Opinions wanted on scooping proteins from boil kettle

[Yanknonion]

Asking for feedback on whether or not to scoop foam off top of wort in boil kettle. I have been doing this for a while and other than keeping boil over at bay, don't know if there is a benefit or not. Does it remove proteins or does it interfere with a good hot break?

[nickfl]

I have worked at breweries where we did try to skim the hot break as we came to a boil, these days I don't bother. I think it makes no difference in the finished product. The only benefit is, as you said, to reduce the tendency to boil over, but I prefer to just use a kettle foam control additive for that. Its just protein and some tannin, it will settle out with the trub if you don't skim it and its not like you can possibly get all of it anyway, especially in a larger kettle.

[SPace]

I've never heard a reason to remove the foam from the top of the boil, are you speaking about the protein clumps that float around right before and during boil?

Either way I wouldn't worry about it.

The protein clumps stick together and float because they are insoluble; they should settle out after the whirlpool with a good pH and maybe a kettle fining agent.