Foam over

[CodyA]

I have heard of something called "farm cap" to prevent foam over (still not sure what that is), but could a wooden spoon be used just as effectively?

 

[neosapien]

FermCap google is your friend. It's an anti-foaming agent. Yes, keeping an eye on it and stirring with wooden spoon works just as well.

You ever seen mentos dropped in a diet coke? Similar thing.

 

[drew1d]

A wooden spoon across the rim helps, but not in a giant boil over.!

 

[CodyA]

FERMcap! Haha, alright, kept typing "farmcap" into google and couldn't find any thing even beer related. Thanks.

 

[ktblunden]

Farm cap...wouldn't that be a cowboy hat?

I could have used some fermcap on my last batch. Turned my back for one minute and when I turned back I was staring at foam level with the top of the pot. Overflowed some of the hops out of my spider too.

 

[mredge73]

Fermcap works great in the fermentor to keep the krausen down, I use it on every brew.
It is a must have for my fermentor (corny keg) where I fill it close to the top; <2" of head space.
Neat thing about it is that it can be used in the boil to prevent boil over and continue to be effective in the fermentor.
Kinda Dual purpose.

 

[Aschecte]

fermcap rocks !! just be careful not to over do it it is technically not good though it does bind to the trub and break material supposedly making it inert the proper dose is 2 drops per gallon boiled. They also make a ferm cap that is safer but I don't remeber the name.

 

[Zamial]

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...yword=spray+bottle&storeId=10051#.UGL-mFE2mR4

(Note that is the price for a case they sell individual bottles in the store.)

These are HDPE2 so you could ferment in them (I don't recommend it just saying it is safe.) Each time I make a new bucket of Starsan I fill it with the unused fresh Starsan. Set to mist and spray the foam back into the boil, water works to but Starsan in a spray bottle is a GREAT brewery device... used with the spoon trick "A watched pot never boils...OVER!"

 

[Aschecte]

^ this .....Zamial just a fyi when I click on your link yes a home depot bottle pops up but.... also my browser starts going nuts then anti virus pops up showing a virus and IE shuts down. Just a fyi you may want to check that link again.

 

[nukebrewer]

IE

Well that's your first mistake.

On Topic:

I've used both fermcap and the wooden spoon thing. The wooden spoon works well for tiny boils, like for a starter, but not for large boils on a 5 gallon batch scale. I highly recommend fermcap. I haven't had a boil over, nor even a threat of one, since I started using it.

 

[Zamial]

Well that's your first mistake.

This made me lol. I have been known to say things like "IE is a virus disguised as a web browser."

As for my link and a virus...I would bring this up to the Home Depot site since I SERIOUSLY doubt my computer is infecting their site and/or is adding a virus to the link...

Carry on!

 

[Aschecte]

I agree lol usually I use Firefox but I just happened to be on Internet explorer. As a side note I wasn't implying you where infecting anyone I was just making the fact known when I opened the link norton pop'd up and said that a Trojan was blocked it very well could be a issue with homedepot or could even be norton seeing some script it was not happy with idk. I was only trying to give people a heads up that are not running a antivirus.