Extract Beers Are Cleaner and Tastier Than My All-Grain Beers

[TheMadKing]

Here are the Ward Labs results I just got back. Very similar to the city's monthly analysis.
pH 8.3
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 162
Sodium, Na 20
Calcium, Ca 26.3
Magnesium, Mg 6
Total Hardness, CaCO3 90
Sulfate, SO4-S 6
Chloride, Cl 22
Bicarbonate, HCO3 77
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 65

Cations / Anions, me/L 2.7 / 2.4

Overall, I believe what I'm tasting in these AG batches is either polyphenols or chlorophenols, which are causing astringency and/or phenolic off flavors. I'm going to revisit R.O water again, and see if that will resolve it. Otherwise, I'm back to chasing down an infection.

With that water profile, I think you could probably have success with phosphoric acid and campden tablets to neutralize the ppm CaCO3 and chlorine. I used to brew with water that was 350ppm CaCO3 and it could be ok if I boiled it first (precipitated out a visible layer of calcium carbonate) and then used acid and campden to get my mash pH in line.

 

[nickbarley]

With that water profile, I think you could probably have success with phosphoric acid and campden tablets to neutralize the ppm CaCO3 and chlorine. I used to brew with water that was 350ppm CaCO3 and it could be ok if I boiled it first (precipitated out a visible layer of calcium carbonate) and then used acid and campden to get my mash pH in line.

That's interesting. Do you boil off the CaCO3, let it cool naturally, and decant the water into another vessel?

 

[TheMadKing]

That's interesting. Do you boil off the CaCO3, let it cool naturally, and decant the water into another vessel?

Yep exactly, but used my transfer valve rather than decanting and transferred into a cooler for BIAB.

 

[SanPancho]

before you start doing anything i would make a plan.

1- clean EVERYTHING. kettle bottom have scale on it when its dry? taps need cleaning? beer/gas lines? fermenters and all its tiny parts and hard to reach places? lots of brass or copper in your gear?

2- calibrate everything. thermometer. kettle temp readings. pH meter. gas gauges.

3- then plan out how to track down/isolate the problem

sounds like water is the easiest place to start. try the RO for a while, with the SAME exact recipes you used before. check craigslist/facebook/ebay for a little used RO system if you have a few bucks you can spare.

then start looking into these other ideas/ingredients/processes.

but definitely make a plan. i mean literally write it down on paper, post it where you brew. and stick to it.

 

[nickbarley]

before you start doing anything i would make a plan.

1- clean EVERYTHING. kettle bottom have scale on it when its dry? taps need cleaning? beer/gas lines? fermenters and all its tiny parts and hard to reach places? lots of brass or copper in your gear?

2- calibrate everything. thermometer. kettle temp readings. pH meter. gas gauges.

3- then plan out how to track down/isolate the problem

sounds like water is the easiest place to start. try the RO for a while, with the SAME exact recipes you used before. check craigslist/facebook/ebay for a little used RO system if you have a few bucks you can spare.

then start looking into these other ideas/ingredients/processes.

but definitely make a plan. i mean literally write it down on paper, post it where you brew. and stick to it.

Good call on making a plan. I'll see if I can make a checklist and print it out.

 

[nickbarley]

Yep exactly, but used my transfer valve rather than decanting and transferred into a cooler for BIAB.

Have you ever tried using slaked lime to precipitate out the calcium carbonate? I saw Kai's wiki on that process, and doesn't require boiling.

 

[TheMadKing]

Have you ever tried using slaked lime to precipitate out the calcium carbonate? I saw Kai's wiki on that process, and doesn't require boiling.

No I never tried it. I moved across the country to an area with really good water so I ended up not needing to explore the process any further sorry