise.

I have had a vesuvius-esque boil over with my stir bar in the flask.