Fermcap in starter = no krauzen?

i added two or three drops of fermcap to my 1.5 liter starter during boil. i know that 1 drop is sufficient, but the stuff is thick and hard to dose. oops.

anyhow, it's now 24 hours later and there is zero krausen on the starter. i'm mixing it manually (shaking) whenever i think about it, no stir plate. i'd expect a little bit of krausen to form but i've got none. the surface of the starter is foam-free. is this normal? does fermcap prevent krausen completely from forming?

bonus question: anyone store their fermcap in the fridge? i read online that it should be refrigerated.

Fermcap can certainly prevent krausen. I suspect you have nothing to worry about. I keep mine in the fridge.

i keep mine in the fridge also. But i don't add it to starters. Not that its bad i just don't see the need.
Some starters will krausen some wont. No worries.

I use a drop or 2 in all my starters. So far I have never had a problem. I also store it in the fridge.

-Jason

Yes, it will prevent krausen during your fermentation.

I almost never get krausens on my starters anyway.

Revvy said:

I almost never get krausens on my starters anyway.

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I had some bad luck with a few starters. Woke up the next morning to the foam stopper pushed out and my starter was all over the counter That's the main reason I use Fermcap now.

-Jason

Woah...store it in the fridge? It's sold on the shelf at my LHBS and it stays on my counter. I never even thought about it. Oh well, it doesn't seem to have degraded much if at all over the last year. But to the fridge it goes.

Yeah I've never stored mine in the fridge either. I usually toss two or three drops in my starter during the boil and never get any krausen

Hmm, maybe mine is degraded. I just did a starter yesterday with a few drops of Fermcap and while the krausen is way low for that strain, it's definitely evident. Maybe a half inch thick in a gallon jug. I always see some krausen, albeit subdued, when I use it.