FERMCAP the real deal

[cheezydemon3]

What little I have seen:

Here: "Use it!! This stuff is miraculous!!!" (no mention of filtering)

Elsewhere: "IF you use it, it must be completely filtered out because it is harmful"

I have googled a little, but wanted a concensus HERE.

Give it.

 

[Hopper5000]

From what I understand there is no level established by the FDA of silicone ingestion by humand which is why folks say it should be filtered. However, silicone doesn't get absorbed by your digestive track and just passes right through you so this is why folks don't tend to worry too much about it.

 

[LovesIPA]

Here's Revvy's take on the stuff:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/fermcap-working-396069/#post4986677

 

[cheezydemon3]

Hmmm....I get it, but I am still wary.

I don't take any of that alka seltzer or whatever, and if I did, it would be seldom.

I drink my beer OFTEN.

Not judging anyone else, but NOT IN MY BEER.

 

[LovesIPA]

I have googled a little, but wanted a concensus HERE.

Give it.

Not judging anyone else, but NOT IN MY BEER.

These two statements would appear to be at odds.

 

[JonW]

I only use Fermcap in the boil kettle. After all the break material coagulates and it then goes through the fermenter, I am not at all worried about any trace amount that could possibly still be in the beer.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

I'm sure the miniscule amount of Fermcap I may transfer over is insignificant compared to all the other chemicals I unknowingly consume on a daily basis.
I'll keep using Fermcap to prevent boilovers, but I haven't yet had a blowout so I skip it in fermentation.

 

[Xpertskir]

These two statements would appear to be at odds.

Welcome to Cheezydemon.


For whatever reason they don't have an ignore user feature on this forum.


As for fermcap..I use it in my starters and love it for that, but don't see a point in using it at any other point in my process.

 

[Spartan1979]

Hmmm....I get it, but I am still wary.

I don't take any of that alka seltzer or whatever, and if I did, it would be seldom.

I drink my beer OFTEN.

Not judging anyone else, but NOT IN MY BEER.

It seems that you've made up your mind before you even asked the question.

I use Fermcap in my starters and in the boil. I don't use it in the fermenter. I started brewing about 20 years ago and after about 10 years I quit because I really wasn't enjoying the process. I started back up about 4 years ago and Fermcap is probably the number one thing that has made brewing more enjoyable. I'm no longer tied to the kettle during the boil so I can do other things during that time, mainly clean. By the time I'm done chilling, the only things left to wash are the kettle and the chiller.

 

[Demus]

It seems that you've made up your mind before you even asked the question.

I use Fermcap in my starters and in the boil. I don't use it in the fermenter.

+1
Was the OP asking a question or justifying his own opinion? If a couple of drops of fermcap would kill you, I think the human race would have died off a LOOOOONG time ago!!!!!

 

[DrunkleJon]

firstly this is a cheezy thread. Expect to not know what is going on. For examples see his threads in the general mutterings room.

Fermcap is one of those compounds where no set health safety level has been set. I think it can be ok as long as you do not drink the stuff straight, but personally I prefer to just boil the hell out of it for a good solid hot break in an pot with a lot of extra space in it. It will not kill you right out buti figure why spend money on something that does not affect the quality of the beer any if boilovers arent really a problem for me? It is all personal preference.

Hand sanitizer has been proven to be safe, but there are also reports that the miniscule amounts that absorb into your system transdermally (through the skin) actually has an immune system suppresing effect. All I must say is be an informed consumer. Use it if it is an acceptable risk to you, do not if you prefer not to. I forsee this topic becoming another one of these Homer Buckets safe to ferment(boil) in threads.

 

[cheezydemon3]

The justification given seemed to be
A: It is in all of this stuff that we americans swill down like its beer...and
B: It hasn't been proved to be harmful

Revvy's link seemed to be about the final word, so I took that and made a decision.

Yes Spartan, I had a feeling, but wanted some info. Revvy is one cocky well informed guy with a LOT of effing time, and there isn't much to be said against his logic. what more discussion was there? (hmmm....Then again............asbestos was OK for a long while too)

Yes, there is an ignore feature. Please use it.

 

[Jeffinn]

You should be more worried about alcohol consumption. The effects of alcohol on the human body are well documented and and tend to be much more dramatic than a few drops of any "anti foam" remedies. And you should get together wither the guys who worry about the traces of lead in brass fittings. Same nonsensical paranoia. Add galvanized pipe, pcb's, magnetic interference from power lines and radiation for cell phones and its not too hard to envision why we live in a society that believes everything will harm us (unless you're wearing a tin foil helmet). No matter how hard you try, you won't live forever. I personally plan to die with a cold beer in one hand and a bacon cheeseburger in the other. Oh, And those will be dirty hands because I don't want that frickin hand sanitizer getting into my bloodstream!

 

[evrose]

Hmmm....I get it, but I am still wary.

I don't take any of that alka seltzer or whatever, and if I did, it would be seldom.

I drink my beer OFTEN.

Not judging anyone else, but NOT IN MY BEER.

Did you actually READ the list of things this stuff is found in? It's not just "alka-seltzer or whatever". I can pretty much guarantee you've consumed pints of this stuff over the years. It's harmless.

If you're going to be paranoid, here's something to consider... the USDA has a standard for the acceptable concentration of rodent parts in field-harvested food. That barley you're mashing... yeah, it's got rat in it.

Drink up! Yummy Yummy!

 

[cheezydemon3]

Yeah USDA also approved Thalidamyde.

Drink Up!!

 

[evrose]

Revvy is one cocky well informed guy with a LOT of effing time,

That's funny coming from a guy with almost 10,000 posts.

Let's do some math!

Since you registered in November 2009, you've posted 9923 times. There are 1,367 days between November 1, 2009 and today (July 30, 2013).

That's an average of 7.26 posts per day. EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR almost 4 YEARS.

Now... who got a lot of effing time?

 

[evrose]

Yeah USDA also approved Thalidamyde.

Drink Up!!

Oh geesh... you're one of those...

nevermind. This is pointless.

btw, the USDA never approved thalidomide... unless USDA is an alternate spelling of FDA that I'm not aware of.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Lol, you guys is funny.

I am just saying, it took forever before it was discovered that hot shrinkwrapped food released bad stuff into the food. Plastic is SAFE!!!Right?

You want that sh!t in your beer, go ahead.

 

[boscobeans]

You want that sh!t in your beer, go ahead.

We is a riot, ain't we?

BTW if you have been drinking beer from almost anywhere (yes including Germany) you have already been consuming one form of anti-gas silicon product or another as well as plastics like polyclar which are used to clarify and reduce tannins in beer.

"
Beer/alcohol allergy or additive (chemical) sensitivity?

April 29, 2008


According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, over one million people are allergic to substances commonly added to beer, wine, and liquor. Because the law does not require that ingredients be printed on alcoholic-beverage labels, most consumers don’t know, for example, which wines contain such additives as sulfur dioxide and which liqueurs contain coffee whiteners.

So what exactly is in your beer?

Some typical beer additives:

Betaglucanase
Ammonia caramel
Rhoiso-alpha acids
Sulphur dioxide
Protease
Amyloglucosidase
Propylene glycol alginate
Silicone
Sodium benzoate

bosco

 

[cheezydemon3]

We is a riot, ain't we?

BTW if you have been drinking beer from almost anywhere (yes including Germany) you have already been consuming one form of anti-gas silicon product or another as well as plastics like polyclar which are used to clarify and reduce tannins in beer.

"
Beer/alcohol allergy or additive (chemical) sensitivity?

April 29, 2008


According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, over one million people are allergic to substances commonly added to beer, wine, and liquor. Because the law does not require that ingredients be printed on alcoholic-beverage labels, most consumers don’t know, for example, which wines contain such additives as sulfur dioxide and which liqueurs contain coffee whiteners.

So what exactly is in your beer?

Some typical beer additives:

Betaglucanase
Ammonia caramel
Rhoiso-alpha acids
Sulphur dioxide
Protease
Amyloglucosidase
Propylene glycol alginate
Silicone
Sodium benzoate

bosco

Good info! Thanks. So long as I can recall, I don't add any of that stuff to my beer either....coffee whitener? lol, is that really a thing?

 

[grathan]

There are fda approved defoamers out there no?

 

[evrose]

There are fda approved defoamers out there no?

Yeah, but the FDA approved thalidomide... so...



Cheezy isn't trying to have an informative conversation. His mind is made up.

 

[boscobeans]

TRUTH ABOUT SILICON:

The Need for Silicon

Silicon is important for healthy bones and teeth. It also maintains cartilage, skin, hair and the nails. Silicon also provides needed calcium absorption for bones in the beginning stages of their formation. Silicon aids in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis. Silicon is also used as a treatment for osteoporosis. The elderly need silicon in larger amounts because of the natural depletion of silicon in the body that comes with age.

Vegetables Containing Silicon



Many vegetables contain silicon since they are plant-based foods. Levels of silicon vary in each vegetable. Some examples of vegetables that contain silicon are asparagus, cabbage, cucumbers, dandelion greens (edible weeds with an intense hearty taste and bitter tinge), lettuce, mustard greens, olives, parsnips, radishes, white onions, corn, sugar beets, bell peppers, horsetail grass (herb), soybeans, alfalfa and stems of leafy vegetables.

Other Food Sources of Silicon



Very high amounts of silicon are also found in whole-grain foods, such as rice and oats, as well as millet and flaxseeds. Since silicon is mainly found in natural sources of food, it only makes sense that these foods in their natural make-up contain an abundant amount of silicon. High amounts of silicon are also found in mother's milk.

bosco

 

[cheezydemon3]

DETAILS

A milky liquid w/active food grade ingredient, Dimethylpolysiloxane, which reduces surface tension of the wort. Use to control foam in kettle & during fermentation. Completely removed from beer after fermentation by yeast & filtration. May be used as is or mixed w/cold wort & poured or sprayed on. Store btwn 5-20 degrees centigrade. DO NOT FREEZE. USE: 1-3 drops per 5 gallon batch.

Silicon is a nonmetallic element (number 14 on the periodic table) found in the earth’s crust. The element is a major component in semiconductors, and its high conductivity makes it useful in solar power cells.

Silicone is a class of silicon-based chemical compounds used in paints, adhesives, lubricants, and breast implants, among other applications.

Nice try though Boscobeans!

 

[DrunkleJon]

Good info! Thanks. So long as I can recall, I don't add any of that stuff to my beer either....coffee whitener? lol, is that really a thing?

I believe coffee whitener is a term the overseas people call the non dairy creamer. Lets not get started on the hazards of that stuff. Not only is it full of chemicals its flammable.

[ame]http://youtu.be/XWcR5nv1N8I[/ame]

 

[boscobeans]

Nice try though Boscobeans!

Some will use it others will not...Your choice.

I use it in my boil (4-5 drops for 6-7 gallons) and have never noticed any effect on fermentation, head retention or carbonation. The only result is NO BOIL OVERS.

I use store brand unflavored Infant Gas Drops. They contain Simethicone.
Simethicone was first used in 1952.

In the 43 years of my practice of pharmacy I have NEVER seen of or heard of a problem associated with the oral administration of Simethicone.

It has never been shown that it is in any way absorbed by the human body.
It has never been shown that the human body metabolizes or changes it into any form that can be absorbed.
It is and has been considered to be (since 1952) totally inert and un absorbed by the human GI tract.

Since I have never seen any difference in how my ales form krausen either with or without Simethicone being added to the boil I have the feeling that it gets tied up in the break and never has a chance to affect the fermentation or carbonation.

These are just my observations and may or may not be scientific fact, but after a good number of years I think it never makes it into my beer in any amount.

Since it is an ingredient used in the food industry in everything from the fertilizer used in the fields to the feed for our animals as well most foods sold in the supermarket it causes me no worries at all.

OMO

bosco

 

[wilserbrewer]

Yes Bosco, agreed...Fermcap S is the same stuff that's in Infant Gas drops...same stuff that likely every pediatrician in the country would give a cranky farting baby. Just hope it's also safe for guy that drinks a lot of beer? This thread is a waste of effort haha!


Polydimethylsiloxane
Chemical Compound
Polydimethylsiloxane belongs to a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds that are commonly referred to as silicones. PDMS is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer, and is particularly known for its unusual rheological properties. Wikipedia
Brand names: Dermasil, Goldkiwi, Barriere, Vaniply, Simethicone
Formula: (C2H6OSi)n

 

[boscobeans]

This thread is a waste of effort haha!

Agreed.

I'm done.

bosco

 

[cheezydemon3]

Lol, no, there is good info here.

Boscobeans, i was just pointing out that silicone is not silicon. I wasn't saying "nice try" to your reasoning that fermcap is safe.

 

[budbo]

If you are concerned about ingesting a little simethicone in your homebrew, I'd be more worried about what other stuff you are ingesting in it more.