To Skim Or Not To Skim?

[jasonharley]

Apart from all the anecdotes ... is there any scientific proof that skimming is benificial or not? ..... has someone done any repeatable experiments ?

 

[ekul]

I find when i don't skim that i get clearer wort. Not sure if its because of the lack of skimming or something else.
The otehr benefit is that i don't have to wash the strainer anymmore

 

[Superoo]

I havent noticed any real difference in flavour in brews since I've recently started skimming, so I dont think there is a relly big difference.

Skimming really does seem to prevent boilovers, I get no buildup of the froth at all when I skim.

Sometimes when I see a dark film on the froth surface, and pasty stuff on the side of my kettle at the top of the wort level, I sort of feel I should get rid of it.

Hows that for a scientific approach.


I might attend a few skimmers anonymous meeetings and see if that helps

 

[geoffd]

I cant help but skim. I also have never had substantial amounts of trub in the bottom.

My skimming has no scientific basis. I do note from tasting the hot break, that after the initial creamy break which tastes like mousse (chocolate mousse on a stout) the break takes on a strong, almost metalic (to my taste buds) flavour (DMS i presume?), personally I'd rather this is removed from the beer, I dont skim while there are hops on the surface. On a 90min boil I'll skim until 60min add bittering hops & wont skim again for a good half hour.

I also wonder if it is possible that having hot break on the surface could inhibit the boiling off of some unwanted compounds.
I agree the theory that leaving the hot break in for better coagualation could be just as (if not more) plausable.

Despite continuing to skim, I have never heard any proven scientific research either for or against. Even if it is marginally beneficial, I can see that a commercial brewery might find it uneconomical & / or unpractical to attempt to include this process.

 

[brendanos]

There are quite a few more threads covering the exact same topic (including a couple of polls) so try a searching for "skim", "skimmer", & "skimming".

The "commercial brewers don't skim" argument seems like a good one, but remember also that commercial brewers generally clarify and/or filter their beers...

 

[BjornJ]

I've completely stopped skimming, based on the "no breweries skim" argument.
Haven't noticed any impact to the beer as far as I can tell.

Until on Wednesday when I brewed with a very full urn and left the lid half-way on to help getting a rolling boil on.
This was just at the beginning of the boil.
Went inside, did something or other.
Came back out and it had boiled over, possibly my first boil-over or at least the first I can remember.

Hmm, guess if I had been skimming like I used to I wouldn't have left the urn, eh!?

:lol:

Bjorn