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So the general opinion seems to be that simply adding 2ml to the strike water in a traditional mash is something I can get away with (in my case, seeing as it does improve my lighter beer styles by removing harshly bitter notes) but not in BIAB where I need proper water treatment based on a...

Absolutely. However, what I'm comparing here is 2ml acid into 11 liters of water followed by unacidified sparge water, vs. 5m of acid into 27 litres of water, all of which ends up in the boil (with the sole exception of the water absorbed by the grains, of course). Adding the same amount of...

I did my first BIAB batch last week. So far I've been using the classic three vessel setup (HLT, mash tun, kettle) with good results, but I decided to give BIAB a try just to see if it's all it's cracked up to be. I brewed a simple blonde ale to start with. So far my experiences seem to confirm...

I've used artificial flavourings in several brews as an experiment. Chocolate essence in chocolate stouts is the first one that comes to mind. Played with rum essence as well. I've been using the little bottles that you add to home distilled alcohol. The results were pretty good. The little...

I prefer propane for many reasons. One is cost; in my neck of the woods propane works out a lot cheaper than electricity (but that's a local thing) and our electricity is unreliable. Once you've had a power outage in the middle of a brew you start thinking propane purdy darn' quickly. :-)...

There's DME and DME. Proper brewing grade DME is relatively low in complex sugars, food grade DME is high in complex sugars. The latter ferment slowly and can indeed take weeks to ferment out. If that's what you have, the flavor of your beer won't be awesome, but that has nothing to do with...

Thank you, sir! I'm going to have to sit down for this with a cup of extra strong coffee, but the method is clear enough so I should be able to work it out now. Much appreciated!

OK. Wagging it is what I'm interested at the moment. I need to improve my water to brew a better beer, because all this water chemistry is driving me to drink! :) This is where I'm starting to loose track of it. Sorry to ask but could you give me a simple calculation example? Let's say my...

That's where I started. Unfortunately it did not tell me exactly what I needed to know (at least as far as I understood it) which was if total hardness as CaCO3 can be used as an indication of carbonate ion levels, so I thought I would just ask. :)

I was afraid of that. I have a water report that only specifies Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, SO4 and "Hardness as CaCO3" (and pH but that's a different beast). Does that mean I'm missing some important information (CO3 and HCO3 ion levels) that I cannot possibly work out from what I have?

That tells me what I need to know. :) Thanks all!

On a related note, if my (somewhat limited) water report only specifies hardness as CaCo3, is there a way to determine the amount of carbonate and bicarbonate ions from this? I do understand that 40% of CaCO3 is Calcium and 60% is carbonate, but beyond that I'm not sure what assumptions I can...

Being in South Africa myself, I understand your problem with the local availability (or lack thereof) of good home brewing products and instructions. My first response would be to read the online version of How to Brew by John Palmer, which is a great place to start. Knowledge is the best...

Your bubbler shows no more glooping but that doesn't mean your yeast is now completely inactive. It may still produce minute quantities of CO2 which keeps it in suspension. (Yeast cells "sweat" tiny bubbles of CO2 which cling to the outside of the yeast cells and act as flotation devices...

No matter what happens, you're not messing up. You're learning and gaining experience. So even a totally ruined beer is never a complete loss, because you learn from it and thereby become a better brewer. That said, you might be able to detect minute differences between the beer you "messed up"...

As I understand it (I may be wrong) the lower the temperature at which an enzyme works, the lower the temperature at which it is denatured. Beta-glucanase, protease and peptidase, to name a few, work at fairly low temperatures, and when you mash at regular saccharification temperatures these...

Thank you! Now it all makes sense.

Thanks, everyone! I think I'm starting to get it now. :) So does that mean that the difference between the terms Total Alkalinity and Residual Alkalinity is that the former applies to industrial and household effects (e.g. limescale) whereas the latter applies to the effect on mash pH?

In his latest edition of How to Brew, John Palmer writes (on page 338): "Water hardness helps lower mash pH, and water alkalinity raises mash pH." While I understand alkalinity and the way it makes water resist pH changes when mixed with acid (or malt), I am not sure how water hardness helps...

For a variety of reasons I need to make my own grain mashing bag (the BIAB thingamajig that you mash your grains in). I have a choice between using polyester or nylon fabric. Assuming that all other relevant factors (e.g. weave, thickness, mesh etc.) of the material used are equal, which one is...