Water chemistry Primer questions/advice

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I just remembered my in laws (live 15 miles outside of my city) have a "water softener". I guess bottling up their water for brew day would be the cheapest and simplest way to get it done...
 
TastyAdventure said:
I just remembered my in laws (live 15 miles outside of my city) have a "water softener". I guess bottling up their water for brew day would be the cheapest and simplest way to get it done...
Click to expand...
If you like lots of sodium in your beer. The softener uses salt to get rid of the other solids and you end up with that instead. Softened water is not the way to go generally.
 
Hermit said:
If you like lots of sodium in your beer. The softener uses salt to get rid of the other solids and you end up with that instead. Softened water is not the way to go generally.
Click to expand...


Dammit... What if I used half softened water half of my own tap water? That'd cut the sodium in half, would it still be closer to the desired profile for an Octoberfest?
 
Go to the grocery store or WallyWorld and buy some RO water from the machines. Use that straight and add minerals to get your desired profile, or you may be able to get by with using only part RO and the balance your tap water. Plug it into your favorite water calculator to see what you can do with dilution.

Brew on :mug:
 
The water chemistry primer is great! I've got a question about the acid, though.

If I'm adding lactic acid instead of acidulated malt, does the mash thickness matter? I'm doing full volume BIAB, so it's around 3-4 quarts per pound instead of the regular 1-2. Since it's RO water with the basic calcium chloride and/or gypsum additions and minimal to no dark grains, does it not matter?
 

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