Anti-foam powder

[steelersrbrun]

Just got a pack of Dow Corning FG-10 anti-foam emulsion powder in a .17 ounce sachet. Do I just pour this in the carboy after I pitch my yeast? No problems with sanitation?

 

[frailn]

I don't think this product is intended to be used in your fermenter. I thought it was for the boil to keep boil-overs from happening.

 

[steelersrbrun]

The home brew shop I got it from said I could add it directly to the fermentor before I pitch my yeast. Any thoughts?

 

[frailn]

I think that person was in error. I've never heard of anyone putting anti-foam in the fermenter. Not sure why you were told that. Home brewers use it to keep foam from boiling over during the boil phase of brewing, so it's added to the boil kettle at the beginning of the brewing process.

 

[heferly]

You can use fermcap in your carboy, not sure of the product you have, though.

The majority of fermcap users use it in the boil to control boilovers, but you can also use it to keep your kreusen down.

 

[steelersrbrun]

I have used fermcap in the fermentor with good success but I wasn't sure if it's ok with this product

 

[windbreaker123]

From Winemakers Depot.
Description


Dow Corning FG-10 Anti-Foam emulsion in powder form, to prevent excess foaming during boil or fermentation. This 0.17 ounce sachet is sufficient for 5-6 gallons of beer or wine

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Sounds very similar to Fermcap, just in a powdered form.

 

[windbreaker123]

Yes it does.

 

[runs4beer]

If you want to be safe in regards to sanitation I would think mixing it with an oz or two vodka would help.

 

[steelersrbrun]

I was brewing when I started this thread and decided to just go for it. It was listed on their website as food grade and it listed fermentation as a specific use. So it didn't work and I will see if we get any type of infection. Fermentation kicked off in about 5 hours, 5 hours from there kraussen was pouring out the blow tube. I had some fermcap left, put a few droppers on it and it calmed down for now. It's a big Belgian and I don't want to lose any active yeast nor volume.
I wonder if I had waited until active fermentation and then used the powder if it would have worked. Fermcap is the same way in my experience, if you put it directly on the foam it kills it. If you really mix it in its way less effective.
This should be a really active fermentation and if the kraussen starts to rise I will try my other pack of the powder. I guess that should answer my questions directly. I'm also gong to contact the manufacturer and I will post any response if I receive one. Prost!

 

[steelersrbrun]

No response from Dow Corning. Day 21 of primary fermentation-Right now I still have a healthy fermentation going on....I dont think I have ever had a batch keep the airlock so active for so long. Hope to rack to secondary for aging next week to free up my fermentation fridge for a Wee Heavy....I will check OG and flavor to see if I have a healthy beer. I should have stuck with the Dow Corning product to test the question I originally asked.....maybe next beer

 

[Jon_the_Engineer]

So, im bringing up this old thread because I bought a packet from my home brew store labeled DowC F-10. But it had no other information on the package, and amongst several home brew forums there is a lot of confusion and guessing about its actual composition is. I wanted to know what it really was, and if anyone could help me I would much appreciate it.


I tried a search on their site, which turns up no product from Dow called F-10. While FG-10 and XIAMETER® AFE-0010 Antifoam Emulsion FG look similar, they are both emulsions. "Emulsion in powder form" makes no sense really.

So the only food grade powder antifoam they sell is Xiameter ACP-1920 Powder antifoam. This has the same active ingredient, dimethyl polysiloxane as the above mentioned emulsions.

I believe that someone somewhere called this FG-10 in powder form because it is chemically equivalent. So, if anyone is interested the real product they are buying it is probably Xiameter ACP-1920 from Dow.

The EPA has dimethyl polysiloxane listed under polymers exempt from requirements of tolerance in section 180.960, but the much stricter European Union has max concentration set at 10mg/L of dimethyl polysiloxane in drinks such as fruit juices and ciders. Since, according to their MSDS, dimethyl polysiloxane is 20% by weight powder, the max is 50mg/L powder.

There is no recommendation to filter from brew prior to ingestion.

The recommended amount on the package, 5 grams per 23-25L, equals 200mg/L. This is 4 times higher than the limit set by the European Union. Additionally the max level that can be added to a food per the FDA is 0.005 weight percent, or 50mg/L.
So to be safe, use 50mg/L. Which is also what Dow themselves actually recommends in the data sheet.

I assume by 23-25L they intend this to be placed in a 6 gallon batch. For all those American system lovers, that means 0.17 oz/ 6 gallons which equals 0.283. That divided by 4 will achieve the desired concentration which is 0.007 oz / gallon. Or obviously 1/4 package / 6 gallon batch.


Anyway, its a lot of hoo haa, but I like to know exactly what goes into by batches.