Simethicone

[doulovebeef]

im getting all my gear ready to brew first thing tomorrow and i came across a bottle of 'phazyme', its only active ingredient is simethicone but the dosage on the bottle says 180mg! jeez! i was wondering how much (in mg) of simethicone i would need for a boil or adding to my fermenter? all i can find is 'add a few drops'.

 

[2bluewagons]

As far as I can tell, its usage should be similar to that of fermcap-s, which is 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per 5 gallons which equates to 1-2 drops per gallon. That amount I believe is based on FDA recommended concentration in finished food products, or something like that. Something similar should be fine for what you are talking about here, it doesn't take much and the consequence of too much is probably to your health rather than the detriment of the beer.

As far as getting the amount of phazyme right in your batch based on mg, not really sure. How much are you saving by using it instead of the correct product, made for beer and not GI tracts?

 

[doulovebeef]

this will be my first time using a product similar to fermcap, my LHBS doesnt carry fermcap so i figured this was suitable substitution. my thinking was if one cap is meant to treat GI gas, than one cap in the fermenter to keep blowoff to a minimum couldnt hurt. im brewnig a hefeweizen, so blowoff can be pretty violent

 

[rico567]

Anything with simethicone should work....just as long as any other ingredients don't add unwanted flavors to your beer. Simethicone destroys the surface tension the bubbles need to form, and ends up just settling out into the trub. I've found that I can use around a drop per gallon in a 6.5 galllon boil, and Fermcap-S works like a charm.

 

[2bluewagons]

this will be my first time using a product similar to fermcap, my LHBS doesnt carry fermcap so i figured this was suitable substitution. my thinking was if one cap is meant to treat GI gas, than one cap in the fermenter to keep blowoff to a minimum couldnt hurt. im brewnig a hefeweizen, so blowoff can be pretty violent

Could always try online, at least you're supporting some HBS and not the giant pharmeceudical machine.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/15464//Foam_Control_FermCapS1_oz


One capfull sounds like a kind of alot to me, and also I've never had good luck using fermcap in the fermenter. I still get blow-offs. Works great in the boil kettle, though.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Could always try online, at least you're supporting some HBS and not the giant pharmeceudical machine.

Yeah cause the pharmaceutical co's don't develope these things for brewing use.

 

[doulovebeef]

update: phazyme doesnt help with blow off, at least not with a hefeweizen. in the first 24 hours ive blown off 1.5 litres. FWIW, i took one gelcap, dissolved in boiling water and added to cooled wort. ill just order some fermcap from northern brewer.

 

[dzlater]

seems like it has some stuff I wouldn't want in a beer
googled this


Phazyme-95: Each softgel contains: simethicone USP 95 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: FD&C yellow No. 6, gelatin, glycerin, hydrogenated vegetable oil, lecithin, methyl paraben, polysorbate 80, propylparaben, purified water, soybean oil, titanium dioxide, vegetable shortening and yellow wax. Gluten-, lactose- and sucrose-free. Bottles of 12 and 50.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

There is also Baby Mylicon and Baby Gas-X. It's Dimethicone but works the same.

If the FDA and APA approved it for ingestion by infants........

 

[Homercidal]

I've used the baby gas drops a few times and have made great beer with it. About 12 drops per batch in the boil.

I figure if you can put a drop or two in a baby's stomach, it should be ok in my beer. I'd like to get a bigger kettle, but until then, this REALLY helps the boil over problem!