Brewing Water

[amiddler]

The water here in Geraldton is quite hard, shower heads need changing every couple of years from calcium and lime build up and I was finding the taste of my hops very harsh. I have not got a Gero water report yet, on the things to do list. Even a Pilsner bittered to 25IBU tasted alot more bitter and quite harsh to drink. Anyway was talking to a fellow brewer and have done a few brews with 50% rain water, thanks Nev. Tasted the last and even with it bittered to 32IBU it was quite plesant.

The question is where does the water need to be 50/50? In the mash to balance the Ph, in the kettle for hop isomerisation or over all? I was doing 50L brews topping up with about 12L of scheme water in the fermenter due to only having a 50L kettle. I was aiming for the water to be 50/50 over all and this ment the boil had more rain water than scheme. Does it matter as long as I get constant results?

Do others use rain water pre boil and if so how do they do it? I have put an RO unit on the wish list but just ordered a pool table for Christmas so maybe an RO unit for my next Birthday :icon_cheers:

Drew

 

[Banshee]

So you make an awsome stout?

 

[amiddler]

Yes actually. First prize in this years local AG show :drinks:
So a couple of half cut cockies thaught it was OK.

Drew

 

[felten]

Well the sulphate/chloride salts affect the flavour in the final product, both perceived hop and malt taste, so in theory you could dilute at any time for altering the flavour profile.

But the calcium/carbonates affect the pH which in turn affects your mash efficiency and hop isomerisation.

so TLDR, in the mash.

 

[amiddler]

Sorry Felten, have to help me out, what does TLDR mean?

I have dropped back to 36L batches due to the bar being full so I can also do a perfect 50/50 scheme and rain water of both my mash and sparge water at the moment.

I have read that a high Ph during the sparge is most likely to extract tannins. Would rain water help keep this Ph down during the sparge due to the lack of ions or would it make it worse? Just thinking I can sparge with rain water and keep the mash water scheme as I like the malt of my beers but not the harsh bitterness.

Drew

 

[BOG]

I adjust Sydney water to add salts etc at mash in for English bitters. The beersmith software calculates water additives at mash in.

I'd work on softening the water at mash in times.

Alternatively you could brew english bitters all the time and hit the mark each time with you existing water profile.


BOG

 

[felten]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/TLDR

 

[Kieren]

Sorry Felten, have to help me out, what does TLDR mean?

I have dropped back to 36L batches due to the bar being full so I can also do a perfect 50/50 scheme and rain water of both my mash and sparge water at the moment.

I have read that a high Ph during the sparge is most likely to extract tannins. Would rain water help keep this Ph down during the sparge due to the lack of ions or would it make it worse? Just thinking I can sparge with rain water and keep the mash water scheme as I like the malt of my beers but not the harsh bitterness.

Drew

I try to look at adding salts at two stages during a brew - first the mash - to ensure correct mash pH - then for overall water volume, added to the boil to adjust the chloride:sulphide ratio to suit style.

If brewing a style that needs a water that is much softer than my source water I will -

dilute my source water with rain water or spring water (of known mineral levels)

and/or

sparge with the softer water - rain water or spring water - to reduce the potential of the pH rising during the sparge.

My local water is about 50 alk as CaCO3 so for anything lighter than an amber I tend to dilute my source water.



If you haven't already, check out the brewing network.com brew strong series on water - http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/Brew-Strong/search/water

I am sure there are many other sources for info on water chemistry - such an involved and complex subject in itself.

More experienced brewers may have better/different advice - please correct me if i am wrong!

General advice - brew the beers that best suit your water - I find amber ales suit my water great. Though drinking stouts all year round will boring - especially in the middle of summer.

 

[MHB]

Until you get the water report its all guesswork, you need to know whats in the water to know whether to add or dilute (or a combination of both).

MHB

 

[SanDiegoBrewer]

Dude! just brew big hoppy beers with less bittering hops.. you have a good problem. RO is awesome to use with just a small blend of street water to give some minerals but you have the perfect English water