Cooking Oil vs Fermcap

[November]

One aspect of the vegetable oil use--has anyone noticed any effect on head-retention? Or does the oil break down at some time during fermentation?

That was always my concern with Fermcap. Despite people stating it doesn't affect head retention, I noticed a reduction in my poured beers, compared to those in which I never used Fermcap.

I've never noticed a problem when I use the defoamer but I've never done a side by side.

I should have split this batch and did it with oil, defoamer, and nothing but I don't have the set up to do it so it will be up to some degree of interpretation.

 

[JohnSand]

It will be interesting to see your results.

 

[November]

194F
I'm getting concerned...

 

[November]

Woah, so it hit 200 and I thought for sure it was going to boil over, and then as it started to bubble it all broke up.

Here it is at a rolling boil.

205F, due to elevation.

 

[November]

Boiling away now with no problems.

Looks like it never got past maybe 1/4 inch of foam or so. So far it's pretty much up to the same performance as my usual defoamer.

Big questions now are, will it affect the head and will it have a flavor effect...

Update, no photo cause it's too reflective, but post whirlpool and rest I can't see any oil on the surface.

 

[JohnSand]

It may have all emulsified. I wonder if some of it cooks off?

 

[MaxStout]

Only 1/4" foam and it looks like it dissipated once the boil started rolling. I'll be curious to hear what effects, if any, it has on head and flavor. Thanks for sharing.

 

[November]

It may have all emulsified. I wonder if some of it cooks off?

I'm not sure. I'm not a scientist, I walk a dog for a living, so I'll leave it to smarter folk than me to figure that out. Every time that I lean towards one, I think of an argument for the other.

Only 1/4" foam and it looks like it dissipated once the boil started rolling. I'll be curious to hear what effects, if any, it has on head and flavor. Thanks for sharing.

I'm curious too. To be honest, I didn't think it would work so I'm already pretty pleased. This beer is 2 row and rice. Lots of rice. So if there is an off flavor it's going to show.

 

[C-Rider]

I just use a sqirt bottle w/plain old water in it to prevent boil over.

 

[NGD]

I just use a sqirt bottle w/plain old water in it to prevent boil over.

The internet is no place for common sense.

 

[sonic7173]

The internet is no place for common sense.

Neither is my place of work [emoji23]. But seriously keep us updated November. Curious to hear the end results

 

[divrack]

I just squirt a bunch of fairy liquid in. The fresh pine scent goes well with an IPA.

 

[BitterSweetBrews]

I have a friend that owns a brewery. I asked him about fermcap once. He mentioned that he used it as a home brewer but the FDA will not let them use it in their brewery. I think he said it was because they don't filter and it was silicone based. They use an organic de-foaming agent. I believe he said it was based on vegetable oil. I am not sure what it is.

 

[cabron99]

Been brewing since 2008. I have used a spray bottle all that time. Good Lord, I'm tired of staring at a boiling pot!!! Looking forward to the taste results!

 

[V-Fib]

Tomorrow I will be doing an 8.5 gallon (final volume) batch in a 10 gal Spike Brewing kettle. At the start I should have about 1" of clearance to the top of the kettle.

I'm going to start with avocado oil and go with 1.5-2 tsp, if it fails I'll have fermcap on hand.

The part that worries me the most is the 1.6 oz of pellet hops I'm adding at the 60 min mark. I'm thinking I'll add them super slow over about 5 minutes total.

I'll update tomorrow night with the results.

 

[JohnSand]

Do add the hops slowly, it helps. When I used to brew five gallon batches in a 5gal kettle, I would start with about 3.5 with first runnings. Sparged wort was added after hot break, to about 4. More as it boiled down. Then I would top off with water at cooling, and again in the fermenter.

 

[Toga]

Curious to see how the experiments turn out. Please post updates when the beers are packaged and consumed.

 

[V-Fib]

We'll see in about 75 minutes. I'm going to add 1.5 tsp close to 200 degrees of the avocado oil into a 9.5 gallon boil in a 10 gallon kettle. This leaves me with about 1.75" of wiggle room.

 

[hammy1983]

Anyone else find this argument funny? Arguing ingredients in where the end product is poison to the human body.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Source?

We're all very aware of the health issues regarding some cooking oils, and fermcap, (simethicone), is approved for use in adults, children, and infants. There are no known side effects. So what do you know that no one else does?

Wait. Fermcap is simethicone? We give that to our baby in the form of infant gas drops. Lolol

 

[V-Fib]

Looks like they are pretty similar. I give patients simethicone routinely in its pill form for bloating. Maybe I'll carry my Fermcap around for them when I don't have an order for it yet.

 

[V-Fib]

Boil is 15 minutes in and well controlled. I got about 1/2 inch of foam on the top so it looks like its triple confirmed oils are a substitution. Like others I'll post how rhe head retention is in about 6 weeks.

 

[JohnSand]

Thanks.

 

[V-Fib]

Initial assesment looks promising. The brown ale on the left was made using 1.5 tsp of avocado oil in an 9.5 gallon boil in my 10 gallon kettle. The beer on the right is a rye IPA I made in early February. The differance between them other then using the oil was that the IPA was strickly keg carbed with CO2. The brown ale, since I had an 8 gallon batch was carbed by putting 5 gallons in the keg with priming sugar, mixed well after purging with CO2, then I bottled 3 gallons off the keg and added the last 3 gallons to the keg without adding more priming sugar.

I expected the brown to have zero head at this point since its only been on the gas 24 HRs. I did pour pretty aggressive off the keg but both the ales kept the head the same amount of time.

 

[November]

Very nice.

My oil experiment beer has been in the keg for about 4 days. It's too early to tell any effects of the head, but so far I can report no off flavors.

I'll report back when it's carbed.

 

[S-Met]

Do a search for the ingredients of Gas-ex. Simethicone is an active ingredient. Single Dose for adults 80-120mg. You would use less than that for a 10gal boil.

Pharmacology
Mechanism of Action
Changes surface tension of gas bubbles and causes collapse of foam bubbles, thus allowing easier passage of gas and preventing gas pockets in gastrointestinal tract

Elimination
Excretion: Feces (as unchanged drug); complete excretion within 24-48 hr


Regarding vegetable oil (or butter) line the rim of the funnel before pouring bmc into the beer-bong to inhibit foaming. Wipe your head or nose then stick your finger in your fountain soda to prevent an overflow. Same concept. Alter surface tension.

 

[November]

Looks fine for head retention. Can't taste it either. This beer is pretty light so there isn't much to hide an off flavor behind.