# Water Question



## 3G (1/7/08)

Ive got all the chemicals needed and scales accurate to .01 gram.
Im going to start with rain water and make additions as needed using promash to get my desired water profile.
Should i add the chemicals to the HLT and use the water as as needed or to the mash and then use rain water from HLT?
Should i keep using ph5.2?
Cheers


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## goatherder (1/7/08)

Read Chapter 15 of Palmer's How to Brew and get familiar with residual alkalinity. Don't worry about water profiles - they are a bit of a distraction. Plenty of famous water profiles aren't much good to brew with. The most important thing is getting your mash pH right, followed by getting any flavour ions right for the style you are trying to emulate.

I use rainwater and follow this process:
- if I'm making an english beer which requires some sulphate ions, add gypsum to the mash to get the right sulphate level.
- mash in the beer
- measure the pH
- if it's low, add sodium bicarbonate to the mash, 0.5g or 1g at a time until the pH is right
- if it's high, add gypsum or lactic acid to the mash (depending on the style) until the pH is right

Rainwater, being fairly soft, is quite forgiving and you'll find that you'll only have to make additions for very pale or very dark beers.

Or you can use 5.2. I haven't tried it but plenty around here have. I don't see the need because I'm happy with my process.


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## Millet Man (1/7/08)

Gregg J said:


> Ive got all the chemicals needed and scales accurate to .01 gram.
> Im going to start with rain water and make additions as needed using promash to get my desired water profile.
> Should i add the chemicals to the HLT and use the water as as needed or to the mash and then use rain water from HLT?
> Should i keep using ph5.2?
> Cheers


I've tried both methods you are thinking of and what I have settled with is adding the minerals to the mash and then adjusting the sparge water pH to 5.7 ish using citric acid.

Works for me.

Cheers, Andrew.

edit : speeling


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