Water Chemistry - Please Read This

[davewaldo]

and regarding rainwater

"Rainwater should be the purest natural source of water, but because it assimilates atmospheric gases and organic mineral particles wherever the air is the least bit polluted, most rainwater is absolutely unsuitable for use in brewing. Precipitation in areas far removed from large fossil-fuel burning plants more often than not is still polluted by highly corrosive sulfuric acid ... Free hydrogen carbonates ... are also common in rainwater. They rob the calcium from the mash, water and ferment...".

This confuses me somewhat. Most other things I have read (on this site) suggest that rainwater in Australia is good quality but very lacking in salts. Therefore I was planning to start building my own water profiles using rainwater as a base.

I realise there are several brewers on this site using rainwater, but is there any evidence regarding the use of Australian rainwater for brewing? I thought it would be a great base water to start from???? I have a concrete tile roof and plastic tank with first flush diverters, so I would assume my water would be quite high quality.

Cheers,

David.

 

[manticle]

Im just using the Kaiser Water Calculator spreadsheet that i found somewhere on here. It is saying that in a 47lt BIAB i need to put something like 5g CaSO4 and 5g CaCl into the mash (to end up with just over 50ppm Ca)? Does this seem a little excessive to anyone?
Cheers

Doesn't seem excessive at all. I use around 2g of each in a regular size batch. However is Kaiser calibrated for BIAB? Mash thickness affects the formulae used in EZ water calculator and mash thickness in simple BIAB differs from 3V.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

I brew exclusively with rainwater that is collected on a colourbond roof into a galv tank, then pumped up black poly pipe into a concrete tank. It falls down the hill into my brewery via more black poly pipe.

My beer has been found by several people to be somewhat drinkable. I would suggest that the best thing you can do is to brew with some water and see if you like the results.

If you look hard enough, you will find people on the internet who can/will argue absolutely any position, regardless of how much sense it might make. I think experimentation and personal experience will usually yield best results.

This confuses me somewhat. Most other things I have read (on this site) suggest that rainwater in Australia is good quality but very lacking in salts. Therefore I was planning to start building my own water profiles using rainwater as a base.

I realise there are several brewers on this site using rainwater, but is there any evidence regarding the use of Australian rainwater for brewing? I thought it would be a great base water to start from???? I have a concrete tile roof and plastic tank with first flush diverters, so I would assume my water would be quite high quality.

Cheers,

David.

 

[lespaul]

Doesn't seem excessive at all. I use around 2g of each in a regular size batch. However is Kaiser calibrated for BIAB? Mash thickness affects the formulae used in EZ water calculator and mash thickness in simple BIAB differs from 3V.

Yeah i saw that, any recommendations on what to use for water calculations?

 

[BOG]

I've just put down an Easter ESB and below is what I added to Sydney Water (prospect), to get a close to Burton on Trent water profile.

Batch size is 20L (final into Fermentor) , starting water volume is ~31.5 Litres. (Mash in = 12L , Mash out = 8, Sparge = 2 x 5.75 Litres )

Added the following;

1gm Salt
5gm Baking Soda
15gm Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate)
PH 5.2 Stabilizer - 1Tsp

I didn't both with the Magnesium Sulphate this time. But it would have been maybe a gram at best.

Note that Burton water is very Chalky hence the Gypsum, but this makes a big difference to the final flavour of the beer.

Hence the saying - "Chalk and Cheese" .......... maybe....



BOG

 

[felten]

Yeah i saw that, any recommendations on what to use for water calculations?

Beersmith has a water calculator, doesn't factor in pH though.

BTW 5g each in 47L comes out to 54 ppm Ca, 60 SO4 ppm and 51 ppm Cl according to beersmith.

 

[manticle]

Yeah i saw that, any recommendations on what to use for water calculations?

For BIAB? Sorry can't help. I'm sure that biabbrewer forum would have some info or one of the more experienced biab brewers here..

 

[Dylo]

Ive been adjusting Canberra water to 100ppm CaS04 & 100ppm CaCl for my PA's. Results have been good, it adds a certain polish to the finished beer. Im not going back.

Dylo

 

[gone_fishing]

I am wondering how to calculate pH and water chemistry. Given that I don't know the pH of simply adding malt to water (considering that the malting process verges on turning acidic). How do I also account for the chemical elements associated with the water that was added to the barley prior to malting.

Should i be making my decisions regarding these issues following testing of the pH and ionic content of my mash rather than calculating the additions of my brew water?

gf

 

[kieran]

gf: from a chemistry perspective, it's best to do it once it's mashed. You *can* do it beforehands if you really want, but you need to have a fair idea of the changes that will occur once you've doughed in. If there is any variation in pH from your grain between batches (mass, crystal, roasted proportional content) then this will vary. That's why it's probably easier for the home brewer, where batch to batch variation is greater, to test the mash pH once doughed in, and then adjust accordingly.
Also, you'll find that certain salts dissolve into solution much easier at a lower pH than neutral water, so it will be more effective.

 

[katzke]

I am wondering how to calculate pH and water chemistry. Given that I don't know the pH of simply adding malt to water (considering that the malting process verges on turning acidic). How do I also account for the chemical elements associated with the water that was added to the barley prior to malting.

Should i be making my decisions regarding these issues following testing of the pH and ionic content of my mash rather than calculating the additions of my brew water?

gf

Use one of the calculators that is out there. I use 2 different ones. Palmers is just about as easy and good as any. Can not find the link to the other one. It is a lot more complicated and the results have been similar.

The only exception has been with wheat beers, I brew mostly WITs. I find they need to be calculated as a darker brew then they are becuase of the different qualities of the wheat. Experience will tell if you need to make any changes.

 

[therocko]

Your local council has to report by law on its water quality. Ma ybe worth a look.

 

[therocko]

Your local council has to report by law on its water quality. Ma ybe worth a look.