Aquarium pump and too much foam when aerating.

Hi,

I have an aquarium-pump setup for aeration, and I use six-gallon glass carboys as my primaries. When running the pump to aerate the wort after cooling (and before pitching the yeast), after 15 minutes or so, the foam's flowing out the top of the carboy and making a mess, so I often stop aeration at that point when I'd like to leave it going for 1/2 and hour.

Any suggestions, or is there something I'm not doing right? (Or do I need to just keep mopping up the overflowing foam?)

Thanks, gang.
Nige

Give Fermcap s a try... it should help with the foam problem.

I kwow that Fermcap is used to prevent blowoff or boilover, but it'll work for aeration of chilled wort (pre-pitching) as well?

Any reason I'd have such crazy foam when aerating? For what it's worth, I never have more than two inches (usually less) of kraeusen when fermenting.

I have to ask: You have an aeration stone on the end of the hose, correct?

Fermcap will dissolve everyy bubble I've seen. When I mix my stir my starters, there is about 3-4 inches of foam. 1 drop of fermcap and it all disappears.

I sure do, Stevo155. Standard aquarium pump. hose from the pump the filter, then a hose from the filter to the stone. Sounds like Fermcap's the stuff for me. The pump works really well, but again, just creates a ton of foam. Is it just a couple drops into the primary with the cooled wort? I'd guess the dosage is on the bottle, yeah?

Thanks a bunch.

Go like a drop per gallon and see how it is. I don't think my bottle said what the dosage is. Some say 2 per gallon, some say more. I think you have to do some trial and error.

Aerate till the foam starts to be a problem.
Stop till the foam has settled
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Or use pure O2, and do the job in about 30 seconds.

-a.