[beersk]

What would be some causes for the lack of foam at the beginning of the boil? Since switching to my outside system with a 16 gallon kettle for 6-7 gallon batches, I don't get much hot break foam when it's coming to a boil. I theorize that this is from a wider kettle with lower liquid volume in it. I wonder how this, if it does, translates to the finished beer. I've brewed some pretty fantastic beers when this has happened, so that leads me to think it doesn't matter, but still, it begs the question.
Part of the reason I'm questioning this also has to do with the fact that I'm bottling some of the left over beer after the keg is full. Since I ferment in 2 - 5 gallon kegs, I can bottle right out of the fermenter with a few grams of honey in each bottle. The bottles seem carbonated but they don't form much head when pouring and don't retain head throughout the glass either. I wonder if this has anything to do with the lack of a big hot break? The kegged beer seems to have plenty of head retention, so it leads me to think that maybe I'm not using enough honey to prime the bottles, who knows...

Thus, I want to see what youse experts have to say aboot this. Does a lack of a big hot break pose a problem? I've read some about cloudy beer, but this hasn't been as much of an issue...

Thanks!

[Wort-H.O.G.]

amount of proteins in wort contribute to the foam. hot break is dropping out of the wort  proteins and polyphenols. not getting adequate hot break is purported to possibly impact, fermentation issues and cause haze.

[beersk]

Fermentation seems to go just fine and haze isn't typically a problem. I've done lagers when this has happened and those cleared up in the usual amount of time. So this is my confusion...
I guess I don't see how it could affect head retention post carbonation/conditioning. That's probably more from slight under carbonation. At least I hope so...

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks, guys.

[dunngood]

Is it possible you are using different grains?  Some base grains I use will not break well while others look like egg drop soup. They all seem to clear well. I would think a tall pot with smaller service area at the top would have a thicker break.

[erockrph]

Do any of you use Fermcap in the boil? Obviously, it will reduce foaming. But I've always wondered if it affects clumping of break material as well. I always use Fermcap, and my break is always pretty small bits (maybe about a millimeter or smaller).

[Wort-H.O.G.]

i do not use fermcap.

[beersk]

No fermcap here either.

Dunngood, I am using the same grains I've always used. I think it must be from doing 6-7 gallon batches in a 16 gallon Bayou classic pot. Little volume, bigger surface area...I mean, there is SOME hot break, but I never have too much foam...just a little as it's coming to a boil, then it drops back down pretty quickly. When I brewed inside on my stove with my taller, narrower kettle, it would want to boil over if I didn't watch it.
I used to brew outside a few years ago with a different Bayou Classic kettle, an 11 gallon pot, and it would want to foam up and boil over at the beginning. My friend uses that kettle now and he has that issue. But I haven't had much foaming with this new kettle... So I was wondering what potential causes and/or problems that would imply.
No problems with beer clearing...just over analyzing like I am wont to do.

[dunngood]

This is interesting to me as I do have to watch for boil overs. 10 gallon pot 6 to 7 gallon boils. As I try to get as hard of a hot break as I can it stands to reason that a wider pot will have less of a hot break on the surface but still get you a good hot break.