How Do You Control The Hotbreak?

[berapnopod]

Ditto. For me hops additions are more likely to induce a boilover.

Not for me

Yes, I do find there is a little bit of extra boiling action for a few seconds after adding hops, but on the whole, adding hops to a wort that is about to boil over helps kill off that foam over a much longer timescale.

This doesn't need to be a major addition of hops, I find a few grams is more than enough. So it doesn't mess up your IBU calculations or whatever, but some hops added just before boil will greatly reduce the foaming that can lead to boilovers.

Berp.

 

[Tony]

I turn down the heat.

I never used to when i had a little 3 ringer under 65 liters of freas wort comming to the boil. It was luckt to get it rolling but noy i have a rambo burner and it goes over the top with the greatest of ease.

I used to add hops in FWH with the smaller burner but nothing will stop the froth monster that develops over a rambo at half noise.

well only one thing.

turning it down !!

I tried skimming today......... no good. It just keeps growing and growing.

I dont think i like the idea of the spray bottle.

cheers

 

[peas_and_corn]

If I'm about to have a boilover then I do the logical thing and turn the heat down. What I want to know is what you guys with your squirt bottles do when you're starting to boil over? Do you sit there for 60 minutes squirting the wort rather than turning down the heat, and do you end up with a negative evaporation rate?

[post="128161"][/post]​

Kai,

take three deep breaths hold your hands out flat in front of you and chant this Mantra OoooooMMMMMmmmOmmmm

It is an old Buddist mantra which will help you relax

Pumpy

[post="128167"][/post]​

Or maybe om mani padme hum?

 

[pint of lager]

There appears to be alot of confusion in this thread about different events at the start of the boil.

Tendency to boilover At the start of the boil, due to dissolved gases coming out of solution from the liquid, you get lots of foaming, especially if you throw in some pellets. Also, because the amount of heat is high, to bring the kettle to the boil, higher than actually needed to maintain the boil, the foaming can quickly rise up and overflow. Common methods to combat this are to bat the foam down with the paddle, a spray bottle or turn the heat right down.

Scum at the start of boiling This is a grey scum, very similar to that on the top of the mashtun after recirculating. If it is not removed, it sinks back into the wort after about 10 minutes. Some people skim it off, some don't. Skimmers say the end result is a cleaner flavoured beer. Often, a small boilover at the very start removes this.

Hot break This forms in wort as it is heated and starts at about 80 deg C. It has nothing to do with the grey scum or the boiling action. It is often not obvious in the kettle due to the depth of the wort and the foam on the surface. Anyone who has made some starter wort up in a saucepan will have seen it form. It is removed along with hops as part of the whirlpooling action at the end of the boil. It is not wanted in the fermenter and most brewers aim for 100% removal from the fermenter. Many brewers who use whole hops and whirpool report that the hops provide a good filter bed for the removal of the hot break.

Cold break Not really relevant to the original boiling, but to complete the picture, cold break occurs when the wort is rapidly chilled.

From discussions some time back on HBD, the ideal amounts of each into the fermenter are: Scum 0%, hot break 0%, cold break 10%.

A small amount of cold break was actually found to be beneficial to the final beer, as some of the cold break provides nutrients to the yeast during fermentation.

To achieve good hot break formation and removal, maintain a good boil and whirlpool at the end. To achieve good cold break removal, chill rapidly, allow to settle in fermenter for 30 minutes, then rack to another fermenter.

 

[Linz]

Ahhh...my old mantra.........


"There's nothing that a 'pint of lager' can't clear up....!!"