Avoiding Boil overs

This is going to sound like a total amateur question but every time I have brewed I have had an outrageous amount of foam constantly and having to constantly blow on the wort and spray it with it water. How do I avoid this? Is it a temperature thing?

How big are you boils? What size kettle are you using?

I have just started brewing with at Turkey Fryer outside and I have had 0 boil overs. My method is during the Hot Break once a boil starts I lower the dial on the temp control.

I suggest an Oscillating Fan if you are brewing inside to blow over the top of the kettle.

I was using a 16qt kettle for roughly 1.5 gallon wort boils. I got a new 30 qt pot so I started I using that but it just seems like it foams so much. Idk how you are supposed to control it for that long that's why I feel like I am doing something wrong. Ive had one boil over in the kitchen and it was awful

I just use a spray bottle with water in it to knock the foam back. Haven't used it but you could try fermcap s as that is supposed to control foam usually in starters but should still apply to boils. I also have read of people laying a spoon across the top of the pot and that supposedly stops the bubbles once they hit the spoon but I'm not brave enough to try that scenario. Much easier for me to give it a quick squirt or two with a bottle of water.

So you have a constant battle with foam for the full boil time?

SCBrewster said:

So you have a constant battle with foam for the full boil time?

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No with a pot that is big enough once you get past the hot break you can dial the heat back and let it gently boil for the whole hour. It does not have to be a full on huge boil just a nice easy rolling boil

Ok I thought that the hot break was towards the end of the boil when the foam finally stops? Am I wrong?

Fermcap s I did one all grain batch in my 8 gallon kettle and I fought it the entire time. Tried fermcap s and it is great. A drop or two per gallon and I was good to go. I still keep a spray bottle around, but turning the temp down and using fermcap s has worked wonders for me.

Definitely try some. You wont regret it.

Edit**

It took me like an hour to find the fercap-s at the lhbs. It has to be refrigerated--Didnt know that when I was looking over the shelves.

SCBrewster said:

Ok I thought that the hot break was towards the end of the boil when the foam finally stops? Am I wrong?

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The hot break starts to form just before it boils and any time you add hops. Generally it does not last more than a few minutes but oh boy those few minutes can be stressful.

I cannot think that temperature is all that important to utilizing the hops as long as you are at a nice easy boil. I am higher up in altitude and never have had a 212 degree boil yet all my beer works out just fine.

Secret is a pot much bigger than you think you need and a good hot break then dial it back to a rolling boil. For a year I boiled 6 gallons in a 7 1/2 gallon pot and was able to keep it boiling with out tending it after the hot break. I got tired of the hassle though and got a bigger pot

Yes, you are wrong. The hot break is at the beginning of the boil. You need to watch for the foam starting to form and then growing. Monitor your temp for what boiling is in hot area. Be prepared for a rapid rise in foam & adjust your flame! You can stick a wooden spoon in the foam to help prevent a boil over.
After the hot break lower your heat to a steady rolling boil. It doesn't need to be overly vigorous.

I find that as the foam starts forming, just before reaching a boil, I reduce the heat a little and it foams a little less. It may slow reaching a boil by a couple of minutes but that is better than a boil-over.

As others have stated Fermcap will be your new best friend. I do a drop for every gallon. The stuff is pretty much magic.

Ok so the hot break is right before it starts boiling when the foam starts coming like crazy? And as soon as that happens dial back the heat a bit?

SCBrewster said:

Ok so the hot break is right before it starts boiling when the foam starts coming like crazy? And as soon as that happens dial back the heat a bit?

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Go ahead and let it come to a boil and then you will see the foam start to die down or change color from dirty to white. THat is when you dial it back a bit

I've only done 3 different batches but my first one the foam started to stop at the last 5 minutes of the boil and the other 2 it didn't really ever stop..

It never really does stop but the foam changes from covering the whole pot deep as heck and dirty looking to a foam that kind of rolls around the pot but leave about half of the wort uncovered. You can increase the boil to the point that you will fight it all the time but you do not need to.

Let it come to a solid boil spraying it or lifting the pot off the burner just before it boils over. Pretty soon you will see the foam change in color and size and that is when you turn the heat down a little. Oh and keep a eye on it when you add hops. It will try and boil over then as well

Or you could just buy a larger pot.....you know thats what you want to do anyway

I find that having a fan blowing gently across the top of the pot with keep boil overs in check. makes me more at ease to do other things as my boil is going. Fermcap also works
very well.

I'm gonna try the fan next.brew day

Another vote for Fermcap. Used to have boil overs quite a bit, have not had a single one since using fremcap. I can walk away from a boiling pot with no hesitation now.

Another vote for Fermcap s. It precipitates out, so you don't have to worry about it affecting the head retention of your beer. I usually err on the side of "more is better", and I haven't had a single issue, boilovers or longterm effects, in all the batches I've brewed.

I think in that case I'm just gonna go that route. Seems like such a cheap simple solution and if its proven to work I'm all good with that!!!😎

Fermcap. It the single best new thing since I started brewing again.

Used to be, I'd have to watch the pot during the entire brew. Now I can walk away and clean stuff or whatever else needs to be done.

I was using 2 drops per gallon, but I cut back to 1 on my last few batches and that works just as well.