hot break foam

Is it good, bad or does it not matter if scoop away the hot break foam during the boil? What will removing it do, if it does anything?

The foam you're speaking of is completely normal. You can scoop it out if you want, or not. I have done both, and have noticed no difference in the finished product. It will be absorbed back into the liquid as you get past the hot break phase of the boil. I use a spray bottle filled with cold water to help with this (just a few squirts is all it takes), as it's just proteins that are part of the wort.
Just being curious though, why would you want to scoop the foam out? It will be re-absorbed anyway, one you get past the hot break.

I know the hotbreak foam is normal. Tonight was the first time I removed it. I guess I was just sort of fooling around to see what would happen. Wasn't sure if it might help clear up a bit of protein haze in the finished product, but then I wasn't sure if removing itight have some negative impact. I used to be nervous about messing stuff up in my brews, now I I don't worry about it and just experiment or play around here and there.

I use fermcap about 5 drops before it gets to a boil. It never foams up and no fears of boil overs.

Great product.

nolabrew85 said:

I know the hotbreak foam is normal. Tonight was the first time I removed it. I guess I was just sort of fooling around to see what would happen. Wasn't sure if it might help clear up a bit of protein haze in the finished product, but then I wasn't sure if removing itight have some negative impact. I used to be nervous about messing stuff up in my brews, now I I don't worry about it and just experiment or play around here and there.

Click to expand...

No problem. You won't hurt anything by skimming the foam from the top (just don't remove the hop material). I haven't noticed any difference either way (including the protein haze). If you want to clear up some of the protein haze, You might try some kind of fining agent (I use a tablet of Whirfloc at 15 min), my beer is a LOT clearer since I've started using this.

I started using fivestar super moss to clear protien haze myself. 1/4tsp @ 10 minutes left in the boil. We'll see how well it works having been dissolved in spring water instead of cooled wort as directed. Anyway,the hot break is said to be coagulating protiens right before the boil. Yooper recently mentioned how getting a hard rolling boil going at the onset anyway,is supposed to be one step in getting clearer beer. I took it to mean that more protiens will settle out when chilled fast enough?...I hope so anyway. I'm going to dial the fresh mashed wort up full blast again,just till it boils a couple minutes,to see if it helps.

I always scoop the foam; don't know if it makes a difference to the finished beer.

Perhaps its just my kettle being on the smallish side (32 qt), but I've found that scooping the hot break as it starts to form helps prevent boil overs...