Hate to be that guy but...

Can anyone tell me what the hell is floating in my wort? Looks like fromunda cheese.

I'm at boil for a simple All Grain Czech Pilsner (Weyerman Pilsen, Carafoam and Munich II). I overshot my efficiency due to crush (86%). Haven't added hops yet. Notice the crud right about the time I hit the hot break. It seems to be increasing in quantity as I boil.

I'm assuming it's just proteins coagulating, but in 100+ batches I've never seen hot break like this.

Any insight?

Looks like yeast rafts &/or cold break to me.

unionrdr said:

Looks like yeast rafts &/or cold break to me.

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+1, and close your fermentor before you really do get a bug in there.

EDIT: I just noticed the brew pot, its hot break, sorry carry on.

Added details. Can't be cold break - just started the boil.

As Unionrdr said, if this is already chilled, it could be cold break. Otherwise, if it's still in the boil, it is probably hot break. Both come from the same thing: coagulated proteins which are thermally shocked out of solution when the temperature is changed rapidly.

Hot break huh? Should it really coagulate to this degree?

Look at the size of these things. It's like Italian Wedding Soup.

mjdonnelly68 said:

Added details. Can't be cold break - just started the boil.

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I get that sort of hot break when I use pils malt or sometimes a significant % of wheat malt. Looks kinda like egg drop soup? No worries though. I do a manual whirlpool for 5 mins (stir for 20 sec, let the wort spin down) after FO and that stuff piles up nicely in the middle of my pot.

It's the hot break, and probably excessive for the carafoam. What percentage carafoam?

I'm probably going to brew up a german pils this afternoon. I've got a couple bags of Weyermann floor-malted bohemian pilsner.

88% Pilsner - 8% Carafoam - 4% Munich II

Piratwolf said:

I get that sort of hot break when I use pils malt or sometimes a significant % of wheat malt. Looks kinda like egg drop soup? No worries though. I do a manual whirlpool for 5 mins (stir for 20 sec, let the wort spin down) after FO and that stuff piles up nicely in the middle of my pot.

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Looks exactly like egg drop soup.

Hotbreak and a whirlpool it is then.

Gotta love homebrewing. 100 batches booked and I can still manage to find something new to fret over...

Thanks Gents - Happy Easter!

EDIT: Thanks Ladies and Gents!

mjdonnelly68 said:

88% Pilsner - 8% Carafoam - 4% Munich II

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Yeah, that's probably it. Pilsner malt gives me crazy hot break, and with 8% carafoam it seems like it would really be thick! I've never seen anything like that, though. I've had some really weird looking hot breaks but not meatballs.

I wonder if with your increase in efficiency you might have got a lot of flour in your boil pot? Just guessing though but next boil I do I am going to look more closely and see if I get it

passedpawn said:

I'm probably going to brew up a german pils this afternoon. I've got a couple bags of Weyermann floor-malted bohemian pilsner.

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Excellent. The floor-malted pilsner is in my pot as well.

Enjoy!

Yooper said:

Yeah, that's probably it. Pilsner malt gives me crazy hot break, and with 8% carafoam it seems like it would really be thick! I've never seen anything like that, though. I've had some really weird looking hot breaks but not meatballs.

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Yeah - it's definitely a little left of center.

With my luck it'll be the best Czech Pilsner I've ever made and I won't be able to replicate the veal meatballs again.

Varmintman said:

I wonder if with your increase in efficiency you might have got a lot of flour in your boil pot? Just guessing though but next boil I do I am going to look more closely and see if I get it

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Yeah, I'm going to write it off to the crush. I noticed that the crush was much finer than I normally get (lot's of flour, fewer husks).

Live and learn.

I get that EXACT same stuff from time to time. It is just break material and protiens. I have never seen/tasted any ill effects when I get it in my boil.

Thanks for all the help.

I did a vigorous whirlpool at flame out and then used a trickle rate of flow into the carboy. Was able to leave all the meatballs in the boil kettle and the wort in the carboy was crystal clear.

Another brewing disaster narrowly averted thanks to the collective intelligence of the forum. Go team HBT - BooYa!

I'm just getting ready to boil, I'll let you know how mine goes. I went with 1000% floor-malted pils. I did a protein rest.

passedpawn said:

I'm just getting ready to boil, I'll let you know how mine goes. I went with 1000% floor-malted pils. I did a protein rest.

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1000%? Must be a "big" beer.


Hahaha- I crack me up.


Seriously, let us know if the protein rest helps!

I get this all the time from pilsner malt. Some chunks as big as the palm of my hand.

MC

Yooper said:

1000%? Must be a "big" beer.


Hahaha- I crack me up.


Seriously, let us know if the protein rest helps!

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wups. I think I forgot to carry a one or something.

Looks like gluten to me, which is present in barley.

Are you doing BIAB?

No meatballs in my pilsner that I just made.

passedpawn said:

No meatballs in my pilsner that I just made.

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May well be the crush--I set my mill gap pretty tight!

Piratwolf said:

May well be the crush--I set my mill gap pretty tight!

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Me too. I don't think it was the crush. But I really don't know.

Now I'm curious.

I may brew another batch before I adjust my mill. And then also try a protein rest to see if that makes a difference.

I exceeded my target OG by two points (1.056 vs. target of 1.054) so I'm not thinking the batch will be negatively impacted. Left a ton of coagulated proteins in the kettle though, might not be able to count on the creamy, long lasting white head I'm used to seeing on my Czech Pils.

Time will tell.

passedpawn said:

No meatballs in my pilsner that I just made.

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How about schnitzel?

The coagulated proteins are gluten the proteins that give a nice frothy head are dextrins so you're good. I notice the coagulated glistens after every sparge.

harrymanback92 said:

The coagulated proteins are gluten the proteins that give a nice frothy head are dextrins so you're good. I notice the coagulated glistens after every sparge.

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Excellent - thanks.

Here's my boil yesterday--grist was 12# German pils, 12# white wheat. Same egg drop soup look.

Yup -looks familiar.

My Czech Pils is fermenting away, happy as a clam. Hopefully it was much ado about nothing.

Did a Siason last night with 10.5# pilsner. Got the same crud looking stuff. Must be that type of grain.

Yup - Pilsner and Wheat Malt seem to be the culprits.

Hope it turns out great anyway - mine did.

Looks like protiens from a good hot break to me...

Yeah, I used a bunch of Pils malt when I've brewed my Kolsch and Belgian Dubbel batches. I got the same egg drop soup type of hot break.

Expected or explained - that ****'s nasty.