Boil Over Question

[Ernie3]

The other day I brewed a, "California Imperial Pale Ale" kit by Brewers Best. After adding liquid and dry extract and returning to boil I got the ussual foaming and moved the pot back and forth to a cold burner each time it tried to boil over and everything was fine.

Now here's where my question comes in, I had three different hops additions through out the boil and after the last one, 5 mins. before the boil was done I experienced the foaming of a potential boil over again. I had to move the pot back and forth again and avoided it.

Is this normal or was something else up??? It just seemed odd, but then again I have never brewed with this kit before.

 

[EvilGnome6]

It's pretty normal to have foaming at hop additions. A few drops of Fermcap-S at the beginning of the boil can make life a lot easier.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

It won't be as bad if you put the hops in slowly, too. Can't speak to the fermcap stuff, never tried it...

 

[Ernie3]

Thanks Guys, I will have to pick up some fermcap next order I place.

Is there any down side to using it??

 

[marubozo]

Thanks Guys, I will have to pick up some fermcap next order I place.

Is there any down side to using it??

No real downside other than a little added cost. But not having to worry as much about a boilover and cleaning the subsequent mess is usually more than worth it.

 

[KayaBrew]

Fermcap also helps prevent blowoff during primary fermentation.

 

[Ernie3]

All good reasons, thanks guys.

 

[dpittard]

I've heard a spray bottle with water will knock the foam down as well!

 

[EvilGnome6]

I've heard a spray bottle with water will knock the foam down as well!

I tried that once. It worked but I had to spray a whole quart full of water over the course of 10 minutes. That was not fun.

 

[shortyjacobs]

A fan on the pot also supposedly helps knock down the foam.

For me, FermCap is a must when boiling with very little headspace. It's cheapest by far from Northern Brewer, (6 bucks for 4 oz....that stuff will last a LONG time!)

No downsides at all....other than compromising the "purity" of the brew....the silicone sinks down into the trub as soon as the liquid stills, (when cooling wort, or after fermentation finishes in the fermenter), so it never makes it into your bottles. No decrease in head retention, no tastes, no nothing, just magical non-foaming boils.

I find it helps to add JUST as it starts to foam up. Add it too early and it seems to sink to the bottom and do nothing....this is risky, (as I found out last night when I boiled over a 3L starter on my stove, oops), as if you get distracted just as it's coming to a boil, you can be a few seconds late with the eyedropper and miss your foam-killing moment, but it works well.