Anybody use a defoamer? if so what? and how?

[sawyerkirk]

was reading elsewhere on here and they were talking about different things to us as a defoamer, but I didn't know if was to add it into the sap or just what.

[weekendboiler]

defoamer is used to control the sap from boiling over. i use a store bought defoamer and that stuff really works add one or two drops to a pan that is about to foam over and poof the foam is gone:lol:

[Haynes Forest Products]

You only need a few drop. What it does is break the surface tension of the liquid causing the foam/bubbles to not form. You only put it in the area that is foaming up. When the foam breaks up it allows the steam to escape the sap surface.

[james ferguson]

it will depend on size of you rig i have a 3x10 oil with pre heater and hoods in my front syrup pans i only put a couple drops in only if foam is about roll over sides and in my back flue pan i have a hood covering complet pan so i can not see in it so what i do is i place two pre made stainless steel foam cups one on each side on flue pan these cups can be adjusted to what ever higth you would like to set i set mine 3 inches above sap level so once foam hits cup full of defoamer it knocks down foam and i dont have to worry about it just fill cup before you start boiling and you whant to make shure youre defoames is not frozen when you start it dose not come out of bottle when you need it so keep it warm or room temp

[red maples]

I just use canola oil...and I put in a seringe dropper I got from the pharmacy. I add in a few drops when it starts to foam. I use more in the beginning when I am sweetening the pans. If you have foam 2 things the steam can't escape as easy so you have to boil that much harder to boil off the liquid, and your floats don't work right so you may have less sap in the pans than you think which in turn can risk a scortched pan.