Two-step Infusion and Water Salts

On my next batch I planning on doing an initial strike/rest at 140F for 20 minutes (with a .95 qt/lb grist), then an infusion to get up to 154 for 40 minutes. My question is: Do I

1) add all the water salts (gypsum, calcium chloride, etc.) ONLY to the initial strike water

2) add the water salts to the entire volume of mash water, then split that water for my two infusions

I know certain minerals are not soluble in room temp water, so if I go with 2, could I then heat about 1 gallon of that water volume into which I can dissolve the water salts, add that back to the total volume, then stir, split, infuse?

Thoughts -- and thanks!

Salts can be added before... Knowing the exact amount you need based on your water report

Yeah, #2 is going to be the safest method, since that way you know that your initial mash will be correct. Without knowing what your salt additions or volumes are, option 1 could work, but you'd have to take a look at what your additions are going to do in a concentrated state. That also gives you time to heat the second addition up to infusion temp while the first sits with the grain, which should take care of the solubility issue. The only salt I've had trouble with as far as solubility is chalk (calcium carbonate), and that only really becomes partially soluble once it hits the mash and the pH drops. If you use a bunch of calcium carbonate I could see adding it separate to the two additions in the mash tun, otherwise it could sink to the bottom of the mixed volume and not make its way into the first infusion.

The safest route is the best, I think, at least for the first go around. I'll report back with how brewday goes Saturday. Thanks!

Personally, I use Phosporic Acid to adjust mash pH and sparge pH. All my salts get added to the kettle directly based on the post boil volume.

I was just down at the “last Saturday of the month” brewery tour and asked Peter Zien from AleSmith, “Where do you add the salts”, and his response was unexpected. He said they add the various minerals to the grain before dough-in, and relative to total strike/sparge water used. Apparently his recon (“All the studies show..”) that there is nothing wrong with this approach.

ipso said:

I was just down at the “last Saturday of the month” brewery tour and asked Peter Zien from AleSmith, “Where do you add the salts”, and his response was unexpected. He said they add the various minerals to the grain before dough-in, and relative to total strike/sparge water used. Apparently his recon (“All the studies show..”) that there is nothing wrong with this approach.

Click to expand...

Makes sense to me...I chose the kettle because that's where the most heat is for solubility....I guess the grain is as good a place as any. It is interesting that he bases it on total strike/sparge water, that would seem to make it too concentrated for post boil volumes but maybe there is a lot left behind on the grain...or at least enough to not worry about it.

Three of us are brewing the same recipe--maybe I can convince one of them to add the total amount of salts to the grain to test Zien's approach, while I'll dissolve and add the them to the total volume of water.

Side note: I asked the guys at Odell Brewing Co. in Ft. Collins, CO about how they treat their water. Their answer: They don't. They just pump in that beautiful Rocky Mountain city water and use it untreated. Wouldn't that be sweet!