LittleDabbie
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I remember a while back in this thread, foam suppression was mentioned, don't recall if a solution was ever talked about...
A couple university documents I read online mentioned adding just a cap full of veggie oil per 5gal brew to suppress excess foam, and holy shit, it works beautfully. Specifically vegetable oil though, as according to the university documents it is microbe-safe, whereas olive and canola oil have anti-microbial properties...
I know that mountain of foam gives the perceived visual satisfaction that you've brewed a badass batch of tea... but I find it to be messy and a massive pita to deal with.
I was getting massive foam overflow on this batch and shut my air pump off for a bit to let the foam settle and clean up the mess... this pic is after turned it back on for only about 30 seconds before it started to overflow again...
View attachment 471945
Then here is a pic after adding a cap full of veggie oil...
View attachment 471944
So, as long as the veggie oil as zero effect on the brew, which I tend to believe, then this is going to be a staple in my brews.
That is, until I build a vortex... err... do you still get outrageous foam with a vortex style brewer...?
Ah, figures lol. Cap, have you converted to a vortex style brewer?yes, you still get outrageous foam with a vortex!
I remember a while back in this thread, foam suppression was mentioned, don't recall if a solution was ever talked about...
A couple university documents I read online mentioned adding just a cap full of veggie oil per 5gal brew to suppress excess foam, and holy shit, it works beautfully. Specifically vegetable oil though, as according to the university documents it is microbe-safe, whereas olive and canola oil have anti-microbial properties...
I know that mountain of foam gives the perceived visual satisfaction that you've brewed a badass batch of tea... but I find it to be messy and a massive pita to deal with.
I was getting massive foam overflow on this batch and shut my air pump off for a bit to let the foam settle and clean up the mess... this pic is after turned it back on for only about 30 seconds before it started to overflow again...
View attachment 471945
Then here is a pic after adding a cap full of veggie oil...
View attachment 471944
So, as long as the veggie oil as zero effect on the brew, which I tend to believe, then this is going to be a staple in my brews.
That is, until I build a vortex... err... do you still get outrageous foam with a vortex style brewer...?
At what rate do you use the stylet oil to help with foam? Your 73 gallon vortex brewer sounds bitchin'.I have to add stylet oil to my teas as I brew with a 73 gallon vortex brewer.
I'd read that fish hydrolysate also cuts foam at some point, perhaps earlier in this thread, thanks for the tip. What I didn't know was NHFF is the same thing and would do the trick, haha, sweet.Fish Hydrolysate (as opposed to Fish Emulsion) will accomplish this and at the same time it's a great additive for any microbial compost tea. And it's pretty cheap. We usually add 4ml per gallon as an ingredient when we first mix up the tea in the brewer. If the foam starts building up later on we just add another ml or two and the foam quickly disappears. The stuff reeks but you you only have to use a tiny bit and the beneficials and the plants love it. We use Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizer (don't let the name fool you, it's just fish hydrolysate) but there are a number of other brands on the market. Just don't use fish emulsion, which is heat processed (which kills all the good stuff); hydrolysate is cold processed.
At what rate do you use the stylet oil to help with foam? Your 73 gallon vortex brewer sounds bitchin'.
I'd read that fish hydrolysate also cuts foam at some point, perhaps earlier in this thread, thanks for the tip. What I didn't know was NHFF is the same thing and would do the trick, haha, sweet.
At what rate do you use the stylet oil to help with foam? Your 73 gallon vortex brewer sounds bitchin'.
I'd read that fish hydrolysate also cuts foam at some point, perhaps earlier in this thread, thanks for the tip. What I didn't know was NHFF is the same thing and would do the trick, haha, sweet.
I know that mountain of foam gives the perceived visual satisfaction that you've brewed a badass batch of tea... but I find it to be messy and a massive pita to deal with.
What you just described is kind of how a protein skimmer is made. There's a collection cup at the top of the reaction chamber, where the skimmate (that's what the foam is called) is collected and removed. Why? It's chock-ful of nutrients! That we don't want in the water column. ;)OMG No doubt Shits over floaming my bucket atm, had to put a panty hose over the top to stop the foam from coming over the top.. so annoying!
Considering putting a lid on it and drilling a few holes for the air stones and one small exhaust hole. Foam is annoying when you gotta scoop off cup fulls and 5 mins later its all back!
What you just described is kind of how a protein skimmer is made. There's a collection cup at the top of the reaction chamber, where the skimmate (that's what the foam is called) is collected and removed. Why? It's chock-ful of nutrients! That we don't want in the water column. ;)
Stir it back in, it's nutrients you're dumping out. You have horses?I Just been skimming it off and dumping it into my horse shit bin to control the fly population seems to be working out :D
Stir it back in, it's nutrients you're dumping out. You have horses?
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