Calcium in water

[wobbly]

Hi Dicko

No worries mate. I am just throwing it out there "casting the net" so as to speak and see if anyone has tried it and how did they go about it.

I know Martin Brungard often comments in this forum so maybe he will see this post and comment?

Here's hopping!!!

With a bit of luck we will all learn

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[dicko]

On another note re calcium in brewing water, i have recently bought two books by Gordon Strong, Brewing better Beer and Modern Homebrew Recipes.

I note that in both publications in the recipe sections he does not include Calcium Sulphate in many of his recipes.
Apparently many of these recipes are supposed to be award winners.....

 

[wobbly]

Dicko

I read somewhere that one of your next moves would be to adopt/trial AJ deLanges procedure of using Acid Malt in the mash instead of Phosphoric acid in your Helles/German lagers

I have been listening to a couple of pod casts on the brewing net work on the subject of "Water Treatment" where MBrungard was the guest. In the session on Bavarian water (4-14-14) virtually right at the end/conclusion he talks about "The Secret to Bavarian Brewing being Lactic Acid" using Acid Malt in preference to Liquid Lactic Acid.

Like you he uses RO water and talks about a "cheats way" he uses in creating mash water from his RO water that has a Lactate in it.

He mixes Chalk (Calcium Carbonate) with 88% Lactic Acid to create Calcium Lactate which he then adds to his mash water

The ratio was/is 0.35grams of Chalk mixed with 0.6 mils of 88% Lactic Acid per 1 US Gallon (3.78lt) and this equates to approximately 100ppm Lactate which is what he is after

If you haven't listened to that particular pod cast and you make a lot of Bavarian style beers it may well be worth your while having a listen

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I'm cautiously doing calcium additions. At the moment I filter Melbourne water then use Beersmith water profile to get 50ppm Calcium.
It calculates this for 22lt water (mash water only).
0.3g Calcium Chloride
0.6g Chalk
0.4g Gypsum
I'm only posting this because that quote you posted that recommends a teaspoon of each as a start. That's around ten times the amount I'm using. :huh: (Someone please tell me if my Water Profile Calculations are wacko).

Interesting on the use of Calcium lactate. I got some sent as a mistake and they let me keep it. I'm using Citric Acid as a PH buffer but it makes more sense to use the Calcium Lactate perhaps.

 

[manticle]

Read up about chalk. Not necessarily a wonderful addition, works in opposition to other calcium salts, ineffective in its intended purpose unless dissolved in acid first.

 

[wobbly]

Back in post #17 and #19 I sought comments/advise on how to add small doses of brewing salts (Calcium Chloride or Calcium Sulphate) to a freshly brewed beer to "adjust" the taste profile to suit your preference. This was based on a comment I saw in the "HBT Brewing Water Primer by AJ deLange"

Well today I came across this which describes the procedure in detail which may be of interest to others

http://accidentalis.com/archives/350

Cheers

Wobbly