I am brewing a double oatmeal stout in a few days, and plan to add the roasted barley and chocolate malt at about 5 - 10 minutes before sparging. I have very soft water (HCO3 23ppm, every other ion under 6 ppm), and plan to add chalk to increase alkalinity. I feel like if I add the chalk long before the roasted grains, the pH will be driven too high for most of the mash. It seems like the answer should be obvious, but should I add my other mineral additions (gypsum, NaCl, and CaCl) to the strike water but hold off on the chalk until I add the roasted grains? On the other hand, this might overshoot my calcium levels, so would baking soda be a better choice?
2nd question: I was going to shoot for a London water profile, but the chloride seems low at 20 - 40ppm depending on the source. Should I bump it up?
I'm using the promash water profile calculator (very helpful), and I won't have a pH meter until Christmas.
Thanks for your input.
2nd question: I was going to shoot for a London water profile, but the chloride seems low at 20 - 40ppm depending on the source. Should I bump it up?
I'm using the promash water profile calculator (very helpful), and I won't have a pH meter until Christmas.
Thanks for your input.