Water for a Belgian white ale?

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h22lude

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My next batch is going to be a Belgian white ale. So far with AG I have been using tap water. A few of my brews have come out with a little off flavor and some have come out tasting similar to each other. I want to eliminate the water out of the equation. I figure the best way to do that is use RO water with the correct minerals added.

With that said, if I used all RO water what should I put in the water for a Belgian white beer?

I do plan on getting my tap water tested by https://producers.wardlab.com/default.aspx?ReturnUrl=/
 
I just cracked my first wit. I used almost all DI water,as soft as possible, and used a couple oz of acidiculated malt to getthe pH in range.

Also if your tap water has chloramine you need campden tabs to remove it.
 
My water is fairly soft with a relatively neutral pH around 7, so I use my tap water through a PUR water filter, and treat roughly 20 gallons (10 gal batches) with a single campden tablet the night before brewday, and I leave the tops off the carboys to off-gas.

This method has served me well, and it is one of the few beers I make with tap water, rather than building my RO.
 
Schnitzengiggle said:
My water is fairly soft with a relatively neutral pH around 7, so I use my tap water through a PUR water filter, and treat roughly 20 gallons (10 gal batches) with a single campden tablet the night before brewday, and I leave the tops off the carboys to off-gas.

This method has served me well, and it is one of the few beers I make with tap water, rather than building my RO.

I don't really know anything about my tap water. I'm going to get pH strips to test the pH of it. Other than that, what else can i test for at home to make sure my water is good?

What do you use to determine what you need to put in RO water to make it good for that style...book, site?
 
I would follow the recommendations in the Water Primer on the Brew Science section of this forum. Add just calcium chloride and it should be fine.
 
What Martin said. Plus, your water supplier should have a water report you can get for free. It might not show all the ion concentrations, but it should give you alkalinity, which is the important part.
 
Schnitzengiggle said:
My water is fairly soft with a relatively neutral pH around 7, so I use my tap water through a PUR water filter, and treat roughly 20 gallons (10 gal batches) with a single campden tablet the night before brewday, and I leave the tops off the carboys to off-gas.

This method has served me well, and it is one of the few beers I make with tap water, rather than building my RO.

I used to overlook de-chlorinating my brew water. I recently started doing it and it made a significant difference.
 
get close to this


Antwerp, Belgium


Calcium: 90.0 ppm
Sulfate: 84.0 ppm
Magnesium: 11.0 ppm
Chloride: 57.0 ppm
Sodium: 37.0 ppm Bicarbonate: 76.0 ppm
PH: 8.0
 
get close to this


Antwerp, Belgium


Calcium: 90.0 ppm
Sulfate: 84.0 ppm
Magnesium: 11.0 ppm
Chloride: 57.0 ppm
Sodium: 37.0 ppm Bicarbonate: 76.0 ppm
PH: 8.0

FWIW, just because the local area water has those mineral concentrations, doesn't mean those concentrations are relevant today. Most breweries adjust their water for optimization of flavor, pH , and efficiency. Perhaps historical data would be more relevant.

Example: I wouldn't want to use the London water profile of today or even 50 years ago to make a Porter or Stout. I would want to make it with the water profile from the 1700's (if available).

Nor would I want to make a Bohemian/Czech Pils with the water profile of the region today, I would want to use the water profile from circa 1842.

So for what it's worth be wary of "classic" water profiles unless there is evidence that those profiles are accurate on a historic basis for which those styles were first produced.
 
I've been trying to read a lot about water. There is so much info my head is spinning. I wish it was as easy as saying take RO water and these salts for this style or RO water and these salts for this style lol

I am reading designing great beers which I have heard explains water treatment in good detail
 
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