Using Gas Indoors

[Jacob]

I read somewhere that antifoam can impact head retention in your finished beer. Has anyone had that experience?

Never had any problems because of that.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

I've got to be honest I'm surprised that anyone would need to use anti foam in a home brewing set up, its use is predominantly restricted to Britain, where some of their flocculant ale yeasts can produce excessive fobbing in fermenter, it use is generally frowned upon in the rest of the brewing world, as it is an unnatural additive (Silicone) and you'd have to travel far to find someone admitting to using it in their product. The breweries I worked in use sterile water jetting to break down fob and as stated earlier adding hops in the bring to boil stage will massively reduce boil overs in kettle, but you still need to keep an eye on it

[Qs]

Fermcap is used plenty in homebrewing in the states. Everything I've ever read about fermcap indicates there is no adverse effects on the end product. If anti-foam is the same then I'd be happy to use it.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Everyone to their own, if the vessel for primary fermentation has 25% head space ie a 30 lt vessel for 25 lt of wort and for the odd flocculent yeast use a blow off tube for the first couple of days, is my preferred route to go,

[Qs]

I'd use a blow off for fermentation too but I've got about a spare inch at the top of my boil kettle so I really could do with some help in preventing boil overs without having to stand at the kettle for the entire boil.

Fermcap seems to be used an awful lot in making starters.

[Hop Bomb]

I use fermcap in my starters. Some breweries use it to max out the capacity in their fermentors.

[Beerbuddha]

I dont see why an antifoam needs to be used in the boil once you keep eyes open at the point of boil that you know is gonna cause boil over.

I would have taught the whole point of homebrew is to do it as natural as possible and adding a chemical like anti foam 

[Qs]

I just want the tastiest beer possible. The whole idea of "natural" means nothing to me.

[Beerbuddha]

Doubt antifoam helps taste either.

[Jacob]

Doubt antifoam helps taste either.

Can guarantee that you wont taste the difference...

[cruiscinlan]

Just on the whole gas set-up, would there be much difference in using a a burner such as this rated as 5.6kw: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181572302634?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
or 6kw:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111159774063?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

compared to the 8kw one that most here use.

[Qs]

I've no idea but I never push my boiler more than half way, even in the wind.

[cruiscinlan]

If you're only using it at half capacity does it not take ages?

[Qs]

Depends. It was really quick indoors. Outside it takes maybe half an hour to reach mash temps and then again from that to boiling maybe another half hour. I could turn it up I suppose but once the flames start coming around the bottom of the kettle I figure I'm just wasting gas more than helping speed things up.

[cruiscinlan]

Just on gas, I've been looking at regulators and that I noticed that this has in red print that its for use in Ireland http://www.gasproducts.ie/acatalog/LPG_Kosan_Jumbo_Clip-On_Butane_Gas_Regulator.html#aHA118K

If I buy a butane regulator from the UK are they on a different standard to us or something?