|
Post by gusso on Sept 17, 2022 7:08:50 GMT -6
For the past 1 1/2 years, I've only used RO water. It's about $2.50 for my usual 7 gallons. The water company does provide information for my tap water but it's a month behind and some months do change fairly significantly from others. A Wards Lab test would be a waste for me.
|
|
|
Post by Leftympfrmde on Sept 23, 2022 7:55:11 GMT -6
Got the supporters version of BnW yesterday. Its league's better then the freebie version, for the record.
Punched in the cream ale and lager recipes that had trouble. no surprise, my pH was in the 5.6 range as measured. Feeling more confident in brewing again.
What was noticeable: increased use of lactic acid- that was expected. But, decreased use of gypsum for dry, crisp beers. Have to make a batch to test real life conditions- but this new water profile may have some merits. Time will tell.
|
|
|
Post by zymot on Oct 15, 2022 15:19:55 GMT -6
I live in a water district that draws water from two sources that are distinctly different. I might get one or the other source or a blend of the two. The water district cannot say which source(s) is coming out of my spigot.
If I want to be brew water chemistry attentive, I have to buy Reverse Osmosis or distilled water. My local Whole Foods sells RO and Distilled water for 39 cents a gallon. I did the math, buying a filter, ROI is too far down the horizon.
Bru'n Water is my primary reference.
Gordon Strong has an interesting strategy. He does not include crystal and roasted grains as part of the mash. He mashes only his base grains, the ones that require conversion. These mashes are typically low SRM mash and the water adjustment required is pretty minimal.
What about the crystal and roasted grains? He includes those in the voulof stage, after mash is converted.
|
|
|
Post by tommymorris on Oct 15, 2022 19:03:20 GMT -6
I live in a water district that draws water from two sources that are distinctly different. I might get one or the other source or a blend of the two. The water district cannot say which source(s) is coming out of my spigot. If I want to be brew water chemistry attentive, I have to buy Reverse Osmosis or distilled water. My local Whole Foods sells RO and Distilled water for 39 cents a gallon. I did the math, buying a filter, ROI is too far down the horizon. Bru'n Water is my primary reference. Gordon Strong has an interesting strategy. He does not include crystal and roasted grains as part of the mash. He mashes only his base grains, the ones that require conversion. These mashes are typically low SRM mash and the water adjustment required is pretty minimal. What about the crystal and roasted grains? He includes those in the voulof stage, after mash is converted. Brewbama on this forum does something similar based off the Gordon Strong method. He should explain. I would probably describe it wrong.
|
|
|
Post by Leftympfrmde on Oct 15, 2022 23:53:18 GMT -6
Made my standard cream ale after getting the updated water profile. OG of 1.050- figured if the beer failed, it wouldn't been much of a loss.
BnW saved the day; a recipe I make fairly often- I cut the gypsum additions by 60%. Lactic acid use increased by 10%.
After it was said and done- the beer is what it tasted like before the water change. The mash pH at 45 minutes was 5.25. Before getting the ward lab test, the beer was 5.6.
|
|
|
Post by brewbama on Oct 16, 2022 6:04:12 GMT -6
… Gordon Strong has an interesting strategy. He does not include crystal and roasted grains as part of the mash. He mashes only his base grains, the ones that require conversion. These mashes are typically low SRM mash and the water adjustment required is pretty minimal. What about the crystal and roasted grains? He includes those in the voulof stage, after mash is converted. Brewbama on this forum does something similar based off the Gordon Strong method. He should explain. I would probably describe it wrong. That is what I have been doing for quite a while now. I prefer distilled but have used RO water. I used to adjust my water to 5.5 pH prior to mash in but distilled has no buffering capacity so even the tiniest bit of phosphoric acid would drop it too low so I quit doing it. I only mash malts/grains that require it. I do not mash malts that don’t require it. (Dark Crystal and Roast malts.) They screw with pH. I hold Dark Crystal and Roast malts to Mash Out for a 30 min hot steep. For water, I use 50-100 ppm Ca (CaCl or Gypsum, or a combo of the two) to equal 50-100 ppm total Ca as a co-factor for the amylase enzymes and to help protect α-amylase at normal mashing temperatures. About 1.25-1.5 tsp for my No Sparge water volume. I also add 1 tsp (~3-4 grams) Ascorbic Acid as a stabilizer. That’s it. ~2.5 tsp of water adjustments. I add adjustments direct to grain prior to adding to MLT prior to underletting with brewhaus liquor. I have not brewed a bad beer since I began doing this. I understand it flies in the face of conventional water adjustments using gram scales and spreadsheets to figure out pH with acid and four or five water salt additions. I went from a box of water adjustment additives to three. …but IMO it’s so much easier and works every time. So much so that I seldon use my pH meter any more. It’s *always* 5.3 +/- .1. I have been having trouble buying distilled and RO locally so I did pull the trigger on an RO filter. I already had the carbon block and sediment filters and housings on hand so I bought various fittings and hoses along with the RO filter and housing to cobble together the rest. I found Buckeye Hydro to be very reasonably priced. I brew in my laundry room. My RO system design is to mount the three filter housings on a wall near the slop sink. I’ll use a quick disconnect to the spigot for the input so I can still use the tap for cleanup. I’ll route the waste hose into a bucket in the sink for use elsewhere and route the output hose around the room to my brew stand. I plan a low point T and valve to use as a system drain and so I can fill a bucket for an ice maker, humidifier, and anything else I don’t want scale in. It will terminate near my brew kettle with a valve and QD to attach a hose for filling the kettle. I will install it this week and see if I can get near zero TDS and chlorine. I anticipate checking periodically to monitor filter performance. …and I’ll pull out the pH meter again and see if I need to add phosphoric acid or not. If so I’ll adjust to 5.5 pH prior to mash in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
|
|
Post by zymot on Oct 16, 2022 16:37:22 GMT -6
These days, I do not brew often and I do 1/2 batches. Even at $1.00/gal for distilled from the grocery store, in my case, maintaining an RO filter does not seem to be worth the investment and effort.
Gordon Strong's water treatment typically is 1/4 teaspoon 10% phosphoric acid for 5 gallons + 1 teaspoon CaCl2 in the mash. (the salt additions might vary slightly once in a few recipes)
|
|