water chemistry - adjust top-up water? - Page 2

cactusgarrett · 09-21-2009, 12:06 PM

Get your overall target based on how much water you're using to mash and top-off with. Add salts to the mash to get your pH in order. Then add the remainder (target amount - mash amount) into the boil. The idea is that since you'd be topping off, by the boil you've added your target amount of salts for 5.5gal into the fermenter.

Ions above what your target is (before diluting with top-off water) in the kettle should have no adverse affects.

**JLem** · 09-22-2009, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactusgarrett

Get your overall target based on how much water you're using to mash and top-off with. Add salts to the mash to get your pH in order. Then add the remainder (target amount - mash amount) into the boil. The idea is that since you'd be topping off, by the boil you've added your target amount of salts for 5.5gal into the fermenter.

Ions above what your target is (before diluting with top-off water) in the kettle should have no adverse affects.

Thanks. This helps a lot. Wish me luck with my first water adjusted brewing session!

**Saccharomyces** · 09-23-2009, 12:11 AM

It's not as bad as people make it sound. If you plug the numbers into a spreadsheet and you have your water analysis you will no longer need to worry about mash pH.

I *typically* adjust the mash only, and treat the sparge water with phosphoric acid to neutralize the bicarbonate. The only time I treat the whole ball of wax is if I am aiming for a particular water profile (eg. London, Antwerp).