Question from article on Brew Magazine

[Ol' Grog]

I've read this a lot in the past while on the forum but it came up again while reading the article "On the Boil", page 55, this months Brew magazine. It briefly describes that larger proteins and polyphenols seperate from attached water molecules and collect together. This results in hot break material soon after the beginning of the boil. Worts with large amounts of protein, i.e. wheat beers, it looks something like Chinese egg drop soup. Then, the wort becomes cloudy as the boil begins, clears considerable with large particles of hot break floating throughout.
My question and this is pertaining to extracts, what large particles is he talking about? Is this written with the all grain brewing in mind? Wouldn't the proteins still be in the wheat extracts? I know a wheat extract is still roughly half barley, but there would still be some, correct? What I'm getting at is that when I use grains, I extract them seperately in about 2 to 3 quarts of water at 160 for 20 minutes or so. Then strain them with a fine collender (sp??) and dump the tea in the wort. Add either LME or DME and then I use a mesh bag for the hops. I don't see any of this "large break material" floating around in the wort. Even after chilling, I have very little break material in the bottom of the keggle. Am I missing something here? Or, as said earlier, this written with the all grain brewer in mind (which seems to be the norm for this particular magazine)?

 

[TheJadedDog]

Extracts do not have nearly the amount of proteins in them as the grains were already mashed and boiled during the process of making the extract. This is why extracts do not have the same potential for boil over and why there is limited hot and cold break material when brewing with extracts.

 

[Ol' Grog]

That article also talks about brewing times. If I'm not a hop head, I could have a shorter boil? Say 40 minutes as opposed to 60 minutes?

 

[Evan!]

That article also talks about brewing times. If I'm not a hop head, I could have a shorter boil? Say 40 minutes as opposed to 60 minutes?

Boils should always be at least 60 minutes; you should adjust your IBU's via your hop schedule. You don't even have to add your first bittering hops at the beginning of the boil. If you're boiling for 60 minutes, you could schedule your first addition for 20 minutes into the boil. But you should always boil for an hour at least---I can't remember the exact science behind it, though...someone else will have to take over from here. I think it might have something to do with the hot break and/or boiling out all the volatile compounds...

 

[New2HomeBrew]

It may vary with what type of Extract that you are using as well.

My first 4 beers were extract, and I would get quite a bit of break material. Granted I was doing a full boil and not adding any water as I brew in a keggle.

It may also have to do with how hard you are boiling the wort. When brewing my extract beers I would normally end up with an inch of break material in the bottom of the primary after the fermentation settled down.

 

[CBBaron]

That article also talks about brewing times. If I'm not a hop head, I could have a shorter boil? Say 40 minutes as opposed to 60 minutes?

If you are doing an extract beer, I can see no reason you couldn't do a shorter boil. For PM or AG beers a 60 to 90 min boil is necessary for the reasons described in the article. For extract batches you need the boil only for IBUs. Just be aware that hops added at 20 mins are going to have a different flavor than those added at 60 min. And because you will be using more hops to get the same IBUs you will end up with more hops flavor and aroma even if your IBUs are still low.
Craig