Bru'N Scottish Water

[sremed60]

I'm setting up to brew a Scottish ale. I was figuring up a water profile using the Bru'N Water spreadsheet and had a question, (out of curiosity more than anything). I've always gone by the numbers and never paid much attention to how my water compared to the "Historic Brewing Profiles." But just for fun I decided to adjust my water to resemble the Edinburgh profile. (see the attachment). When I adjust it so the red dot is near Edinburgh the mash pH is 6.2. Obviously when I adjust the pH down to a more respectable level the red dot moves down, (not really in the range of any historic profiles).

So here's my question(s):

Assuming Bru'N Water is accurate and that is the "historic profile" for Edinburgh - Does that mean that Edinburgh brewers "historically" brewed with a mash pH of 6.2?

If I leave the mash pH that high would that add authenticity to my Scottish ale, or am I better off lowering the pH and not worrying about the "historic profile" feature?

Cheers

 

[Qhrumphf]

No.

Unless you're brewing a Czech Pilsner, I would never take the historical profiles as pure gospel. That may not have been the water they brewed with, and they likely also treated it themselves as well. A number of cities (Munich for example, I don't know if there's an Edinburgh one off the top of my head), Martin put in decarbonated profiles that may more closely resemble the water actually brewed with (and even then, you still don't know what the brewers are doing to it).

If you want to match sodium, sulfate, and chloride, that is a better idea. But I would always focus your alkalinity on the needs of your mash. Adding alkalinity to then drop it down with acid seems a complete waste of time and money to me. I've seen AJ write something about being able to get a certain flavor (lactate?) from doing that that MAY be desirable in certain beers, but I don't remember the specifics unless you explicitly know what you're looking for I wouldn't do that.

 

[sremed60]

No. Like I said I usually just go with the numbers. My tap water is pretty good as is (- the chlorine) for most beers. I rarely dilute it and usually add the absolute bare minimum salts.

I only adjusted it to match the historic Edinburgh profile out of curiosity. I was thinking that couldn't be the water they're actually brewing with - which begs the next question . . . why even include "Historical Brewing Profiles" if they're not actually "brewing" profiles?

 

[Qhrumphf]

It deserves its place in discussions of the history of beer. The local water profiles had their part in the evolution of archetypal styles. But it's important not to lose the forest through the trees.

Me personally, I never use historical profiles for anything. I go based on the flavor impacts provided by the various ions and how I want them to interact with my beer.

 

[mabrungard]

I only adjusted it to match the historic Edinburgh profile out of curiosity. I was thinking that couldn't be the water they're actually brewing with - which begs the next question . . . why even include "Historical Brewing Profiles" if they're not actually "brewing" profiles?

To my knowledge, those profiles aren't reported as Historical Brewing Profiles. I believe (and intended for) those profiles to provide a glimpse of what the probable water quality was in those cities and what the brewers were likely faced with. As mentioned above, the brewers likely did additional adjustments to their water or brewing process to produce desirable beer. Unfortunately, that means that you will also need to do so.

Sorry to confuse anyone.

 

[mabrungard]

Oh, by the way. I've used the Edinburgh profile in several Scottish ales and can attest that the sulfate does dry the beer finish very nicely, which helps keep these lightly hopped and malty beers from being too cloying.

 

[sremed60]

To my knowledge, those profiles aren't reported as Historical Brewing Profiles.

This is the page from the spreadsheet.

I brewed a Scottish ale yesterday but wasn't brave enough to try and match my water to the Edinburgh profile. When I said earlier that I adjusted my water to match Edinburgh, I meant I adjusted it only on the Bru N Water spreadsheet - I didn't physically adjust my water to match that profile.

I was really just curious what they meant by "Historical Brewing Profile." Like I said before - if that represents the water profiles in those areas before the brewers make adjustments, then they're not really "Brewing Profiles" as stated. My tap water is closest to Dusseldorf according to that software. I don't have to add much to it to get the red dot to land in the Dusseldorf tag. I only wish I liked alt bier.

 

[mabrungard]

Well, you got me there! That should say "Historic Water Profiles".

But, that RA chart is only relating the resulting residual alkalinity of a water and little else. It truly is an otherwise useless element in the Bru'n Water program and will be removed in the next version. All the mentions of RA in any brewing software just seem to distract brewers from the real targets: mash pH and ionic content. The other factor is that RA is only the relative condition of the water and it does not reflect the resulting condition after the grain is added. Another important fact regarding that chart is that it compares the condition of the raw water in those locations with the treated condition of your mashing water...they are NOT supposed to be anywhere near similar. Including that chart was a bad choice on my part.