Fermtech foam control???

[bgough]

When are you supposed to add this stuff to prevent boil overs?

 

[ChshreCat]

I usually have it handy and add a drop or two when I see the foam starting to climb in the kettle.

 

[BeerPressure]

before hot break

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

You can add it in the boil at the the start or any time after.

Also can be used to prevent blowoff in the fermenter.

Simethicone (aka Gas-x or Oval or their no name equivalents) works just as well.

 

[bgough]

Also can be used to prevent blowoff in the fermenter.

So you get a less vigorous fermentation too?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

The fermentation is just as vigorous, but it doesn't foam. Think fewer big bubbles vs lots of small bubbles.

That's why they are used as anti-flatulents. Instead of many small farts, you get a few large ones.

And no, they do NOT negatively effect the head on your brew.

 

[Catt22]

You can add it anytime and the dosage is not critical.

Use it in your starter, especially when boiling the wort in a flask to prevent boil overs.

Use it in your boil kettle for the same reason

Use it in your fermenter to prevent excessive foaming. Often eliminates the need for a blow off tube.

There are no downsides to using this stuff that I can detect. It does not affect the head retention and IMO, it actually improves the head. As mentioned above, the dosage does not seem to be critical. Usually 5-10 drops in the boil kettle will do it. Same for the fermenter.

 

[ChshreCat]

I only need 2-3 drops in my kettle, but I do partial boils. I just wait for the break and when the foam starts to rise I add a drop and wait a couple seconds, then add another drop and so on until I see it start to fall. Usually does after the second or third drop. After that, I might need to add one drop after a big hop addition, but that's it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

It's more expensive but, I use Mylicon since I have ready access to it.

1 drop per gallon. Works to break teh surface tension of bubbles allowing them to to merge toghether easily into bigger bubbles. The copounds are not absorbed by the intestines or the stomach.

Oddly, enough tho' if gotten cold enough it can be formed into a ball and bounced. Literally, although I think it takes liquid nitro to do it.

 

[camiller]

Is Fermtech anti foam the same as fermcap? I've also seen an anti-foam distributed by Crosby and Baker (which you may find in your LHBS) that is Dow Corning FG-10 anti-foam. It appears that it is Polydimethylsiloxane rather than Simethicone.

Edit: Then wikipedia provides this...

...Activated dimethicone, a mixture of polydimethylsiloxanes and silicon dioxide (sometimes called simethicone), is used in Over-the-counter drug as an anti-foaming agent...

Edit2: Just to add to the confusion (OK probably only my confusion) Fermtech doesn't list an anti-foam product on their web site of downloadable PDF product sheet.

 

[humann_brewing]

You can add it in the boil at the the start or any time after.

Also can be used to prevent blowoff in the fermenter.

Simethicone (aka Gas-x or Oval or their no name equivalents) works just as well.

Do you know the portions to add if you use gas-x? The same one drop per gallon or something?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I usually use 1 0r 2 extra strength gel caps for 10g. I usually forget to use them in the boil.

 

[shek]

I just boiled with one gelcap of Gas-x and didn't have to worry about boiling over at all. I couldn't find unflavored Gas-x so it had mint flavoring in it, which I could definitely smell at the start of the boil, but I can't detect the smell now so hopefully it didn't impart a minty flavor. This saved me a little today since I was out of propane for the turkey fryer, but I recently discovered that I can get a reasonable boil going on the gas range in my kitchen. It's just that I'm a little afraid of having a boilover in the kitchen where the huge mess would get the SWMBO very pissed. I kept an eye on it this time just to make sure it didn't boil over, but in the future I'm pretty certain I can just set it to high and leave the lid on and come back several minutes later with a good boil going. Also means I don't have to buy any more propane. Whoohoo!!!

 

[ChshreCat]

I just boiled with one gelcap of Gas-x and didn't have to worry about boiling over at all. I couldn't find unflavored Gas-x so it had mint flavoring in it, which I could definitely smell at the start of the boil, but I can't detect the smell now so hopefully it didn't impart a minty flavor.

Maybe it's the 22oz of Red Chair I just drank, but I laughed myself silly reading this. Thanks, man! I needed that!

 

[rico567]

When I went AG, I decided that I just didn't want to worry about getting a bigger boil pot, or nursing the foam at hot break. So I just started using Fermcap-S at the outset, and never looked back. I started out using the recommended dose (10 drops / 5 gal.), but have since taken "ChshreCat"'s advice and reduced it to 5 drops. Seems to work just as well.

The strange thing that happened with boilovers occcurred two batches ago, when I zoned out and put in 1/4 t. of 5-Star's Super Moss fining product (evidently pretty pure carrageenan, the active ingredient in Irish Moss) at hot break instead of the Fermcap. I didn't realize what I'd done until later, but the weird thing was, it worked pretty much just as well.....

 

[Homercidal]

I tried the liquid infant drops from teh store and didn't really notice any effect. I later got a packet of wine anti-foam and tried that and it really helped prevent boil-overs (although I still got one real late in the boil, when the level had gone down. I don't know why.)

So I went to make a starter, and I wanted to boil right in the flask, so I added one drop of the infant stuff and the foam was GONE! So it would probably work, but maybe needs more than the 2 drops per gallon I tried before.

 

[hopvine]

This is one of those "MUST USE" products; I see NO reason not to use it. I didn't realize Fermcap could be used to prevent boilovers until a thread on here a few months back, and I've used it for every brew since then with awesome results. Brewday is much less stressful when you don't need to worry about boilovers.

USE IT.

 

[johntangus]

So, let me get this right. I have the gas-x caplets. Can i throw these in the wort and just let them dissolve or do i need to pierce one and squeeze its contents into the wort? Just one caplet or 2 or more?

Seeing how i have no LBHS and have to order everything online this could be a potential cash saver.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

So, let me get this right. I have the gas-x caplets. Can i throw these in the wort and just let them dissolve or do i need to pierce one and squeeze its contents into the wort? Just one caplet or 2 or more?

Seeing how i have no LBHS and have to order everything online this could be a potential cash saver.

Just throw one in. Try and get the flavorless caplets and not the tablets that also have an antacid.

Also, it is even cheaper to get a no name brand version. Active ingredient is simethicone.

 

[Buffman]

I add it before the boil starts. Incidentally, I picked up a 15-gallon pot to make 5 gallons (about 7 gallons preboil) with the idea that I wouldn't need to worry about boiling over or adding Fermtech, and I STILL nearly boiled over at the hop addition of my last batch. It came right to the top. I will be using Fermtech in all my batches, even with the big pot.