Anti-Foam

DoctorMick · Dec 20, 2016

Essential stuff if you make starters in a flask! After fighting to keep foam down with every starter I've made, which usually led to regularly stopping the wort boiling, I got some anti foam and added a drop to the starter I made last night. No sign of any foam so I could quite happily leave it to boil away for 10 minutes. :thumb:

keat64 · Dec 20, 2016

I have 5 gallon of the stuff for my Hot Tub.
If anyone has a MSDS for the brewing variety, i'd be interested to compare the two.
I'm almost certain that the Hot Tub stuff is food grade.

Rogermort · Dec 20, 2016

What is this magic ingredient of which you speak? I've had enough of wiping burnt wort off of our electric hob!

MyQul · Dec 20, 2016

keat64 said:
I have 5 gallon of the stuff for my Hot Tub.
If anyone has a MSDS for the brewing variety, i'd be interested to compare the two.
I'm almost certain that the Hot Tub stuff is food grade.

That is one big starter :lol:

strange-steve · Dec 20, 2016

Where did you get it from Mick? I see the Brulosophy guys talking about Fermcap S all the time but never seen it over here.

Simonh82 · Dec 20, 2016

Brupaks make it. They sell it at The Homebrew Shop and other palces.

It's magic stuff. It is great for making starters and also for controlling foam in the boil. I like it because it means I can boil about 1CM away from the rim of the kettle so I can get more wort into the fermentor. I like to maximise my output for any brewday as I don't get to brew as often as I'd like.

chewie · Dec 20, 2016

strange-steve said:
Where did you get it from Mick? I see the Brulosophy guys talking about Fermcap S all the time but never seen it over here.

Most homebrew shops sell it, you might find it under distilling supplies, it works by preventing the surface tension on a liquid forming as it approaches a boil thereby stopping boil over , it would be interesting to hear though if it has any effect on head formation and retention.

Rogermort · Dec 20, 2016

So how much would you add to a two litre starter in a flask?

TartanSpecial · Dec 20, 2016

I think the Brupaks stuff (which I use) is repackaged FD20PK which is a standard silicone based antifoam used in food and brewing industry. This is only the Tech data sheet from Murphy's
http://www.murphyandson.co.uk/Datasheets/ANTIFOAM.pdf

TartanSpecial · Dec 20, 2016

Rogermort said:
So how much would you add to a two litre starter in a flask?

you only need a drop, or a couple of skooshes from a trigger spray. I dilute 4 grams antifoam in 100ml sterilised water in a small hand trigger spray. Useful to kill foam after transferring from boil kettle to fermenter. Doesn't seem to have negative impact on head.

Chippy_Tea · Dec 20, 2016

Brupaks Antifoam 100ml

An aid to reduce foaming during boiling or transfer of wort.

To control foaming in the boiling and fermentation stages of brewing.

A highly effective silicone based antifoam emulsion developed specifically for the brewing industry.

Dosage will vary substantially due to the great variety of conditions in which it may be used. A good starting point would be to dilute 2ml of Antifoam with 50ml of water and apply to the surface of the boiling or fermenting wort by means of a spray until the desired amount of foam reduction is achieved.

https://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/brupaks-antifoam-100ml.html

DoctorMick · Dec 20, 2016

Rogermort said:
What is this magic ingredient of which you speak? I've had enough of wiping burnt wort off of our electric hob!

I think the ingredient which makes it work is silicone (although I could be wrong)! That'd be pretty scary but it's such a small amount I doubt it matters.

DoctorMick · Dec 20, 2016

Rogermort said:
So how much would you add to a two litre starter in a flask?

I just put a tiny drop in (basically, the smallest amount I could manage).

Got it from brew uk.

DoctorMick · Dec 20, 2016

Chippy_Tea said:
Dosage will vary substantially due to the great variety of conditions in which it may be used. A good starting point would be to dilute 2ml of Antifoam with 50ml of water and apply to the surface of the boiling or fermenting wort by means of a spray until the desired amount of foam reduction is achieved.

Those are the instructions that were on the bottle but I just ignored them and chucked a tiny drop in and that eliminated all foam. Given the tiny amount used I'll be amazed if there is any detrimental impact when the starter goes in to a 5g batch.

Rogermort · Dec 20, 2016

Thanks all. Adding a bottle to my armoury right now.

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Fil · Dec 20, 2016

the stuff sold in brewshops contains the same active ingredient as found in a US brand Gripe water which is substantially cheaper. the source isnt something i can link to in here, but if you search forums relating to folk who who dont want their post fermentation liquors to foam up after they have been sealed up in a vessel before heating it and collecting the condensate you should find all the info you need

keat64 · Dec 21, 2016

TartanSpecial said:
I think the Brupaks stuff (which I use) is repackaged FD20PK which is a standard silicone based antifoam used in food and brewing industry. This is only the Tech data sheet from Murphy's
http://www.murphyandson.co.uk/Datasheets/ANTIFOAM.pdf

This is the stuff I have.

http://www.poolchemicalproducts.co.uk/antifoam-for-pools/antifoam.html

Rogermort · Dec 26, 2016

Just used this for the first time making a starter. Assume it's black magic. [emoji108]

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