10. There is no substitute for a hard, rolling boil.
There are many good reasons to employ a solid, rolling boil for a minimum of 30 minutes. A strong boil ensures sanitization by killing any bacteria present. Compounds in hops responsible for bittering are isomerized and drawn into the final solution. And a strong boil is crucial in creating an effective "hot break," in which proteins that might otherwise cloud up or haze the finished beer are coagulated into particles that can easily drop out of suspension. The steam that escapes from a vigorous boil carries with it several volatile aromatic compounds that can create unpleasant sulfury aromas in the finished beer ÷ if they are not driven off.
