Hot break question

[gwapogorilla]

Hi guys, I am brand new here and to brewing. I am getting ready to do my second batch tomorrow. I read the posts on hot breaks being necessary, and I also read to add about 1/3 of your LME at the beginning of your full volume boil to get a "hot break", and the rest at around 10 minutes remaining.
What I want to know is this...if you add the remaining LME so late, is it going to have a chance to "hot break" or isn't it necessary?

 

[Graypayp]

Hmm... You know, I've never bothered to break-up my adding of malt extract (I've always added it all at the same time early on, and I've used both LME and DME), and I've always had "hot breaks" happen just fine. So I don't think it's necessary to break up your addition of the LME in the way you've described. Personally, I feel like my beers have always turned out great, even without breaking it up and adding some of it late.

 

[helibrewer]

Hi guys, I am brand new here and to brewing. I am getting ready to do my second batch tomorrow. I read the posts on hot breaks being necessary, and I also read to add about 1/3 of your LME at the beginning of your full volume boil to get a "hot break", and the rest at around 10 minutes remaining.
What I want to know is this...if you add the remaining LME so late, is it going to have a chance to "hot break" or isn't it necessary?

LME and DME went through their hot break when they were manufactured. You will get some but you are really just boiling for the hops benefits, the wort was made, you are just diluting it back to the proper gravity to make beer.

 

[gwapogorilla]

Oh, Okay. So, it's alright to do this on my stove top where I don't get a hearty hard rolling boil? It's more of a light boil or heavy simmer.
I wanting to do full volume and I use LME.
Thanks guys.

 

[unionrdr]

The biggest reason for late extract additions is reducing mailard reactions that make that extract twang. It also has the effect of lightening the color By not boiling all the extract from the begining which will darken them. LME moreso than DME. But you aren't trying to make hot break. That's just a by-product of the process. So late extract additions will NOT harm the beer in any way. But rather,help it.
And those kit instructions have some outdated methods some companies are slow to change. Not to mention too short time tables.

 

[gwapogorilla]

Okay guys...thanks a bunch. I just read that a good hearty boil is necessary for the hops oils to isomerize for bittering. So, I am going to gather my notes and get things ready.

 

[unionrdr]

If you have trouble getting a rooling boil on a full one,then do a partial boil & top off. This can be any amount of water that'll boil well. I have a 5 gallon (20QT) SS BK that doubles as my mash tun for PM BIAB as well as AE. I can boil 3.5 gallons in it top off with a couple more. I use spring water that I can get locally from the spring itself for 10c per gallon. Gallon jugs are easy for me to guage amounts with. But I also have a SunnyD gallon jug marked off in quarts for measuring as well.