Biab Scooping Off The Foam

[Spork]

Hey brewers.
Having learned my craft from the $30 BIAB thread, I generally skim my wort as it approached the boil to get the brown foam / scum out.
This is a bit of a tedious process, one of the few parts of brewday where I can't wander off and do something else.
Does it matter? Do I NEED to get this stuff off / out now, or will it be left behind with the trub after boil anyway?
Cheers.

 

[bignath]

Yeah i wouldn't mind knowing that either actually. The more technical side of this opinion though...

there was a thread about this a few years ago, and the jury was out as it seemed many skim, and many don't.

Some thought it was detrimental to their beer, other's thought that it helped other parts of the process later on.

I always skim my wort as it approaches the boil, as i think it looks disgusting and i don't want it in their, but if there are good reasons not to skim, i'd like to find out.

Sorry for the hijack of sorts, but i'd be keen to know the "reasons" why we should or shouldn't skim.


EDIT: Found some linkies....

I think this may have been the link to the previous thread??

www.ahb.com.au/forum/index.php?showtopic=47938&st=40

Found another one too...

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...c=33462&hl=

 

[JDW81]

Hey brewers.
Having learned my craft from the $30 BIAB thread, I generally skim my wort as it approached the boil to get the brown foam / scum out.
This is a bit of a tedious process, one of the few parts of brewday where I can't wander off and do something else.
Does it matter? Do I NEED to get this stuff off / out now, or will it be left behind with the trub after boil anyway?
Cheers.

Just leave it. I haven't got a reason just find it easier not to skim. Haven't noticed any adverse outcomes from not skimming for all these years. I don't imagine a commercial brewery would skim the top of their kettles, given the size.

If you're worried about boil overs get a spray bottle and give the surface a spray if it starts to foam up, works every time.

My 2c.

JD

 

[citizensnips]

+1 spray bottle

 

[seamad]

Was a skimmer,after reading the thread i think nath was referring to i stopped. No difference that i can taste, all gone anyway ten minutes into boil. Havent seen any commercial brews being skimmed either.

 

[Spork]

Thanks for those links Big Nath.
Seems opinion is divided.
Next batch I will try non-skim, sounds like I may have to watch for boil-overs though, but I will only have about 30 litres in a 40 litre urn so should be OK.

 

[seamad]

Shouldnt get a boilover with those volumes, pretty well same as mine.

 

[Nick JD]

I skimmed in that 30 buck thread, but I don't anymore.

With such a small, high gravity setup - reducing trub is a good idea, and that scum ends up as part of the hotbreak at the bottom in the end.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Thanks for those links Big Nath.
Seems opinion is divided.
Next batch I will try non-skim, sounds like I may have to watch for boil-overs though, but I will only have about 30 litres in a 40 litre urn so should be OK.

I run 36.5L in 40L urn. I don't skim and have never had a boil over or the need to use a spray bottle, even though I do keep one close by just in case.

Even though I am happy with the results and think I am producing some nice beers, I have never been in a position to see if there is a difference.

 

[Aydos]

I have skimmed one brew and coincidentally it was my clearest batch that i have done. Im not saying it was from the skimming but i will definitely try again for the next brew to see how that comes out.


Otherwise, im not a skimmer!

 

[Hippy]

Never skimmed. Never will

 

[pmastello]

In a Brew strong podcast on Head Retention, they mention that skimming from the boil may reduce head retention in some beers.

 

[edschache]

I skim when I make my Stout when I make it, not completely, just enough to taste it about 5 times It tastes like malty hot chocolate so in my opinion can't do anything bad to the final product.

 

[RdeVjun]

FWIW, the $30 AG method's younger brother (20L Stovetop/ MaxiBIAB) scooped a 1st at AABC last week without skimming.
Use that time more productively is my advice OP, you don't need to do that at all but it won't hurt to keep an eye on the kettle so that it doesn't boil over.

 

[nathan_madness]

I was just thinking of skimming on the weekend. That is crazy that this thread it here this week. I decided not to skim as there MIGHT be something in that scum that MIGHT help the brew in the fermentation process.

 

[QldKev]

Ex-skimmer here. Can't really notice any difference.

 

[bradsbrew]

I used to skim until I started FWHing and never went back to it.

Why the reference to BIAB? Do you think the brewing method equates to the need to skim or not?

Cheers

 

[Lemon]

Hi everyone, my name's Lemon and I am a reformed skimmer.It's been 10 brews since I've skimmed. The main reason was head retention. The logic being, that there is only a finite amount of foam causing compounds in the brew, so why remove some or a significant amount of them.
Even more shocking is I've given up squeezing as well.

Lemon

 

[Byran]

I used to skim until I started FWHing and never went back to it.

Why the reference to BIAB? Do you think the brewing method equates to the need to skim or not?

Cheers

I have done many biab batches and many with a falsy two tier setup.
The trub ball left in the boil kettle is always half as big with the false bottom and (grain filter) setup. It removes the fine particulate stuff from the liquid before the boil. And with skimming, I have done it but only the first stuff that rises, it is a gritty , fine particle scum that rises before the white foamy ****, which I assume is the same white foamy **** that ends up as head retention.....(Thats my scientific hypothesis anyway). If I skim that stuff the trub seems more like that of the sparge drained wort, when doing biab. But apart from that....(less trub), there is no benefit I have found.

So yeh. :lol:

 

[Spork]

I used to skim until I started FWHing and never went back to it.

Why the reference to BIAB? Do you think the brewing method equates to the need to skim or not?

Cheers

Hi Brad.
The reference to BIAB is because it's the method I use, and the thread that got me into AG brewing, where skimming is mentioned.
I don't know if it (BIAB) affects the amount of foam/scum in the kettle, but with most questions people ask more questions re: your process to help them answer.