Caution, long "therapy session" (for me) post follows:
I'm looking to improve my mash efficiency in to kettle (currently running 60% :-( ). My resulting brews taste fine, but, there's always that lingering question "could it be better?". My mash temps have been spot on, but, I've no idea what mash pH has been as I can't use my titration pH test (see below) with the mash extract as it affects the color of the titration results. I understand this is a similar problem with colorpHast strips too especially with dark beers. I want the flexibility to brew lighter colored beers as well as dark hearty porters/stouts. While I'm not a "hop head" I do like the hop aroma with hop bittering balancing the malt sweetness.
Reading threads on this site and John Palmer's book on "Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers" pH is the numero uno impact (from water) on mash efficiencies and beer flavor with ion concentrations being second. From the research I've gleaned about pH meters you need to get an accurate one (+/- 0.05 pH). They cost minimum $85 plus test solutions, probe storage solution and electrodes don't last forever with replacement electrodes running in the $35-$60 range. Basically a pricey investment. Ward Labs is charging $40 for a brewing water test analysis. I've got my local town's last inorganics and metals test results but it's from May 2013. I also have aquarium titration test kits for GH/KH, Ca++ and pH plus a TDS probe (for my fish pond water). I'll provide my water profile numbers later but first here are what I think my options are for "tweaking my water" such that mash pH might settle into an appropriate range for mashing and not investing in a pH meter which would result in my "chasing the numbers" vs relaxing and having fun :
Start with a blank slate of DI water (I have a home water distiller) and use AJ Delange's guidelines in Brewing Water Chemistry Primer thread letting mash pH and flavor ions "fall where they will" with my taste buds being final arbitrator?
Plug my numbers from below into Brunwater to get salt/acid additions again letting mash pH and ions "fall where they will"?
Use the Advanced Water Calculator at Brewersfriend.com and the GH/KH, Ca++ and pH numbers from my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals titration kits to determine salts and acid additions also letting pH and ion levels "fall where they will".
Use my tap water "as is" and campden tabs for chlorine/chloramine removal increasing my mash time and/or grain bill to get higher mash efficiencies.
$85 for pH meter plus maintenance cost plus the additional time it will take during mash-in to calibrate meter, cool samples for multiple measurements, doing multiple salt/acid additions to dial-in mash pH to 5.4 range before mash-in clock is started (already takes 5 hours for me to brew) makes me wonder "is it really going to make a major difference in the final product?"
Sure, I could just try each of the options above and decide for myself but that's going to take many months of test brews. I was hoping someone reading this has "been there, done that" and could provide their experience .
Here are my water profile numbers:
From my Town's 5/2013 inorganics/metals analysis
pH: 6.55 SU
Chloride: 37 mg/l
Sulfate: 22.4 mg/l
Sodium: 18.1 mg/l
Calcium Hardness: 83 mg/l
Total Hardness: 119 mg/l (as CaCO3)
Total Alkalinity: 77.6 mg/l
TDS: 186 mg/l
From my titration test kits and TDS meter (for my pond):
GH: 214.8 ppm
KH: 107.4 ppm
Ca++: 100 ppm
TDS: 179ppm
pH: between 8 and 9 but color is closer to 8
I'm looking to improve my mash efficiency in to kettle (currently running 60% :-( ). My resulting brews taste fine, but, there's always that lingering question "could it be better?". My mash temps have been spot on, but, I've no idea what mash pH has been as I can't use my titration pH test (see below) with the mash extract as it affects the color of the titration results. I understand this is a similar problem with colorpHast strips too especially with dark beers. I want the flexibility to brew lighter colored beers as well as dark hearty porters/stouts. While I'm not a "hop head" I do like the hop aroma with hop bittering balancing the malt sweetness.
Reading threads on this site and John Palmer's book on "Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers" pH is the numero uno impact (from water) on mash efficiencies and beer flavor with ion concentrations being second. From the research I've gleaned about pH meters you need to get an accurate one (+/- 0.05 pH). They cost minimum $85 plus test solutions, probe storage solution and electrodes don't last forever with replacement electrodes running in the $35-$60 range. Basically a pricey investment. Ward Labs is charging $40 for a brewing water test analysis. I've got my local town's last inorganics and metals test results but it's from May 2013. I also have aquarium titration test kits for GH/KH, Ca++ and pH plus a TDS probe (for my fish pond water). I'll provide my water profile numbers later but first here are what I think my options are for "tweaking my water" such that mash pH might settle into an appropriate range for mashing and not investing in a pH meter which would result in my "chasing the numbers" vs relaxing and having fun :
Start with a blank slate of DI water (I have a home water distiller) and use AJ Delange's guidelines in Brewing Water Chemistry Primer thread letting mash pH and flavor ions "fall where they will" with my taste buds being final arbitrator?
Plug my numbers from below into Brunwater to get salt/acid additions again letting mash pH and ions "fall where they will"?
Use the Advanced Water Calculator at Brewersfriend.com and the GH/KH, Ca++ and pH numbers from my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals titration kits to determine salts and acid additions also letting pH and ion levels "fall where they will".
Use my tap water "as is" and campden tabs for chlorine/chloramine removal increasing my mash time and/or grain bill to get higher mash efficiencies.
$85 for pH meter plus maintenance cost plus the additional time it will take during mash-in to calibrate meter, cool samples for multiple measurements, doing multiple salt/acid additions to dial-in mash pH to 5.4 range before mash-in clock is started (already takes 5 hours for me to brew) makes me wonder "is it really going to make a major difference in the final product?"
Sure, I could just try each of the options above and decide for myself but that's going to take many months of test brews. I was hoping someone reading this has "been there, done that" and could provide their experience .
Here are my water profile numbers:
From my Town's 5/2013 inorganics/metals analysis
pH: 6.55 SU
Chloride: 37 mg/l
Sulfate: 22.4 mg/l
Sodium: 18.1 mg/l
Calcium Hardness: 83 mg/l
Total Hardness: 119 mg/l (as CaCO3)
Total Alkalinity: 77.6 mg/l
TDS: 186 mg/l
From my titration test kits and TDS meter (for my pond):
GH: 214.8 ppm
KH: 107.4 ppm
Ca++: 100 ppm
TDS: 179ppm
pH: between 8 and 9 but color is closer to 8