Question: Food grade silicone as an anti foaming agent

[AltusGravitas]

This is my first thread post (new guy):
I haven't been brewing for too terribly long. Maybe about a year with 12-15 partial mash batches under my belt. My LHBS recently turned me on to using food grade silicone as an anti-foaming agent to be added to the wort to prevent boilovers and primary fermenter explosions. I have used it in my past few batches and have gotten great results.
Today, I was brewing Falconer's Flight Extra IPA from the kit put out by Brewer's Best and when I went to add the silicone early in the boil, the dropper clogged up and, being an idiot, I just decided to squeeze harder which of course made the top blow off and probably about a third of the contents of the eyedropper went into the wort. I'm hoping it doesn't negatively affect the final product.
When I took a sample to check the OG I noticed the wort in the test beaker had separated into what looked like a bunch of clusters of hops/trub solids clumped together in suspension throughout the tube.
Does anyone know if this is a result of too much silicone in the wort? Should I expect any negative results in the final product or will simply racking to secondary help to clear things up?

-AltusGravitas

 

[eastoak]

a bigger pot is a better anti foaming agent.

 

[Hopper450]

I dropped my whole dropper into the wort once by accident but it turned out okay, so I would not worry too much.

 

[user 4295]

I love the stuff. Been using it for about 6 years and have no intentions of stopping, no matter what the beer snobs say. I use it in the boil, when making starters and in the fermenter. Doesn't effect flavor or head retention in any way.

Here's a thread on foam control drops from a couple of years ago to let you know where your peers here stand on the subject.

 

[jonmohno]

I always cool a sample of my wort from the last 10 min of the boil seperatley in a pamperd chef cup which is like pyrex i think,which settles the trub upon cooling in a small ice bath wich takes 10-15 min before i even ge the wort cool i know the gravity. I use a small baster to avoid the trub to add to the hydrometer tube once it is around 60 deg.

 

[POAS]

So when do you add the stuff to the wort? I normally do a late addition of the DME and that's when the wort wants to boil over. Would you add it at the beginning of the boil? Or do you wait until it is about to boil over?

 

[thegerm]

I use it as it starts to foam up, and that knocks it down pretty quick. Also, the stuff precipitates to the bottom of the fermenter when the ferment is complete, so it doesn't get packaged with the beer when you rack it. i dunno what the implications of dumping a third of the bottle into the boil might be though. I would imagine you'd probably be fine, though.

 

[Stauffbier]

I love the stuff. Been using it for about 6 years and have no intentions of stopping, no matter what the beer snobs say. I use it in the boil, when making starters and in the fermenter. Doesn't effect flavor or head retention in any way.

Here's a thread on foam control drops from a couple of years ago to let you know where your peers here stand on the subject.

How much do you use in a 1L starter?

 

[Hopper450]

A drop should do it.

 

[mrgstiffler]

I use about 3 drops in my 2L starters. It's absolutely necessary when using erlenmeyer flasks.

 

[Homercidal]

I use baby gas drops. Very close to the same substance as FercapS.

And, since the recommended dosage is like a couple of drops for a baby, I can't see how adding 12 drops to 5 gallons is going to cause health issues. It sure doesn't taste like anything (if you buy the unflavored drops)

It's supposed to settle down in the fermenter, so you should end up with much less in the final package.

Sure makes brewday less stressful when you don't have a kettle big enough.

 

[AltusGravitas]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not gonna worry too much about it. In a few days I'll rack to secondary and report back with any problems. It'll probably be fine though. Just checked on it this morning and it's fermenting quite vigorously

 

[bja]

I use baby gas drops. Very close to the same substance as FercapS.

Do you remember off hand what brand they are?

 

[Homercidal]

I'm pretty sure they were Walmart "Equate" brand baby gas drops. I use 12 drops or so during boil. Also use in boiling starter wort on stovetop before I started canning my wort.

I don't use them anymore. Got a keggle.

 

[Hermit]

a bigger pot is a better anti foaming agent.

Pot, flask, fermenter.....

 

[bja]

I'm pretty sure they were Walmart "Equate" brand baby gas drops. I use 12 drops or so during boil. Also use in boiling starter wort on stovetop before I started canning my wort.

I don't use them anymore. Got a keggle.

Thanks, I'm about out of Fermcap. I boil 14 gallon in a 15 gallon pot so this stuff is mandatory.