FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - Why do hard boiled eggs sometimes peel funny?

Blair P. Houghton wrote:

> wrote:
>
>>After they are done, remove from the hot water, then crack the shell
>>in several places by dropping them on the bench.
>>Place in very cold water for 10-15 mins. The water soaks through the
>>cracked shell and surrounds the membrane making even fresh eggs easy
>>to peel.
>
>
> What if you just put them in the cold water? Will the shell crack
> enough on its own due to thermal stress?
>
> --Blair
>
I don't know what thermal stress is. Is it something like the shell
cracking because the air inside the egg expands? (Incidentally, the air
sack is bigger in older eggs).