Cold Break/Hot Break Questions

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jalgayer

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I have read Papazian's Book and Palmer's Book and still am not sure I understand the "hot break" and "cold break"

I understand the idea that its basically protein coagulating. And why it happens.

The part that I do not get is when I am adding my wort to the carboy, if I am just dumping everything in the pot in.... why does it even matter?

Is it because the "break" is now (after the 2 breaks) larger and more coagulated and will simply drop to the bottom of the carboy?

[This is not about adding it all to the carboy - I know some strain and some do not - This is more about understand the 'breaks']

Thanks for any clarification.
 
Mainly without a break you can get chill haze where your beer is cloudy until it warms up. By creating a break you can make those proteins come together and fall out.
 
Mainly without a break you can get chill haze where your beer is cloudy until it warms up. By creating a break you can make those proteins come together and fall out.

What he said...
This is why some brewers whirlpool their wort before transferring it to the carboy. The idea is that by whirlpooling, the Hot Break (and if you are chilling in your brew kettle like with an immersion chiller, Cold Break too) will gather in the center of the whirlpool and you can drain the wort from the outer edge of the kettle. If, as you said, you want to avoid having the breaks in your fermenter.
 
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