To blindly go where no man has gone before. Using Bru'n Water

Just wanted to see if you guys are using bru'n water without a pH meter?

I attempted to adjust water today for the first time. I think things turned out okay. My mash eff was about 80% (BIAB). I used RO water from one of those machines. My TDM meter said the water was @ 5ppm so that's good. I just added the salts and acid as directed by the spread sheet.

You all do that as well?

 

I have done it that way for a while but that may end next brew as I got some Xmas $ that is getting used for a meter.

 

Ive been using Brun Water for 2 years now without the use of a pH meter... Its only the list of things to buy though...

Since I started using it though, my beers have dramatically improved along with my efficiency (some equipment and technique changes also contributed to the latter).

 

Once I started using distilled water and used BNW to build up a water profile my beers became noticeably better. Once i got my meter though I noticed BNW estimating the ph low on some beers. Probably because the grain I was using wasn't the same as what BNW had planned on.

Dark beers with acidic grain it tends to be right on with. Light beers with a lot of gypsum it tends to be .1 or .2 ph low in its estimation. At least with my available grain which is mostly rahr two-row and pale, briess crystals, weyermann pilsner, dingemann crystals and biscuit/aromatic/etc, crisp maris otter.

 

I too use it w/o pH meter. Well, i do have one of those seven dollar things. They are usually w/in 0.1 of each other, but hard to put much faith in that meter.

I figure using brun' water with no meter is better than not using either.

 

I've tried making brewing additions blind based on the spreadsheet alone. I came up with overly bitter IPA that had to sit an additional 3mo before I could palate it. I got a pH meter for Xmas and have only used it once so far. I plan to hone in my pH levels first. I MAY then consider some other water additions later... one at a time.

 

Having a few pH tests can help you dial in your pH, but using Bru'nwater without a meter is probably better than not adjusting at all. Just depends on your water and your beer style.

My meter has saved me from making some awful mistakes (well, REPEATING those mistakes!) One time my pH was way off. It took me a while of searching before I realized that I had not put the right volumes in for my mash and sparge water.

I calculated my volumes with beersmith at 1.25/lb, used that number in bru'nwater and came up with my additions. Then I stupidly went ahead on brewday and decided to just cut my water in half for mash and sparge. The volumes worked out better that way for my kettle!

Anyway, I realized later that you can't get the right mash pH if you add a bunch more water to the mash! Especially if you have water as alkaline as mine!

 

So I guess my point is that while you can run calcs and will probably come out fine, it's better to have at least a few metered results to compare with to validate your understanding and your process.

 

It's definitely best to use a spreadsheet for rough guidance and confirm with a pH meter until and if you come to the point where you can apply 'English' to the spreadsheet's predictions. If you don't have a pH meter then I suggest the use of three (or more) spreadsheets. The result is sort of like having the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian views on the economy before you but the presumption is that the truth lies somewhere between them. From what I see here and what I calculate and measure I have views on the biases of the three spreadsheets (and political parties too) but as these are nothing but impressions (WRT what I see here) I'm not going to say what those impressions are. When the pH meter becomes available you should continue to use several spreadsheets/calculators. At some point you might be able to make statements similar to those in #4 which could lead you to use Program A for some types of beer and Program B for others.

 

That is good advice. Use a tool to get you close and then use observations and experience to tell you how to bias the tool to produce the result you want.

 

Yeah I hear you guys. Thanks for the input.