Using Rainwater

[Mantis]

Ok, I have searched and not found the info I need.
I use rainwater in my brews and started thinking after sitting here in a hotel in Ballarat reading How to Brew, what should I be putting in the water to get the ions to an acceptible level for the mainly APA's that I brew?

I do use 5.2 ph stabiliser but put nothing else in
I am not getting the efficiency that I should so hoping some calcium addition or something might help here. I BIAB and crush fine

I dont want to go too silly here and try to adjust every ion in exsitence.

 

[marksfish]

for an apa i would aim for 50 to 100 ppm of calcium with more sulphates than chloride maybe 7 grams cal. sulhpate and 3 grams cal.
chloride. however these figures are out of my backside.

 

[Scruffy]

Dude, read this... click on the 'key concepts' bit...

 

[Maxt]

I had/have big efficiency problems using my rainwater.
I add everything but the kitchen sink if I have to use it.

 

[fraser_john]

I use Palmers Spreadsheet for determining salt additions based on beer colour and residual alkalinity. I only use rainwater.

 

[alowen474]

I use rainwater with no probs.
I use the pH5.2 and a little dark malt in the bill.
You should add some gypsum if you really want to emphasise the hops otherwise its OK.
If you use liquid yeast then add yeast nutrient and oxygenate well.
Maybe your efficiency issue is your sparge and or crush.

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Maybe your efficiency issue is your sparge and or crush.

A good chance it is.

BYB

 

[Hashie]

Maybe your efficiency issue is your sparge and or crush.

A good chance it is.

BYB

Does anybody bother reading posts?

He said he is using the BIAB method, hence no sparge!

 

[alowen474]

Definatley a sparge problem then h34r:

 

[Guest Lurker]

5.2 stabiliser is useful if your water has some buffering capacity which prevents the mash getting to the pH it wants to be at, eg perth tap water at pH 8.5. Apart from a small amount of bicarbonate from exposure to atmospheric CO2, rain water has negligible buffering capacity, why use pH stabiliser?

 

[Mantis]

Hey I am no chemist and no idea that the ph stabilser would not work with rainwAter.
Been wasting money eh

 

[Mantis]

Dude, read this... click on the 'key concepts' bit...

Thanks Scruffy.
Just got back from Ballarat today and had a good chance to read through the pdf. I understand much more now
Great stuff :icon_chickcheers:

 

[Hogan]

I use rain water with my IPA's and APA's and Sydney Nepean tap water with my lagers. I use 5.2 with all my beers and run my tap water through a carbon block filter.

Attached is a screen shot of my Palmers Namograph for my IPA. You need to study your water and its elements and then make your own decisions on what to put in your water or what to dilute. I have found this BABB's tool to be extremely helpful to my brewing.



Cheers, Hoges.