How Do You Control The Hotbreak?

[Jye]

I'm a blower, never got around to getting a spray bottle... you just have to be careful you dont get light headed :blink:

 

[wessmith]

Umm - are we not confusing the initial foam head which occurs as the wort comes to the boil, with the REAL hot break that occurs some 30 to 45 minutes into the boil? Have I missed a thread somewhere?

Wes

 

[Linz]

Third angle for the day......

I scoop the brown sludge that forms as the boil occurs...

Jye, If its foaming up at you and wont settle down....turn down the heat

Now where did that hot break get to??????

 

[tangent]

do you mean boilovers???

 

[T.D.]

I voted for spray bottle but I usually do both this and turning the heat down a bit. I usually go from all 3 rings of my burner to just the middle and outer rings. The spraying gets rid of the initial foam build up, but dropping the heat down is ultimately what I need to be confident that its not going to boil over. I've never tried leaving all 3 rings on so I don't know if a spray bottle alone would cure the boilover risk, but what I do seems to work so I'll stick with it.

 

[Jye]

do you mean boilovers???

I probably chose the wrong word :unsure:

At the beginning of the boil I get a lot of foaming due to all of the hotbreak formed on top and the foaming dies away after this has stuck to the sides of the kettle.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

have a tall pot, so it wont boil over the side.

Sometimes I skim.....if I am bored...

 

[Pumpy]

I am a Scumskimmer to reduce the potential of boilver , the hot break falls to the bottom of the kettle I think !

Pumpy

 

[dickTed]

Sometimes I get an attempted boilover. This happened a couple of times when I put a hop bag in at the 30 min mark, but more often when I add the last 2kg of liquid extract after a 60 min boil, and bring to the boil again. Doesn't bother me because I only keep it boiling for another 5 - 10 mins. I can stand there and blow for 10 mins.

I don't whirlpool, just pour it all in. Don't bother with the irish moss either now. Couldn't tell the difference.

 

[Kai]

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?

 

[wessmith]

Kai, the foam head should only last around 10 mins after which time the boil will settle down. it doesnt take too much water - just a very fine spray will knock the foam back. I use one of those multi jet nozzle guns on the hose, that you can buy at any hardware store.

Generally a kettle should be sized at brew length + 25%. However if you are going to do a lot of wheat beers, then I would go for 30 to 40%.

Wes

 

[Pumpy]

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

 

[Ross]

How could you miss "skimmer" off the options Jye there are heaps of us..... h34r:


cheers Ross

 

[Crazy]

How could you miss "skimmer" off the options Jye there are heaps of us..... h34r:


cheers Ross

[post="128175"][/post]​

Maybe we should start the secret society of crud skimmers, Or perhaps I need a bigger kettle so I could give all the methods a miss.

Derrick

 

[Kai]

ommmm

*squirt*

ommmm

*squirt*

ommmm

*squirt*

ommmm

*squirt*

Nah, it ain't doing nothing for me. If my boil is rising then I turn down the heat.

 

[berapnopod]

Is there any way to change the options in these polls?

I mean, my answer is throw in some hops.

Thats to control the boilover.

Also works for helping with hot break

Berp.

 

[Pumpy]

My suggestion is add some large glass marbles to the kettle or flat pebbles. it is a process used in laboratories . often called 'boiling beads' (no I have not lost my marbles !!)

http://www.labdepotinc.com/category_details~id~72.aspx


also as Andrew says

The bittering hops can be added either as a 'first-wort' style (when there's sufficient spargings in your boiler to start heating it) or just as the wort comes to the boil (this will minimise boil overs too.)


http://www.chezwallis.com/pensans/pensans_wit_recipe.html


Pumpy

 

[wessmith]

Hi Pumpy,

"The bittering hops can be added either as a 'first-wort' style (when there's sufficient spargings in your boiler to start heating it) or just as the wort comes to the boil (this will minimise boil overs too.)"

Not always true as the hops create a nucleation point and can exascerbate the boilover. Much better to wait ubtil the foam head has settled down.

Wes

 

[Darren]

Hi Pumpy,

"The bittering hops can be added either as a 'first-wort' style (when there's sufficient spargings in your boiler to start heating it) or just as the wort comes to the boil (this will minimise boil overs too.)"

Not always true as the hops create a nucleation point and can exascerbate the boilover. Much better to wait ubtil the foam head has settled down.

Wes

[post="128338"][/post]​

Wes,
Thats been my experience. Throw in some hops at the point of boil and you are most certainly going to have a boil-over (and lose your hops over the side of the pot)


cheers
Darren

 

[NRB]

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