2 hour boil?

[timbowden]

I have the brew your real ale at home book by graham wheeler and Roger protz (1995 edition) and the recipes ask for a 2hour boil.
Is this really necessary and can i get by with a 90 min boil? Most recipes i have followed from the forum are only 90 mins
:wha:

 

[Moley]

I don't know, but all of Wheeler's recipes in his latest edition are standardised on a 90 minute boil.

 

[Aleman]

I'm not keen on giving an exact time for the boil, preferring the phrase "Boil to secure the hot break" In practice this is met by a 90 minute boil . . . If you have a particularly fierce kettle you can reduce it to 90 minutes . . . but remember to adjust the hopping rates in proportion. . . at 90 minutes the vast majority of the proteins will have clumped together, and you will have extracted the vast majority of the bitterness from the hops.

 

[evanvine]

Aleman is absolutely right, you must boil until the “Hot break” has been achieved.
This does not normally occur until at least 1hrs boil.
It can be checked by taking a wine glass full of the boiling wort and holding it up to the light.
Match head sized particles of protein matter should drop to the bottom of the glass and the wort above should be free from suspended material with more than a hint of “sparkle”.
Until this occurs you have not fully achieved the “Hot break”.

 

[Aleman]

What I love Jim, is those that follow Palmers book and think the foam that forms on top of the wort before it comes tot he boil the hot break . . . So how can they boil hops for 90 minutes and boil to achieve the hot break, if the hot break forms before the wort boils? :hmm:

 

[timbowden]

thanks for all the info guys
Does the length of boil also affect the bitterness achieved from the hops?
if so is there a big difference between a 60min and 90 min boil in this respect?

 

[evanvine]

Tony
I'm impressed, you do have a sense of humour after all!