FermCap Rules

[Rockweezy]

Using FermCap for the first time and I am impressed. Good boil is going without a worry about a foam over. No more of the tricky game with the old gas stove. I'll use it every time.

But now the question is should I use it in my wort? 6.75 gallon boil down to 5.5 gallon post boil in a 15.5 gallon keggle. Never needed to worry about a boil over on my smaller batches. Don't know whether to use FermCap for my boil.

 

[Yooper]

Using FermCap for the first time and I am impressed. Good boil is going without a worry about a foam over. No more of the tricky game with the old gas stove. I'll use it every time.

But now the question is should I use it in my wort? 6.75 gallon boil down to 5.5 gallon post boil in a 15.5 gallon keggle. Never needed to worry about a boil over on my smaller batches. Don't know whether to use FermCap for my boil.

I don't usually use it for 5 gallon batches in my keggle- but I have had a five gallon batch boil over in it before so if the foam was reaching the top of the keggle, I'd add a few drops to help control it.

 

[Homercidal]

I haven't used it since I got a keggle. I do 5 gallon batches.

However, sometimes I do still have a boil over if I'm stupid and not paying attention.

 

[El_Exorcisto]

Am I doing something wrong? I do 5 gallon boils in a 6.5 gallon turkey fryer pot and have never had a boil over. Being at the pot when it starts to boil and paying attention during the hot break seems like the thing to do.

 

[solbes]

I don't usually have problems with the boil either. But I love Fermcap for controlling the foam in the fermenter.

 

[RCCOLA]

I upped my batch size to 7 gallons by using fermcap. It's nice having a few extra bottles when a 5 gal batch would be done. Here's an 8 gal boil in an 8gal pot.

 

[jtejedor]

I upped my batch size to 7 gallons by using fermcap. It's nice having a few extra bottles when a 5 gal batch would be done. Here's an 8 gal boil in an 8gal pot.

Yer a brave man!

 

[flananuts]

Good on you for pushing the limits, but that looks just downright dangerous. That's boiling at approximately 211-212 degrees and will guarantee you 3rd degree burns. Get a SS keg and cut the top out to create yourself a 15.5 gallon ss brew pot. Fermcap will not guarantee you prevent boilover. If you use a grain bill that has creates more hot break pre boil, you're gonna be effed.

 

[tesilential]

I boiled 5 gal in a 5.5 gal pot.

I did use fermcap and always watched the boil the whole time but my biggest problem was the mess in the kitchen. Now I have a 20 gallon pot so my little 6 gal batches can't even think about boiling over.

 

[Yooper]

Homebrew rule #1: If you watch the pot, it will not boil over

Homebrew rule #2: If you turn away for one moment, it will boil over.

For these rules only, I would say that size doesn't matter.

I've boiled over 5 gallons in a keggle, while easily boiled 14 gallons in the same keggle without incident.

About a year or so ago, I was at a brewday in lower Michigan. I drink, so my one job was to watch a pot and notify the brewer if the pot boiled over. I must have not been paying attention to the 5 gallon batch in a 15 gallon pot because the next thing I remember I was hearing "Boilover! Boilover!" By the time I got back there, the fun was over and the flame under the pot was out. But I bet it was a beautiful sight there for a minute!

 

[RCCOLA]

Good on you for pushing the limits, but that looks just downright dangerous. That's boiling at approximately 211-212 degrees and will guarantee you 3rd degree burns. Get a SS keg and cut the top out to create yourself a 15.5 gallon ss brew pot. Fermcap will not guarantee you prevent boilover. If you use a grain bill that has creates more hot break pre boil, you're gonna be effed.

15 batches down since I started doing this. Wheat, pils, munich, vienna--you name it. I've had a couple times when I got a little bloop over the side, but nothing crazy. I just watch the pot when it comes up to a boil and adjust accordingly.

As far as safety, I'm never within distance of anything that might scald me--my propane valve is 3 ft from the pot. After the boil starts, it settles down to a nice comfortable (safe) boil, but up until then I'm on the propane valve like white on rice.

 

[Calder]

50 beers with fermcap in the past 2 years and no boil-overs. I usually watch the break, waiting to add the hops, but never been close to a concern. I partial boil, starting with 4 gallons in a 5 gallon pot. After the first hops are in I never watch the pot.

I use it in the fermenter too, and push for about 6.5 gallons in a 7 gallon fermenter; wish I could say the same ...... but those Belgians, they refuse to stay down.

 

[Snowhere]

I am always trying to max out my 8.5gal pot that was supposed to be a 9 gal pot. Had I known I would of bought bigger and I will once the money becomes available. Fermcap is my friend!

 

[flananuts]

I used it today for a 14 glam boil and I was very impressed.

 

[Spartan1979]

I've used Fermcap in the boil many times, but after losing a lot of beer out the blowoff tube my last two batches, I'm thinking about using it in the fermenter. When do you add it to the fermentater? At pitching or when the krausen starts forming?

 

[jtejedor]

I usually add it at pitching .

 

[bucfanmike]

im quit using it in the boil after going to keggles, but i am going to start using it on my stir plate after my last attempt at stepping up a starter.

 

[Beezer94]

I always use it in the starter, the boil, and the fermenter. Only time I ever had blow-off was when I forgot to use it.

I generally use 1 drop for the starter, 4-5 drops in the boil, and 4-5 in the fermenter for 5.5gal batch. I make sure not to go over the 'limit' of 2 drops per gal for total batch. I have a 10gal brewpot and often boil 8.5-9.5gal in it, and at most I have a little blob pop out once or twice in the early stage of boiling.