Foam in the right place is great. Foam in the fermenter is not. We all love a nice foamy head on a finished beer. But in the brewhouse or fermenter, uncontrolled foam can lead to overboiling, blowouts, and lost yield. That’s where antifoams come in. These compounds are added during brewing or fermentation to control foam and keep your process running smoothly.
Antifoams help you optimize your tank space by keeping foam in check during both boiling and fermentation. They can also increase the utilization of iso-alpha-acids, which may let you reduce hop usage by up to 15%. And because antifoams preserve foam-positive proteins, they can actually help improve head retention in the finished beer.
When used in the kettle, antifoams bind to the trub and settle out in the whirlpool. In fermentation, they attach to the yeast and are removed when the yeast is removed. If there is likely to be yeast carryover into the final beer, vegetable-oil-based antifoams are recommended.
The ATPGroup Brewing Team can help you make the best choice for your next batch. Reach out to your ATPGroup representative, send us an e-mail at: brewery@atpgroup.com, or give us a call at 914-834-1881.
