RA in Palmers EZ Water.

[rockeye84]

Hi all,

Just something that has been bugging me for ages!! I keep getting an RA & EA WAY in the -ve on palmers EZ water spread sheet.

I brewed a pale ale, which turned out great but the figures are as follows, perhaps one of my best. Tasted like a comercial pale ale.

EA(caCO3) ppm: -150
RA: -238
Mash PH: 5.43 (per EZ water) also measured & it was 5.2 @ mash temp.

I used rain water which i have had tested & it has basically 0 mineral content, so I leave step 1 (the blue setion) blank accept for strike & sparge water voulmes.

Just wondering if thoes numbers really mean anything? If yes what should these numbers be? On one of Palmers youtube vids he says RA should be around -50 for a pale ale. I just cant seem to accomplish that & get the PH right at the same time on the spreadsheet. But the actual ph of the mash turns out fine every time tho.

Heres the recepie..

Type: All Grain Date: 20/04/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 42.00 l Brewer: Rockeye
Boil Size: 45.57 l Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: 45L ELECTRIC RIMS
End of Boil Volume 43.68 l Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 42.00 l Est Mash Efficiency 78.0 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes: Classic american pale ale, heaps of hops on the nose, heaps of hop flavour, beer finishes with mild to medium bitterness then medium maltness.

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
60.00 l Distilled Water Water 1 -
6.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
6.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 -
5.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 4 -
5.40 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) (3.2 EBC) Grain 5 67.5 %
1.00 kg Vienna Malt (9.0 EBC) Grain 6 12.5 %
0.50 kg Wheat Malt, Malt Craft (Joe White) (3.5 EBC) Grain 7 6.3 %
0.40 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 8 5.0 %
0.25 kg Munich Malt - 10L (19.7 EBC) Grain 9 3.1 %
0.16 kg Borlander Munich Malt (Briess) (19.7 EBC) Grain 10 2.0 %
0.15 kg Crystal, Dark (Simpsons) (157.6 EBC) Grain 11 1.9 %
0.14 kg Acid Malt (5.9 EBC) Grain 12 1.7 %
20.00 g Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 13 8.0 IBUs
20.00 g Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 14 4.9 IBUs
20.00 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 15 10.6 IBUs
1.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 mins) Fining 16 -
5.00 g Yeast Nutrient (Boil 5.0 mins) Other 17 -
25.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 3.0 min Hop 18 2.4 IBUs
10.00 g Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 3.0 min Hop 19 0.5 IBUs
25.00 g Citra [13.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 20 0.0 IBUs
10.00 g Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 21 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 22 -
30.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 23 0.0 IBUs

Est Original Gravity: 1.045 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.045 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.6 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.6 %
Bitterness: 26.4 IBUs Calories: 417.6 kcal/l
Est Color: 10.3 EBC

 

[mabrungard]

Rain water that is hardened nicely and a bit of acid malt. Sounds good to me. I'm not sure why the RA is so low, but I didn't do any calculations. I agree with Palmer's observation that the RA should be around -50 for a pale ale. It could be as high as zero for some grists.

A predicted mash pH of around 5.4 is OK. The 5.2 at mash temperature is roughly equivalent. How did you measure that pH? Its still best to measure mash pH by retrieving a sample and cooling it to room temperature to remove that temperature variable and to avoid damaging your pH meter (if that was used).

 

[QldKev]

Palmer has also said that some of the tools he designed for water chem are not that great. Including RA and the nomograph. I tend to mostly ignore RA now.

 

[rockeye84]

Cheers 4 the replies! Measured the ph with a digital meter. Have since cooked the probe after a few brews! got a new one, ill b cooling 2 test ph from now on.. Looks like ill carry on ignoring RA/EA as well..