Final water profile for stout

[strongarm]

After going through the initial learning phase and some previous posts I want to get a fresh one to lay out my final plans for the water profile.

I am brewing a 15% ABV imperial stout BIAB single infusion. I am thinking about steeping all of my dark grains cold for 24 hours then adding them to flameout. I do plan on mashing my Special B to bring down the ph a little. My reason is to get a smoother beer and reduce the acidity in the end taste. Also it helps keep my ph from getting too low.

Using bru'n water with .5 gram/gal of chalk and 50% RO water dillution I get

Calcium - 79
Magnesium - 10
Sodium - 40
Sulfate - 80
Chloride - 38
Bicarbonate - 224
Total Hardness - 238
Alkalinity - 185
RA - 123
ph - 5.7

My RA looks a little low....woudl expect 250 for a beer this big but I have heard it's not that important. Any final tweeks recommended to the water profile?

 

[mabrungard]

Forget RA recommendations of 250 for a stout. That is far higher than what you will actually need. I see that the pH prediction is quite high and I'm assuming you are boosting that in a quest to meet some preconceived RA target.

The profile doesn't look too bad, excepting that you won't achieve it if you are using chalk. Chalk does not work in brewing. It only provides 0.1 to 0.2 units of pH increase and does not provide the level of alkalinity you expect or desire. Fortunately, you probably don't need to be targeting the alkalinity level shown. Back off the alkalinity until the predicted pH is more like 5.5. That is plenty alkaline for a stout or any dark beer.

 

[strongarm]

If I don't use any additions my Calcium is too low 26 I have to add either Calcium Chloride, Chalk, or pickling lime to increase my Calcium above 50.

Redjusting water additions .20 gram/gal of pickling lime, Calcium Chloride .25gram/gal and 50% RO water dillution I get:

Calcium - 73
Magnesium - 10
Sodium - 40
Sulfate - 80
Chloride - 70
Bicarbonate - 150
Total Hardness - 223
Alkalinity - 124
RA - 66
ph - 5.5

Does that look better?

 

[mabrungard]

That looks fine.