This is the third installment in the Brewing Water series. The links below will direct you to parts one and two if you wish to read them to.
Craft The Perfect Draft - Brewing Water Part 1
Craft The Perfect Draft - Brewing Water Part 2
Today we look at some of the easy to use tools that are available to homebrewers for tuning and tweaking their brewing water profiles to match the styles of beer they brew.
We know that mashing at the lower end of the recommended mash temperature range of 148-158F [64-70C] produces a more fermentable wort and a thinner bodied beer, what isn't so obvious is that the same thing happens when the mash pH is held at the lower end of the 5.4 to 5.6 pH range. Mashing at the lower end of the recommended pH range not only increases conversion efficiency it also reduces chill haze, enhances hot break, beer color and taste while reducing harsh bitterness in the beer.
The Right Brewing Water Can Enhance Color, Flavor And Taste
Keeping the mash pH within range also eliminates any risk of introducing tannins or other harsh flavor components into the finished beer and improves the rate of diacetyl reduction during conditioning. It also promotes more efficient conversion of starch into sugars and the development of insoluble phosphates that precipitate into the grain bed increasing its filtering capacity making the wort passing through it extremely clear and bright.
There are so many ways that a beer benefits from being brewed with a water profile designed specifically for a certain style of beer that its almost unbelievable. In the past most home brewers never advanced their brewing skills to a level where they started taking a closer look at their brewing water.
Extremely Clear Wort With Plenty Of Cold Break
Back then information about brewing water properties was pretty scarce and what was available was enough to cause the eyes of only the most passionate brewers to glaze over and quickly lose interest in the subject. Fortunately in recent years more brewing water information has been made available to home brewers than ever before and it's written in a way that's easily understood by non-chemistry majors.
Understanding the chemistry happening behind the scenes will enable you to look at a standing glass of water and imagine how the frenzied hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are constantly being split apart only to combine again into new water molecules. You don't have to understand all of the water chemistry involved to brew great tasting beer as long as you understand what's in the brewing water you plan to use and what changes need to be made to it.
Cooler Used To Adjust Water pH And Mix In 'Seasonings'
Using local tap or well water means starting with seasonal differences in the source of water that can only be measured accurately after having the water analyzed and then recalculating the water property adjustments needed to recreate a favorite water profile. Once you know the properties of your source water you'll need to plug them into a tool like EZ WaterCalculator in order to calculate the adjustments that will be needed to bring the source water into range of your favorite water profile.
Brewing Water Calculator Crunches The Numbers
When using tap or well water your water report should provide the parts per million of calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride and sulfate to plug into the calculator to get started. You also enter the total volume of brewing water you need and the percentage of that brewing water volume that will be made up of distilled or reverse osmosis water. After entering the type and amounts of grain in your recipe the calculator will begin to display the pH, alkalinity and mineral levels of the water profile.
Use A Water Calculator And A pH Meter To Confirm Your Results
Using readily available ingredients like 88% lactic acid or Acidulated malt you then start adjusting the water profile pH level to be within the 5.4 to 5.6 range adding in gypsum, calcium chloride and Epsom salt to increase the alkalinity level to match the style of beer and add 'flavor' to the brewing water. The calculator is smart enough to display the pH level in green when it's within the recommended range and in red when the values fall outside of the range making it very easy and safe to use.
The calculated salt and mineral additions also display in green when they're within the recommended range and red when they have gone outside of the range. A built in chloride to sulfate ratio display provides feedback on whether the water profile is better suited for brewing a malty or a bitter beer.
Take A Final pH Reading Of Your Finished Beer
EZ WaterCalculator is a great water profile tool to use because it is easy to understand, uses easy to find ingredients and it lets you do an infinite number of 'what if' calculations to determine just what water property adjustments are needed to brew a perfect beer every time. With an understanding of water property basics and some practice you will know exactly what's in your water.
Vince "Screwy Brewer" Feminella
www.thescrewybrewer.com
[email protected]
Craft The Perfect Draft - Brewing Water Part 1
Craft The Perfect Draft - Brewing Water Part 2
Today we look at some of the easy to use tools that are available to homebrewers for tuning and tweaking their brewing water profiles to match the styles of beer they brew.
We know that mashing at the lower end of the recommended mash temperature range of 148-158F [64-70C] produces a more fermentable wort and a thinner bodied beer, what isn't so obvious is that the same thing happens when the mash pH is held at the lower end of the 5.4 to 5.6 pH range. Mashing at the lower end of the recommended pH range not only increases conversion efficiency it also reduces chill haze, enhances hot break, beer color and taste while reducing harsh bitterness in the beer.
The Right Brewing Water Can Enhance Color, Flavor And Taste
Keeping the mash pH within range also eliminates any risk of introducing tannins or other harsh flavor components into the finished beer and improves the rate of diacetyl reduction during conditioning. It also promotes more efficient conversion of starch into sugars and the development of insoluble phosphates that precipitate into the grain bed increasing its filtering capacity making the wort passing through it extremely clear and bright.
There are so many ways that a beer benefits from being brewed with a water profile designed specifically for a certain style of beer that its almost unbelievable. In the past most home brewers never advanced their brewing skills to a level where they started taking a closer look at their brewing water.
Extremely Clear Wort With Plenty Of Cold Break
Back then information about brewing water properties was pretty scarce and what was available was enough to cause the eyes of only the most passionate brewers to glaze over and quickly lose interest in the subject. Fortunately in recent years more brewing water information has been made available to home brewers than ever before and it's written in a way that's easily understood by non-chemistry majors.
Understanding the chemistry happening behind the scenes will enable you to look at a standing glass of water and imagine how the frenzied hydrogen and hydroxyl ions are constantly being split apart only to combine again into new water molecules. You don't have to understand all of the water chemistry involved to brew great tasting beer as long as you understand what's in the brewing water you plan to use and what changes need to be made to it.
Cooler Used To Adjust Water pH And Mix In 'Seasonings'
Using local tap or well water means starting with seasonal differences in the source of water that can only be measured accurately after having the water analyzed and then recalculating the water property adjustments needed to recreate a favorite water profile. Once you know the properties of your source water you'll need to plug them into a tool like EZ WaterCalculator in order to calculate the adjustments that will be needed to bring the source water into range of your favorite water profile.
Brewing Water Calculator Crunches The Numbers
When using tap or well water your water report should provide the parts per million of calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride and sulfate to plug into the calculator to get started. You also enter the total volume of brewing water you need and the percentage of that brewing water volume that will be made up of distilled or reverse osmosis water. After entering the type and amounts of grain in your recipe the calculator will begin to display the pH, alkalinity and mineral levels of the water profile.
Use A Water Calculator And A pH Meter To Confirm Your Results
Using readily available ingredients like 88% lactic acid or Acidulated malt you then start adjusting the water profile pH level to be within the 5.4 to 5.6 range adding in gypsum, calcium chloride and Epsom salt to increase the alkalinity level to match the style of beer and add 'flavor' to the brewing water. The calculator is smart enough to display the pH level in green when it's within the recommended range and in red when the values fall outside of the range making it very easy and safe to use.
The calculated salt and mineral additions also display in green when they're within the recommended range and red when they have gone outside of the range. A built in chloride to sulfate ratio display provides feedback on whether the water profile is better suited for brewing a malty or a bitter beer.
Take A Final pH Reading Of Your Finished Beer
EZ WaterCalculator is a great water profile tool to use because it is easy to understand, uses easy to find ingredients and it lets you do an infinite number of 'what if' calculations to determine just what water property adjustments are needed to brew a perfect beer every time. With an understanding of water property basics and some practice you will know exactly what's in your water.
Vince "Screwy Brewer" Feminella
www.thescrewybrewer.com
[email protected]