cold break/ hot break

can someone explain cold break and hot break

Hot Break are the proteins that coagulate during the boil and rise to the surface (scum if you will). Cold break is the precipitation of mostly tannins (protein-polyphenols iirc) and carbohydrates which can only be done by shock cooling the boiled wort. Both the hot and cold break material removal are key to clear, stable and partly off-flavor free beer.

If you get 'chill haze' in your beer this is because you have not sufficiently shocked the remaining material out of the hot wort by rapid cooling. They basically precipitate in part when the temperature drops in the finished beer if they are present.

it's all about the proteins. this may help:

http://stason.org/TULARC/indulgence/beer-brewing/18-What-is-hot-break-What-is-cold-break.html

I have a question....

I am brewing my second batch and i am doing a partial extract. After the grains got done steeping i added my LME and cranked up the heat and soon after i noticed a foamy type thick substance on the surface. The temp was about 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Is this the hotbreak? And if so, can it and will it form at below 212 degrees Fahrenheit?

yes and yes. i've found wort usually boils at <210 F, 208 is what mine usually boils at...however, i would wait for a rolling boil before you add your hops.

exactly what DeathBrewer said...hot break will start forming shortly before you hit boiling temps and is really the reason the wort wants to boil over for the first few minutes. wait for that to pass, THEN add your bittering hops and start your boiling timer.

Awesome, thanks for the info. Everything you guys stated happened. Everytime i did another hop addition i got some minor boil over. My 4 gal pot worked fine for my first batch in regards to boiling over, but this batch had a lot more hops and i had to sit there most of the time and babysit it. Had to blow down the foam a few times. Everything went well until it was time to rake into the primary. After racking, i sealed the bucket up and then remembered that i did not take a OG. Opened the bucket back up, got a sample, closed it up. Took the OG and then 10 minutes later i forgot what it was. Opened it back up, took another sample, closed it up. THen i knocked over the sample. Once again, opened it up, took a sample, got the OG, even told SWMBO to remember the OG, and then sealed it up. Once again, forgot the OG. Finally, for the 4th time, opened it up and got the OG and remembered it long enough to write it down.

Lesson learned: Polishing off a 12 pack and making beer do not mix. Also, I need to write stuff down as soon as i get it!

zoebisch01 said:

Hot Break are the proteins that coagulate during the boil and rise to the surface (scum if you will). Cold break is the precipitation of mostly tannins (protein-polyphenols iirc) and carbohydrates which can only be done by shock cooling the boiled wort. Both the hot and cold break material removal are key to clear, stable and partly off-flavor free beer.

If you get 'chill haze' in your beer this is because you have not sufficiently shocked the remaining material out of the hot wort by rapid cooling. They basically precipitate in part when the temperature drops in the finished beer if they are present.

Click to expand...

Do you want to scoop out this stuff at the surface during hot break? Or just let it all settle down?