Advise needed..

I just finished making an AG batch. For the first time, I used ball valves to unload the hot wort. I noticed a significant amount of precipitates on the bottom of each stock pot. I used an electrical stove.

Should I discard the precipitates??

Thanks, Nil

It sounds like break material, basically coagulated proteins, and hop matter. Yes, you can discard. It doesn't necessarily hurt your beer if the material goes into the fermenter, but it makes it easier to get a clearer finished beer in my opinion.

Thanks!

BTW, I got a 84% efficiency for the 1st time! I will celebrate this with beers...

When you open the ballvalves, generally you recirculate the wort/runnings back into the MLT until they run clear and without debris. I wonder if you didn't do that, if you have some grain debris in the kettles. If it's not grain debris, it is probably break material, and that is totally normal. Coagulated proteins clump together and fall out, and that's a good thing meaning clearer beer in the end. That can go into the fermenter, as it won't hurt anything, so you can strain it out if you want but often it goes right through a strainer anyway.