Bru'n Water Help

[Cbaddad]

Hey guys, I could use some feedback on this. I have been brewing for 2 1/2 years now and have made many tasty brews without adjusting water much at all. However, I finally just got my Ward Labs water report and have been reading up on making some adjustments. I am brewing a Sierra Nevada clone and this is what I have worked up in Bru'n Water. I batch sparge so I was thinking I don't really need to acidify my sparge water. Is this correct or should I grab some lactic acid? Right now I am looking to dilute my water 40% with distilled and then add some gypsum and calcium chloride. Again, thanks in advance for any feedback.


Starting Profile ppm
Ca 59
Mg 22
Na 79
SO4 177
Cl 85
HCO3 141

Finished Profile ppm
Ca 68
Mg 13
Na 47
SO4 150
Cl 77
HCO3 85

Hardness 225 (ppm as CaCO3)
Alkalinity 70 (ppm as CaCO3)
RA 14
SO4/Cl 1.97

Batch Volume 12.00 Gallons
Total Mash 8.75 Gallons
Mash Dilution 3.50 Gallons
Total Sparge 10.00 Gallons
Sparge Dilution 4.00 Gallons

Mineral Additions Mash (g) Sparge (g)
Gypsum . 2.6 3.0
Epsom Salt 0.0 0.0
Canning Salt 0.0 0.0
Baking Soda 0.0
Calcium Chloride 1.8 2.0
Chalk . 0.0
Pickling Lime 0.0
Mag Chloride 0.0 0.0

Acid Additions Mash Sparge
(ml) 0.00 3.46
Lactic
88.00
%

 

[Cbaddad]

So do need to acidify my sparge water if I batch sparge and do these mineral additions look okay?

 

[Yooper]

So do need to acidify my sparge water if I batch sparge and do these mineral additions look okay?

I'd probably leave the calcium chloride out. What's the predicted mash pH? That's really important.

I'd probably acidify the sparge water (using the tool in bru'n water) as you do have a fairly high HCO3 level.

 

[Cbaddad]

Thanks. Predicted PH is 5.4

I added calcium chloride to get my sulfate/chloride ratio to be more 2:1. I am a bit concerned about the sulfate which is at 150.4 ppm.

Would it be better to ditch the gypsum since that is adding a lot of the sulfate also? Maybe use the Calcium chloride to get my Ca up? Doing that would yield the first report below.Or just keeping the gypsum addition would make it look like the second one. Thanks again for the input.

Starting Profile ppm
Ca 59
Mg 22
Na 79
SO4 177
Cl 85
HCO3 141

Finished Profile ppm
Ca 57
Mg 13
Na 47
SO4 106
Cl 89
HCO3 85

Hardness 197 (ppm as CaCO3)
Alkalinity 70 (ppm as CaCO3)
RA 22
SO4/Cl 1.19

Batch Volume 12.00 Gallons
Total Mash 8.75 Gallons
Mash Dilution 3.50 Gallons
Total Sparge 10.00 Gallons
Sparge Dilution 4.00 Gallons

Mineral Additions Mash (g) Sparge (g)
Gypsum . 0.0 0.0
Epsom Salt 0.0 0.0
Canning Salt 0.0 0.0
Baking Soda 0.0
Calcium Chloride 2.6 3.0
Chalk . 0.0
Pickling Lime 0.0
Mag Chloride 0.0 0.0

Acid Additions Mash Sparge
(ml) 0.00 3.46
Lactic
88.00
%
***********************************
Second report
Starting Profile ppm
Ca 59
Mg 22
Na 79
SO4 177
Cl 85
HCO3 141

Finished Profile ppm
Ca 48
Mg 13
Na 47
SO4 136
Cl 51
HCO3 85

Hardness 174 (ppm as CaCO3)
Alkalinity 70 (ppm as CaCO3)
RA 28
SO4/Cl 2.66

Batch Volume 12.00 Gallons
Total Mash 8.75 Gallons
Mash Dilution 3.50 Gallons
Total Sparge 10.00 Gallons
Sparge Dilution 4.00 Gallons

Mineral Additions Mash (g) Sparge (g)
Gypsum . 1.8 2.0
Epsom Salt 0.0 0.0
Canning Salt 0.0 0.0
Baking Soda 0.0
Calcium Chloride 0.0 0.0
Chalk . 0.0
Pickling Lime 0.0
Mag Chloride 0.0 0.0

Acid Additions Mash Sparge
(ml) 0.00 3.46
Lactic
88.00
%

 

[mabrungard]

The mineral additions look reasonable since you are diluting the tap water. The tap water is fairly mineralized and can use reduction in some ions, so the dilution is appropriate.

The water alkalinity after that dilution is still fairly high, so acidification is highly advisable. That will help avoid a pH rise in your finished wort and the problems it brings. The amount of alkalinity does look like its low enough to allow the use of lactic acid without significant adverse flavor effects.

 

[Cbaddad]

thanks,

Just to be sure, are you referring to the original water profile with adjustments including gypsum and calcium chloride? I got some lactic acid to add tot he sparge as well.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Cbaddad]

ok. So I was impatient and probably messed this up. I went with the original plan and am into the boil. it tastes terrible. it is super sour.

Where did I go wrong?

Maybe I should have left well enough alone. Even my first extract batches didn't taste this strange. Damn. I want to learn from this. Anyone have some advice on this?

 

[Cbaddad]

After adding bittering hops and getting half way through the boil I had to cut bait. Super bitter taste with a sour finish.

 

[mabrungard]

My experience is that you can't tell anything from tasting bittered wort. It always tastes terrible. The sweet wort should have tasted OK though.

By the way, 3.46 ml of 88% lactic in 10 gallons of sparging water is nothing. You are kidding yourself.

 

[Cbaddad]

Ok. so I appreciate the help, but the sweet wort was not sweet at all. So I must have messed up somewhere. It was sour/tart. Had an odd twang to it. But I continued on and went to the boil but it just wasn't right.

So where do you think I went wrong? this is the first time I used acid malt in the grist as well but it was only 2% of the grain bill. that should not have been the problem should it?

Here is my original Ward Labs water report. I don't get it. Any advice on where to start over is greatly appreciated.