Hot Break Temp? Chemistry?

I seem to get the most hot break just as it comes to a boil.

Last batch I made 8 gallons in a 9 gallon pot, so I had to add some cooled wort as the pot boiled down. Each time I added some, which cooled the boil, it had another good hot break to skim. It seems to be clearing real well in the fermenters. Perhaps next batch I'll try 'pulsing' the heat while it is near the boil- boil, cool, boil, cool, etc. Or maybe just heat slower? What, turn down the Binford 6,000? No way! arr arr arrrr.

I'm brewing Flat Ass Tired lately, with pellets in bags.

Anybody here hold one sub-boiling temp? Like 205 degrees? "Simmer" for 10 minutes? Any knowledge out there?

In my extremely limited experience, it's easier to skim off the hot break before the rolling boil. Once the wort is boiling, there's a lot of activity going on that makes it quite difficult to just skim off the crud. I'm sure you can get a lot of the hot break material to come to the top below 212F and I would be inclined to agree with you that keeping a mellow simmer for 10 to 15 mins would maximize your removal of the hot break because, let's face it, once you have a rolling boil, it's not so easy to skim anything off the top....

It is a very similar effect as making a consume. By adding protein (egg whites) and an acid (tomato Juice) to a stock and bring just below a boil the protein will coagulate, squeezing out the liquid, and trapping loose particles. It will then rise to the top and form what is called a raft. It leaves the stock underneath crystal clear. So in essence the hot break is is the coagulating protein and actually helps clear your wort.

Al

Shot Drive said:

It is a very similar effect as making a consume. By adding protein (egg whites) and an acid (tomato Juice) to a stock and bring just below a boil the protein will coagulate, squeezing out the liquid, and trapping loose particles. It will then rise to the top and form what is called a raft. It leaves the stock underneath crystal clear. So in essence the hot break is is the coagulating protein and actually helps clear your wort.

Al

Click to expand...

And the grains have already supplied the acids and proteins. Does a stock recipe say anything like "simmer until the raft stops growing" ?

But no direct experience in simmering a brew kettle, vs the Binford 6000 method ?

Actually, hot break is produced throughout the boiling process and what you are getting at the start of your boil is just foam.
Heating your wort sub-boiling tempertures won't cause as much DMS to evaporate as it should as it needs the rolling boil action. Also hop ultization would be affected.