Hi All,
Sorry for the length, I put my data here, hoping someone can help. Making a Belgian Golden Strong tomorrow, and I can't get the ions to balance in my finalized Mashing Water Profile (Row 13, Bru'n Water, Water Adjustment tab) and give my the proper pH (looking for 5.4 or slightly less). It seems I can have one or the other, but not both. Can anyone help or is this not a concern? Am I misunderstanding the science somehow?
here is the grain bill I am going with:
- 18 lb Pilsner Malt, ~1.7 Lovibond
- 1 lb Munich, ~7 Lovibond
- 1 lb Aromatic, ~4 Lovibond
- 1 lb Wheat malt, ~1.9 Lovibond
- 2 lb cane sugar, 0 Lovibond
Total Mash Volume between all the steps will be 8 gallons (cell J17 in BW)
Here is my water report (Chicago)
http://www.cityofchicago.org/conten...rQltyResultsNRpts/ccReports/CCA_2015_1-2Q.pdf
Using 2Q results from the Jardine Plant in ppm
pH: 7.8
Ca: 36.3
Mg: 12.3
Na: 9.8
K: 1.3
Fe: 0
Total Alk as CaCO3: 105
Bicarbonate (calc'ed in Bru'nwater): 127.3
Carbonate: 0.4
S04: 27.4
Cl: 17
NO3: 0.3
NO2: 0.2
F: 0.9
For my desired water profile I saw a lot of variation in what people did for alkalinity/bicarbonate between Palmer's Water book (recommending 0-40 alkalinity for strong, pale, moderate), trappist profiles in Bru'n Water, and online stuff, so I decided just to stick with the 105/127 alk/bicarb I already have.
Finished desired profile
Ca: 70
Mg: 12 (same as existing)
Na: 10 (same as existing)
SO4: 60
Cl: 55
Bicarb: 128
This gets me 4.9/4.9 balance and green cells in Bru'n Water User Custom. Yay! Playing with the gypsum and CaCl additions (also 0% dilution), i find that adding 0.25 grams/gal of each nets me
Ca: 75.4
Mg: 12
Na: 10
SO4: 64.3
Cl: 59.2
Bicarb: 128
Ok, close enough, but my calcuated pH is 5.81!!! So I need some Lactic Acid for the mash. 0.80 mL/gal gets me to 5.4. Yay!
But now this changed my mashing water profile Bicarbonate to -19.7 and my profile is
Ca: 75.4
Mg: 12
Na: 10
SO4: 64.3
Cl: 59.2
Bicarb: -19.7.
Putting that into the user custom now gets me cation/anion balance of 5.2/2.7...AHHHH!!! But my pH is dead on at 5.4.
So what am I missing? Which is more important? the ion balance or the pH? Or yes? How do I achieve both with a pale beer and soft water, or does it not matter?
Sorry for the length, I put my data here, hoping someone can help. Making a Belgian Golden Strong tomorrow, and I can't get the ions to balance in my finalized Mashing Water Profile (Row 13, Bru'n Water, Water Adjustment tab) and give my the proper pH (looking for 5.4 or slightly less). It seems I can have one or the other, but not both. Can anyone help or is this not a concern? Am I misunderstanding the science somehow?
here is the grain bill I am going with:
- 18 lb Pilsner Malt, ~1.7 Lovibond
- 1 lb Munich, ~7 Lovibond
- 1 lb Aromatic, ~4 Lovibond
- 1 lb Wheat malt, ~1.9 Lovibond
- 2 lb cane sugar, 0 Lovibond
Total Mash Volume between all the steps will be 8 gallons (cell J17 in BW)
Here is my water report (Chicago)
http://www.cityofchicago.org/conten...rQltyResultsNRpts/ccReports/CCA_2015_1-2Q.pdf
Using 2Q results from the Jardine Plant in ppm
pH: 7.8
Ca: 36.3
Mg: 12.3
Na: 9.8
K: 1.3
Fe: 0
Total Alk as CaCO3: 105
Bicarbonate (calc'ed in Bru'nwater): 127.3
Carbonate: 0.4
S04: 27.4
Cl: 17
NO3: 0.3
NO2: 0.2
F: 0.9
For my desired water profile I saw a lot of variation in what people did for alkalinity/bicarbonate between Palmer's Water book (recommending 0-40 alkalinity for strong, pale, moderate), trappist profiles in Bru'n Water, and online stuff, so I decided just to stick with the 105/127 alk/bicarb I already have.
Finished desired profile
Ca: 70
Mg: 12 (same as existing)
Na: 10 (same as existing)
SO4: 60
Cl: 55
Bicarb: 128
This gets me 4.9/4.9 balance and green cells in Bru'n Water User Custom. Yay! Playing with the gypsum and CaCl additions (also 0% dilution), i find that adding 0.25 grams/gal of each nets me
Ca: 75.4
Mg: 12
Na: 10
SO4: 64.3
Cl: 59.2
Bicarb: 128
Ok, close enough, but my calcuated pH is 5.81!!! So I need some Lactic Acid for the mash. 0.80 mL/gal gets me to 5.4. Yay!
But now this changed my mashing water profile Bicarbonate to -19.7 and my profile is
Ca: 75.4
Mg: 12
Na: 10
SO4: 64.3
Cl: 59.2
Bicarb: -19.7.
Putting that into the user custom now gets me cation/anion balance of 5.2/2.7...AHHHH!!! But my pH is dead on at 5.4.
So what am I missing? Which is more important? the ion balance or the pH? Or yes? How do I achieve both with a pale beer and soft water, or does it not matter?
