Hot Break. Stir it in or scrape it off?

_jon_ · Dec 30, 2017

Which do you do? And which is best?

I've seen some brewers just stir it back into the boil, and I've seen others scrape if off with a sieve.

I tend to scrape it off with a sieve as I like to see the actual wort boiling, but maybe I'm wrong in doing that?

Bigcol49 · Dec 30, 2017

Hi!
If what you do works for you, don't fret over it.

BarnBrian · Dec 30, 2017

I just leave it alone.

Gunge · Dec 30, 2017

I just stare at it gormlessly and before I've decided what to do, it's disappeared back into the maelstrom from whence it came.

MyQul · Dec 30, 2017

The foam on the top isnt hot break. The stuff that looks like an alient moving about in the wort after you've turned the boil off is the hot break. Although it is protein matter (aparentley similar to albumen in an egg iirc). If you're not worried about the amount of trub in the FV, just leave it. I usually scoop it off so it doesnt contrbute to the trub

trueblue · Dec 30, 2017

MyQul said:
The foam on the top isnt hot break. The stuff that looks like an alient moving about in the wort after you've turned the boil off is the hot break. Although it is protein matter (aparentley similar to albumen in an egg iirc). If you're not worried about the amount of trub in the FV, just leave it. I usually scoop it off so it doesnt contrbute to the trub

Totally correct, not sure where this misinformation that the hot break is at the start of the boil came from but it is at the end normally after an hour of boiling.

_jon_ · Dec 31, 2017

I thought the hot break was the coagulation of proteins which form due to the rolling effect of the boil. That's what I read anyway.

I was referring to the alien life form which forms strange islands on the top of the wort, not the foam. I stir the foam back in.

strange-steve · Dec 31, 2017

trueblue said:
Totally correct, not sure where this misinformation that the hot break is at the start of the boil came from but it is at the end normally after an hour of boiling.

I've wondered about this "mis-information" myself, and there seems to be an Atlantic divide. Most American references seem to call the foam at the start of the boil the hot break whereas in the UK the hot break is the clumps of protein you see towards the end of the boil.

I think part of the confusion is that the mechanism behind these two occurrences is essentially the same, ie denaturing and coagulation of proteins and tannins due to the heat and agitation.

So I think it's more accurate to say that the foaming at the start of the boil is the beginning of the hot break but it's not complete until the clumps are large and stable enough to easily precipitate, which is when the wort has the so called "egg drop soup" look. I suppose it doesn't really matter what you call it as long as we know what's meant.

Regarding the op, I usually don't skim the foam unless I'm brewing something light and delicate like a pils or kolsch. I'm not sure it makes any difference, but Gordon Strong reckons it can affect clarity.

Linalmeemow · Dec 31, 2017

I skim it, if only to help prevent boil over.

trueblue · Dec 31, 2017

strange-steve said:
Regarding the op, I usually don't skim the foam unless I'm brewing something light and delicate like a pils or kolsch. I'm not sure it makes any difference, but Gordon Strong reckons it can affect clarity.

Don't agree with that, I never skim and always get crystal clear beer using only copper finnings.

Gunge · Dec 31, 2017

trueblue said:
Don't agree with that, I never skim and always get crystal clear beer using only copper finnings.

Me too. Furthermore, all the cold break stuff goes into the FV too!

ExpatBrewer · Dec 31, 2017

I try to minimise the amount of gunk getting into the FV so I skim and later take some care to leave as much of the sludge behind when filling my FV. Without any solid data to back me up my thinking was that this will go some way to help reduce chill haze formation. Many say they don't bother and still get crystal clear beer. I do to if the serving temp is around 10ÃÂºC or higher! But at fridge temps (around 4ÃÂºC) all my brews end up hazy to a greater of lesser degree. :-?

Robin54 · Dec 31, 2017

ExpatBrewer said:
I try to minimise the amount of gunk getting into the FV so I skim and later take some care to leave as much of the sludge behind when filling my FV. Without any solid data to back me up my thinking was that this will go some way to help reduce chill haze formation. Many say they don't bother and still get crystal clear beer. I do to if the serving temp is around 10ÃÂºC or higher! But at fridge temps (around 4ÃÂºC) all my brews end up hazy to a greater of lesser degree. :-?

You know the answer to this one...next brew leave hot break and all the sludge in and see what happens. I' m just enjoying a Jester SMASH (a much under-rated hop IMO) and only a few days in the bottle and I can read what Im typing here through it, seriously..quick check.. bottled 27/12

strange-steve · Dec 31, 2017

@ExpatBrewer I think your signature applies to some of the comments in this thread :whistle:

Fil · Jan 1, 2018

White Labs instructional vids are to blame in part for the initial foam up = hot break myth, they propagate it at least.

fwiw with a free floating hop bill letting the brew stand for 30 minutes post chilling before draining lets the hop matter settle and act as a filter to help retain a significant proportion of the hot break in the kettle.

ExpatBrewer · Jan 1, 2018

Robin54 said:
You know the answer to this one...next brew leave hot break and all the sludge in and see what happens. I' m just enjoying a Jester SMASH (a much under-rated hop IMO) and only a few days in the bottle and I can read what Im typing here through it, seriously..quick check.. bottled 27/12

What temperature do you serve at?

And, as it happens I just read through this with interest and surprise!

http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

Lots of trub in the FV = clearer beer! :doh:

ExpatBrewer · Jan 1, 2018

strange-steve said:
@ExpatBrewer I think your signature applies to some of the comments in this thread :whistle:

I think it probably applies to the majority of homebrew threads!

:lol:

_jon_ · Jan 1, 2018

Some very interesting points here.

The brew I did on Thursday was a slightly different one for me, in that actually sucked the lot into the FV.. because I'm using the fermentasaurus for this one, I thought what the hell... I'll just save time faffing and chuck the lot into the FV, and then use the collection bottle to dump the trub a few times.

Let's see if it actually results in clearer beer. I can see a lot of trub already in the collection bottle, but I don't want to dump it just yet.. at least until primary is over as I'll end up dumping valuable yeast.

I do skim off the protein hot break, just because it doesn't look very nice or very appetising at all. But that's the only real reason for it. Foam I just leave alone.

Dutto · Jan 1, 2018

Bigcol49 said:
Hi!
If what you do works for you, don't fret over it.

I agree with Big Col but I always stir it in for two reasons:

1. I paid good money for whatever is in there.

2. I once left the brew to its own devices and came back to discover that the boiler had overflowed and left a sticky mess that took ages to clean up.

I now make sure that the rolling boil is well underway before leaving it to do other things. :thumb:

Sheepish · Jan 1, 2018

Will the trub cause any issues when harvesting yeast? ...I guess you can stick it in a jar to settle out and pour the yeast off the trub???

Hot Break. Stir it in or scrape it off?

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