oil for anti-foam

[Seth]

I have been reading older posts about using oil for anti-foam and wondering if I am planning using a pot still for whiskey what type of oil and what amounts work best. I am trying to get a cost per bottle and this is an added expense that needs to be considered.

Thanks

Seth

[MadMacaw]

Seth,

Without a doubt, oil would work as anti-foam, but it may cause unacceptable fouling issues. It would be best to use additives that are specifically designed for the task in a food production environment. They are non-fouling natural compounds that have proven effective for many years. Two such examples are Birko Anti-Foam 100 and Fermcap. The prior is less expensive to use due to the lower dosage required.

Eric Watson

AlBevCon

[J'ESP]

Seth,

Without a doubt, oil would work as anti-foam, but it may cause unacceptable fouling issues. It would be best to use additives that are specifically designed for the task in a food production environment. They are non-fouling natural compounds that have proven effective for many years. Two such examples are Birko Anti-Foam 100 and Fermcap. The prior is less expensive to use due to the lower dosage required.

Eric Watson

AlBevCon

We used this silicone-based product http://www4.dowcorning.com/DataFiles/090007b2815a6e84.pdf in our vanilla products (flavored coffee syrup). It worked reasonably well to eliminate foam already present, but the foam would return in spades with subsequent pumping & heat-treatment to the bottling line. Personally, I would not use it due to the health effects (see MSDS above) and the oily residue that was nearly impossible to wash from utensils. Not sure how it would behave when distilled.

Edit: update old Dow link & what is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane & how does it break down？

[Jonathan Forester]

I used plain vegetable oil (cooking oil) in my 60 gallon direct flame heated pot still. Worked just fine. Only used a cup or so.

[J'ESP]

I have been reading older posts about using oil for anti-foam and wondering if I am planning using a pot still for whiskey what type of oil and what amounts work best. I am trying to get a cost per bottle and this is an added expense that needs to be considered.

Thanks

Seth

Use EVOO, put it on the label & work out a deal with the oil manufacturer & he pays you to use it.

Collaborate, cross markets, blah blah blah...

[Rich Morgan]

I would strongly reccomend against using a vegetable oil. It will crack in the still in the presence of all that heat, low pH and alcohol, potentially producing all sorts of interesting by products. A hydrolised vegetable oil theoretically could esterise into some nasty compounds.

Most of the anti-foaming agents are synthetic silicone oils, which are stable ate these temperatures and pH. In the olden days (showing my age here) we used to use good old, hard cake soap (not detergent). The soap will break the surface tension on the foam. Just a 1/4 teaspoon in the wash will do. try and get an all natural, no fragrence laundry or hand soap. You know the stuff your mums washed the stains out of your shorts with. In Australia it would be Sunlight soap.