I read skimming hot break foam at beginning of boil makes for a clearer finished beer. I have never done that. Do you skim?
i do -couldn’t tell you if it matters or not.
If you’re using Whirfloc…I don’t think it’ll make any difference. It will all settle out.
I read Gordon’s quote about that and started doing it a few years back. If it helps it’s not in a major way.
Nope. It’s an old, totally disproven myth.
how about big foot…i want to believe he’s running around your neck of the woods ;D
I don’t bother.
Great feedback. Thanks folks!
One thing it helps is prevention of boil overs at the beginning of the boil. If using a kettle at capacity, it helps to get rid of the sticky stuff.
I can fill my 14 gallon kettle to about 1/2 inch from the top and not have a boil over and don’t skim foam. OTOH I am a ninja.
It’s amazing to me how much disproven or mis-information is out there in reference to home brewing.
I skim the foam prior to adding my first hop additon (in the boil) only because I have noticed that I end up with less trub/cold break in the bottom of the kettle when I am done brewing.
Like the myth that hot side aeration doesn’t exist. [emoji41]
I usually add hops as a first wort charge which makes it counterproductive to skim the foam. When I do not first wort hop, I have been known to skim, but this is mostly because some really good brewers I know skim, not because I have seen any difference.
For what it’s worth (if it’s worth anything) I don’t and have never skimmed off the hot break foam. It typically falls back into the wort and to me it’s easier to deal with the trub than try to skim.
I read way back in the early days of this hobby that the foam contributed to stability of the head in the glass. That’s probably a myth too. ;D
Never seemed worth it to me. A spray bottle of water will make the foam fall if it gets out of hand.
IMHO.
Paul
I skim because it’s what I do with chicken stock. That doesn’t mean it makes a difference with beer. It’s just a cooking habit. For that matter, I’m not sure it matters with chicken stock. In both cases, I suspect I do it more as “something to do.” At least hovering over the stove means fewer boil-overs.
I don’t think that foam is hot break. That said, I do skim it unless I am using first wort hops (though that is rare).
I am not sure what it’s called. I just know what I watch and read. Everything I learned about brewing I taught myself with You Tube and reading articles and books. In this case this is my ref: Improving Beer Clarity and Finings: In Depth – Part 3 – BeerSmith™ Home Brewing Blog
“Hot Break and Skimming – The first think you want to watch for as you are heating your pot is the hot break, where a nice foam of protein often forms on the top of the pot. Ideally you want a strong hot break, which means you should run your stove on high until it starts to form. The hot break, which often foams up and causes boil-over, is primarily precipitated proteins from the grains which coagulate on the top of the pot. Some people take to skimming the “hot break” from the top of the pot to cut down on the protein remaining in the beer, and I think this is a good idea if you are brewing a light beer. Skimming also reduces the chance of boil-over.”
I skim…add add 1/2 a whirlfloc tablet and extra Irish moss and try to keep as much trub out of the fermenter as possible. I mostly keg, but I bottle some and since I’ve started this, the trub in the bottles is minimal and tight and the second pour from a 22 oz bottle is not all f!@#%&d up…
If you can do that you truly are a Ninja. I bow to you