Antifoam

[RabMaxwell]

This antifoam stuff sure does work the wort is 2 inch from the top & hardly loosing any beer from the blow-off tube .

[maxashton]

How's it going to affect your head retention?

[RabMaxwell]

I have read it doesn't affect your head retention & when i have used it before it didn't affect it.

[maxashton]

Kewl.

[steve_flack]

I use it in the fermenter and haven't noticed any adverse effects on the head of the finished beer.

[maxashton]

How does that work then?
How does it differentiate between the foam produced during fermentation and that produced during pouring?

[steve_flack]

It's a silicone of some sort that reduces the surface tension. AFAIK it sinks to the bottom when fermentation is done so shouldn't be carried over to the finished beer. I could be wrong though.

[maxashton]

That makes sense. I wonder if it could be washed and reused
Thanks doc!

[steve_flack]

It's a liquid...looks a bit like isinglass only whiter and thicker.

[maxashton]

Is it greasy in consistency like respirator grease etc? Just out of interest here, i'm not going to take my dive kit to my beer

[steve_flack]

I've never touched it as a I use a dropper to add it.

More info here

http://www.byo.com/mrwizard/1653.html

[maxashton]

Thanks, Steve!

I keep meaning to sign up to BYO.

Wow! One ml per 20 litres? I can see why you use a dropper. That's some effective stuff!.

According to this it actually aids head retention in the finished product!

[RabMaxwell]

I don't add any antifoam to my boiler but find that if i skim the hot break that forms for the first 15 minutes of the boil before adding my bittering hops this prevents boil overs.