Hops before or after hot break?

[Sharpie]

So I haven't gotten a chance to get Palmer's How to Brew but I saw on his site that he suggests waiting until after the hot break to add your hops (especially with pellet hops). I'm sure you could add them before or after and be just fine but I'm curious...

Who here waits for the hot break and who doesn't (and why)?

 

[jonmohno]

I do if my pots too full otherwise have a pump sprayer with water handy, i usually just stir the top of it.And when it starts to recede add the hops but keep stiring the top.Its usually only a few minutes,and aboil over is not worth it if its pretty full. I also top off my boil with water throgh out the boil and adding room temp water stops the boil a minute but causes another mild hot break,i tried topping with boiled water instead,today and added it and got a quick short hot break from that also. I do this to avoid having too full of a start.

 

[KNOTSANE]

I wait until the hot break. It happens early on, so boil time isn't a real issue. If you think hop foam over is gnarly, watch it when the hops are added before the hot break. I find it makes less mess from foam overs if I have a full BK and add the hops after the break. I also like to skim some of the break with a big slotted spoon and if the hops are already in, then I'd be skimming some hop material out of the brew.

 

[Waynep005]

I always add after seems to reduce boil overs or at least I think it does.

 

[Calder]

After. I'd be concerned that the break material might take some of the alfa-acids with it. Probably not a real concern.