[Pi]

did a Kolsch yesterday and added 14 drops to a 6 gallon batch. this morning i had to put the blow off tube in as a precaution. seems like i have alot of kreusen for a 1.052 beer. is this from the 5% wheat in the grist? Should I have done a protein rest? would adding more fermcap to the primary help, or stick with the blowoff?

[Hokerer]

would adding more fermcap to the primary help, or stick with the blowoff?

No harm in always using a blowoff.  Better safe than sorry

[bluesman]

would adding more fermcap to the primary help, or stick with the blowoff?

No harm in always using a blowoff.  Better safe than sorry

+1

Fermcap should be added at two drops per gallon. The krausen layer varies by yeast strain, amount of yeast, yeast health, beer gravity and  beer temp. The wheat is not a significant factor. Don't add any more Fermcap and leave the blowoff hose on the fermenter.

[ccfoo242]

I've still needed the blowoff tube with fermcap but I'm using a 6 gallon better bottle filled to 5.5 gallons.  Still better with the fermcap though, same brew and same fermenter and the non-fermcap one spews everywhere. The fermcap one stays mostly contained.

-Sent from the future.

[erockrph]

Slight tangent - if you use Fermcap in your boil, do you need to add any extra to your primary or is the pre-boil amount sufficient through fermentation as well?

[ccfoo242]

I think you're only supposed to use it either / or. 

-Sent from the future.

[prccap]

we have needed it in both. it doesnt transfer from the boil kettle

[ccfoo242]

Hmm,  I just found this post from Denny:
 http://hbd.org/discus/messages/50162/50540.html?1304008514

So we shouldn't use fermcap-s without filtering?

-Sent from the future.

[richardt]

There's already been a very thorough discussion regarding FermCap-S on this forum.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=7419.0

I tend to use FermCap-S in the BK and in the wort starter (yeast starter). 
It has not been necessary for me to add FermCap-S directly into the fermentor, nor has it been desirable to do so as I prefer the sterilization effect boiling has.

[ccfoo242]

Thanks for the link. 

So what are some alternatives?

-Sent from the future.

[Pi]

I just burned an hour reading these posts as well as other threads in other forums. What do the folks at Fermcap say about their product?
I had a similar question about whether or not dumping PBW in my septic would have adverse effects (the label says it's "environmentally safe") but PBW doesn't list its active ingredients either.
Some natural gas companies dont want to disclose the chemicals they want to use for hydro-fracking calling it a trade secret. Do you think/trust these chemicals are environmentally safe? Who cares about clean drinking water, right now we need jobs! (sorry about that I slipped- we're talking beer here not politics)
My take away from this is i am going to keep using Fermcap S at the dosage of 2 drops per gallon in my fermentor. I am leaving the blowoff on through high krausen. IMO there is not enough evidence to support it being a health risk. And if it were, in order for me to ingest enough to do harm, I would have to drink enough beer that i would be more wooried about what the alcohol is doing to my liver.

[ccfoo242]

My take away from this is i am going to keep using Fermcap S at the dosage of 2 drops per gallon in my fermentor. I am leaving the blowoff on through high krausen. IMO there is not enough evidence to support it being a health risk. And if it were, in order for me to ingest enough to do harm, I would have to drink enough beer that i would be more wooried about what the alcohol is doing to my liver.

Sounds right to me. I'm still curious about alternatives but I'm not going to stop using it for now.

[euge]

I listened to BS and JZ went on a bit about it. What I'm not clear on is- how "it collects in the liver"?

The fermcap one stays mostly contained.

Sounds like it doesn't work then.

[Pi]

I listened to BS and JZ went on a bit about it. What I'm not clear on is- how "it collects in the liver"?

The fermcap one stays mostly contained.

Sounds like it doesn't work then.

Liver? I thought it was kidneys?

[ccfoo242]

Sounds like it doesn't work then.

I only used it in the boil, I thought if you used it in the boil then you weren't supposed to use it in the fermenter. So...