Critique my "Simple" Water Treatment Plan

[CascadesBrewer]

The discussion on this forum has pushed me toward taking steps toward water chemistry and trying to get a basic understanding (for some reason, chemistry concepts have a hard time sticking with me). I like the basic idea described in the "A Brewing Water Chemistry Primer"...a basic plan that can be applied to styles of beer to at least get close.

I have not tested my tap water, but the following info was given to me. It is close to a friend's (several year old) Ward Labs report so I think it is in the ballpark of what I should expect (in the outer burbs of DC in VA, ground water source):

• Ca+2: 36
• Mg+2: 8
• Na+: 17
• Cl-: 28
• SO4-2: 11
• Alkalinity: 73 (CaCO3)
• pH: 7.5

Based on my limited understanding and ideas from "The Primer" I came up with the following generic plan. I have followed this plan for 3 brew sessions, but none of them are ready to drink yet. Along with Campden(potassium metabisulfite) at 0.03 g/gal I add:

Baseline

• Calcium Chloride 0.26 g/gal
• Gypsum: none

British / Light Ales

• Calcium Chloride: 0.51 g/gal
• Gypsum: 0.40 g/gal

IPA, Export, Burton Ales

• Calcium Chloride: 1.02 g/gal
• Gypsum: 0.80 g/gal

Does this seem reasonable based on my water profile?

I picked up an inexpensive pH meter to learn the basics. For the Rye IPA I measured 5.70 (it was treated with the IPA salts but with no acid). This reading seems reasonable and gave some credit to the idea of adding 2% Acidulated Malt.

I brewed a split batch of an IPA/NEIPA over the weekend with a slight tweaks in the recipes. I added 2% Acidulated Malt to both. The first batch measured 5.46, which again seems reasonable. The second batch measured 5.67. I did not add any Gypsum to the second batch and I substituted 8 oz each of flaked wheat and flaked oats for 16 oz of pale malt. Is the 0.21 diff expected? I was surprised it was so close to the 5.70 of the no-acid-malt Rye IPA.

I have played around some with BrunWater, and it always calculates my mash pH to be low...often in the 5.2 range. Any idea why? I think I have my water values entered correctly and my grain profile correct.

Many of my brews are IPAs, Pale Ales, Stouts and Porters, but I move around to a variety of beers. Of the above categories, where do Stouts and Porters fit? What about Belgian beers (like a Saison, Dark Strong or Triple)? Malty German lagers?

What would your recommend for a beer like a Pilsner? It is not a style I have ever brewed, so not high on my list of topics to solve. I think I might want to dilute due to the Alkalinity based on my limited understanding.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Unmalted grains such as flaked wheat and flaked oats are much more basic with respect to a mash target in the vicinity of 5.4 pH than are "base malts". Their addition (and their presumption to be base malts) is most likely why your pH went up to 5.67. In DI water, flaked wheat and flaked oats mash pH are both measurably above 6, whereas a typical base malts mash pH is only in the ballpark of 5.7.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Unmalted grains such as flaked wheat and flaked oats are much more basic with respect to a mash target in the vicinity of 5.4 pH than are "base malts". Their addition (and their presumption to be base malts) is most likely why your pH went up to 5.67. In DI water, flaked wheat and flaked oats mash pH are both measurably above 6, whereas a typical base malts mash pH is only in the ballpark of 5.7.

Ahh...learned something. I downloaded Mash Made Easy. I cannot speak to the accuracy, but the layout seems much more logical than BrunWater and the pH predictions are at least closer to what I am measuring.

As far as my water profile...I still do not have a good grasp on what the ppm values really equate to and what ranges I should target...vs I understand what 1 lb of a 500L grain or 4 oz of a 14% hop will do.

From what I can tell, my Calcium, Sulfate, and Chloride seem lower than most targets (hence it seemed like Calcium Chloride and Calcium Sulfate seemed like good places to start). I get the impression that Magnesium is not a huge issue and my 8 ppm is fine. My Sodium seems okay, but I don't know how a higher level would impact beers, though it seems to be more of a preference thing.

I don't really understand Total Alkalinity or the impact. This is the only number that differs much from the info above and my friend's 2013 Wards Report (73 vs 55). I probably should just send my own sample into Wards. (Edit: I just ordered the kit from Ward Labs.)

At least with pH, while I don't fully understand the impact of 5.4 vs 5.9, I can take a reading and adjust future batches to get into the target range. There are some good info in other threads I am trying to digest...though I will admit I am more interested in just making good beer than learning about details of water chemistry and pH meters.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Snowed in...thinking more about this. Does the pH of finished beers give much info? I just measured the 3 beers I have on tap:

• Porter: 4.16 @ 73.9F (no salts or acid adjustment, no mash pH reading)
• Pale Ale: 4.30 @ 73.7F (no salts or acid adjustment, no mash pH reading)
• RyeIPA: 4.73 @ 75.5F (8.2g Calcium Chloride, 6.4g Gypsum, no acid adjustment, 5.70 mash pH)

Note that these were taken with a $40 pH meter that was calibrated when I brewed 4 days ago.

How to Brew indicates that Pale beers taste best in the 4.0 to 4.4 range and Dark beers in the 4.3 to 4.7 range. Hmmm...that makes me wonder how you get a higher pH on a Dark beer when the dark grains are working to push the pH down?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The first two are perfect, but the 3rd is a bit high. Longer term freshness and stability can potentially be negatively impacted by a higher finished beer pH. Generally the pH of the wort will be seen to fall a few 10th's of a pH point during the boil. Many people measure a cooled "post boil" pH sample and then adjust the wort to 5.0 to 5.2 pH at that juncture (if needed), just prior to transfer to the fermenter. From there the yeast will generally finish the job and take it down to within the finished beer range of ballpark 4.0 to 4.5 pH.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Many people measure a cooled "post boil" pH sample and then adjust the wort to 5.0 to 5.2 pH at that juncture (if needed), just prior to transfer to the fermenter.

I learned something else! I assume that would be with a small amount of acid if the pH is too high. Right now all I have is a few lbs of acidulated malt. How likely is it that the pH would come in too low?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The general presumption used to be that if a 25 degree C. measured pH reading taken at the very end of the mash is 5.5 (to no more than 5.6) it will probably come in at around 5.2 pH post the boil. But people who actually monitor this say it doesn't always work out that way. I'm learning also, and I guess I'll have to consider adding a cooled post boil pH sample to my routine. I can't personally answer you as to the frequency, as to date I haven't monitored for this. I'm hoping that several others who monitor this forum and who do check post boil pH will chime in to assist here.

One thing I have observed is that mash pH tends to rise during the mash, and if you read ballpark 5.4 at the 10-15 minute mark of the mash, you may measure ballpark 5.60 pH (or perhaps higher) at the very tail end of the mash. This is why I discourage the taking of any mash pH readings until you are at least 30 minutes into the mash, and I prefer 45-60 minute readings. Cool to 25 degrees C. before reading, calibrate while cooling, rinse well in distilled water, insert the meter probe and lightly swirl, and then let the meter sit undisturbed and with no further swirling for 2-3 minutes to fully stabilize (stop rising with time) before taking your pH reading. All of the following errors will assuredly lead to a falsely lower than actual pH reading:

Sampling pH at a temperature above 25 degrees C.
Sampling at earlier than 30-45 minutes into the mash
Swirling the probe in the sample while reading the pH
Failing to let the meter sit undisturbed for at least two minutes in the sample

Most pH meters have some sort of flag that indicates that stability has been achieved, often within a few scant seconds, and these readings are almost always wrong. And ATC does not correct for temperature in the way that most believe it does. All that ATC assures is that if you read a sample at 65 degrees C. and you get a pH of 5.2, and that if you subsequently read the very same sample after it has cooled to 25 degrees C. and you then get a pH reading of 5.5, both readings are assuredly correct thanks to ATC. Very different pH readings, yet both being assuredly correct, wherein the only one that concerns us is the 25 degree C. reading.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Thanks for your help. I know I have broken at least 3 of your 4 guidelines!

I like to think that for the past 20+ years I have made decent beer without water adjustments, acid adjustments, and pH readings so my plan is to take it slow. (There was a time where I added citric acid to my sparge water and threw in some gypsum "because Dave Miller's book said so", but I stopped that many years ago). I would rather note a high pH and then adjust some the next time or try out beers with salt additions, over dumping in a bunch of chemicals because a spreadsheet says it will get me to some magic water profile.

On the other hand, I feel that many of my beers are good but not great and I could see where water chemistry might push them up a notch. Playing around with adding some Calcium Chloride solution to a glass of my Porter, there was a clear impact that I could pick out blind. I probably way overdosed, but I could detect a rounder fullness in the middle of my tongue. The 4-6 week turn around to change something on brew day and evaluate the change in finished beer does make improvement a slow process.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Moving forward on stuff...ordered a Ward Labs report to help verify my numbers and ordered "Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers"...thinking more about my "plan"...

Looking at my original numbers, calculating the numbers combined with my tap water, and looking at recommended water profiles leads me to think I need to add less Calcium Chloride, add more Gypsum, and I am thinking about adding Epsom Salt to most beers to boost Sulfate without adding more Calcium (but the reading on Magnesium confuses me).

I calculate that with this addition for an IPA (what I said in my first post):

• Calcium Chloride: 1.02 g/gal
• Gypsum (Ca + S04): 0.80 g/gal
• Epsom Salt (Mg + S04): none

I end up with the following (which seems a high on Calcium and Chloride and little low on Sulfate):

• Calcium (Ca): 182.5
• Magnesium (Mg): 8.0
• Sodium (Na): 17.0
• Sulfate (SO4): 150.9
• Chloride (Cl): 200.2

I think my additions for an IPA should look more like:

• Calcium Chloride: 0.10 g/gal
• Gypsum (Ca + S04): 1.00 g/gal
• Epsom Salt (Mg + S04): 0.30 g/gal

Which would give something looking like:

• Calcium (Ca): 107.0
• Magnesium (Mg): 15.8
• Sodium (Na): 17.0
• Sulfate (SO4): 211.3
• Chloride (Cl): 44.9

I am a bit confused about Magnesium. I get I don't want "high" numbers (over 40?). "How to Brew" recommends 20-40 for dark beers. Many of the BrunWater profiles have 5 for "Full", 10 for "Balanced" and 15 for "Dry". Lots of threads here indicate you do not need to add Magnesium. My goal is not so much to add Magnesium, but to add Sulfate without adding more Calcium. Is Epsom Salt a good way to do this? Is 15.8 in a good range for an IPA? Should I just add more Gypsum and not worry about Calcium values in the 140 range?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

For an IPA 16 ppm Magnesium isn't going to hurt anything. You may not want it in a Pilsner though.

I would likely add a couple grams of NaCl, or just enough to boost chloride ions a bit and bring sodium up to ~30 ppm. Don't worry about ratios or about trying to hit some canned formula for water.

I would think that 150 ppm of sulfate ion is plenty. And at somewhere around 140 ppm calcium ions you "may" begin to detect some level of minerallyness.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I would likely add a couple grams of NaCl, or just enough to boost chloride ions a bit and bring sodium up to ~30 ppm. Don't worry about ratios or about trying to hit some canned formula for water.

I could see where adding a little NaCl will make some numbers look better, but I am not sure how much overall effect a small amount will have. I guess I just need to brew a few hundred batches with some different profiles and I will have this nailed down! I can convince myself that my treated Rye IPA and Milk Stout have more mouthfeel than prior batches and my Rye IPA is a tad "minerally" because I know the additions, but I suspect most of that is just bias.

After many hours last weekend reading and playing around in Excel I at least feel like I have a better "plan" for the core types of Ales that I brew (Pale Ales, IPAs, Porters, Stouts). Thanks!