EZ Water Mash Additions

[DPB]

This may seem like a silly question but are the EZ Water mash additions calculated by per/gallon of water or is it for the entire amount of water

Thanks

 

[user 21663]

The amount in the Mash Additions area is for the total mash water volume you entered at the top of the spreadsheet. If you click the sparge checkboxes, it will calculate the remaining additions based on the sparge volume you entered.

I use this sheet for all my beers and the PH has calculated out perfectly each time to the point where I may just stop taking a PH reading altogether.

 

[DPB]

Thanks!

 

[DPB]

Thanks!

Now for another stupid question follow up:
I typically prepare a couple more gallons of water in the hot water tank than is necessary. For example for 9.75 gallons of water used I prep 12 gallons.
My additions (for use with RO water) are 4.5 grams gypsum, 4.5 grams Calcium Chloride,2.25 grams of Epsom Salt (I also have 2 oz of acidulated malt in the mash not that it matters). Am I correct in thinking I should proportionally up the amounts of the water additions so that I come relatively close to the ph level and water profile calculated in EZ Water?

I believe it calculates to something like 5.5 grams of gypum, 5.5 grams of Calcium Chloride and 2.8 grams of epsom salt.

Thanks again.

 

[DSmith]

Scaling up the salts proportionally for your total prepared water is fine. I've modified the spreadsheet for a cell that asks for the total prepared water and the salts are scaled up to that volume - all water treated the same.

 

[bruin_ale]

If you're just modifying the mash water with the salts, then put the salts in your mash tun before strike. That way you don't need to scale up. If you mean to treat mash and sparge water with the same salts, then yes - I guess you could/should proportionally scale it up to account for the extra water in your HLT.

 

[DPB]

Thanks DSmith!

Anyway I could steal/borrow your formulas and or spreadsheet

 

[DPB]

Is there a reason I should not be treating sparge water (with salts) the same as my strike/mash water?

 

[ajdelange]

If you are treating your mash water properly, no. If you are following a spreadsheet or calculator that tells you to load up your mash water with chalk or bicarbonate or if your water contains high levels of bicarbonate and you are not taking steps to remove it then, yes. You can recover from high alkalinity sparging to some extent by long cold conditioning but you will never recover from high mash pH.

 

[DPB]

Great! Thanks again AJ!

 

[DSmith]

I posted a picture of the modifications I made to the EZ Water spreadsheet for scaling salts for 6 gallons total water (I do batches where 6 gallons is more than enough). The ratio is (Volume of Total Water/Volume of Mash Water)*(weight of salt needed for mashing only). I've only used CaCl2 and CaSO4 to date.

I also added math to scale the mash down to 100g total for a test mash for pH check prior to mashing. This is a new step for me with a pH meter that hasn't even arrived yet.

My changes are just convenience changes for me. I'll probably put a cell in to input the total volume of brewing water to prepare rather than hard-input the 6 gallons into my ratio formulas someday. I don't think what I've done is significant to post a as a download or correct to post without permission from the person who's put so much work into it.

 

[DPB]

Thanks DSmith!

I should have tried before I asked (I don't use excel in my everyday life), it wasn't too terribly difficult.

After looking at your test mash calculations I realized I am going to need to do more research before I purchase my ph meter. I am assuming you will scale everything down proportionally before brewing the actual amount so that you hit the right pH?

 

[DSmith]

My proportional scaling for the test mash is on my pic of the EZ Water spreadsheet at the right-hand side (Grain, Acidulated Malt & Mash Water Volume).

My meter came and I've got a small mash weighed out to try a test mash tonight - the beer that's in primary now brewed with the EZ Water spreadsheet prior to getting a pH meter. I purchased a very small amount of the identical grain and prepared 1/2 gallon water with the same dilution and scaled salt additions. It's a practice run prior to a new brew but the results will be somewhat meaningful to understand what the mash pH probably was for this beer compared to the spreadsheet.

AJ suggested doing the scaled mash with the identical water and scaled acid malt additions as planned for the actual mash. My plan will be to compare the measured test mash pH to the expected spreadsheet and then adjust the acidulated malt actually used in the main mash if necessary.

 

[bruin_ale]

I think I may need to start doing the same, I just brewed my first batch using an actual pH meter and the prediction was off by 0.2 - I'm wondering if all my beers have been too high a mash pH for years and I just never knew. They turn out good, but I'm excited to have this new knowledge that I can potentially make even better beer by fixing this one thing.

I added 2oz of acidulated to this last mash, that's such a small amount of grain how do we ensure that the pH drop from the acidulated makes it through the entire mash? I was wondering if I had a pocket of really low pH somewhere in my mash because the acidulated didn't get mixed in well enough or something because the pH of my mash was spot on what the spreadsheet said it would be WITHOUT the acidulated.

 

[ajdelange]

I think I may need to start doing the same, I just brewed my first batch using an actual pH meter and the prediction was off by 0.2 - I'm wondering if all my beers have been too high a mash pH for years and I just never knew.

That is very probably the case.

They turn out good, but I'm excited to have this new knowledge that I can potentially make even better beer by fixing this one thing.

Welcome to the club!

I added 2oz of acidulated to this last mash, that's such a small amount of grain how do we ensure that the pH drop from the acidulated makes it through the entire mash?

Just make sure it gets well mixed. The mixing that takes place at dough-in should be enough.

 

[DSmith]

I updated a thread with a similar topic after performing my first test mash and comparing to the EZ Water calculation tool:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/small-test-mashes-ph-300275/