five star ph 5.2, any difference?

[BMWMK2]

has anyone here fixed there astringent taste by using this product?
i plan on using it and adjusting my temps.
i dont think the problem is my sparge temp only because i did a non boil canned beer kit and i had the same astringent taste, i think its my water.

 

[TheMan]

I used it in a few beers...I saw no difference. My friends used it as well and saw no difference. That being said, other people's water could be further out of whack than mine and it could make a difference for someone else.

 

[BMWMK2]

do you still have an astringent taste?

 

[SC_Ryan]

I used it for a while and it improved my efficiency but not the astringent taste. Once I started adjusting the water properly it made a HUGE difference in the quality of my beers. Best single improvement I have made to my brewing procedure but my water is pretty alkaline.

 

[BMWMK2]

how do you mean adjusting the water? i was thinking about using half RO water. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SC_Ryan]

Cutting your source water with RO or Distilled will reduce the amount of minerals you have in your water which can help but it's more about your mineral ratios when you are building ideal water for brewing.

There are many minerals in your water but there are four minerals that brewers are mostly concerned with. Those minerals are calcium, bicarbonate, sulfate and chloride. What brewers are mostly concerned with is the ratio of calcium to bicarbonate and the ratio of sulfate to chloride.

Basically if you have a high bicarbonate to calcium ratio it is going to cause your lighter beers to have that astringent bitterness. High bicarbonate to calcium ratios are ideal for dark beers however. Your sulfate to chloride ratio is going to determine how your bitterness is perceived. For example in an IPA you want to have a high sulfate to chloride ratio for a nice clean bitterness. If your ratios were reversed it would be difficult to achieve an adequate bitterness. You want a high sulfate to chloride ratio for your smooth malty beers. Basically adjusting your chloride to sulfate ratios to match the type of beer you are trying to brew is going to really brighten and accentuate whatever profile you are shooting for.

As far as adjusting your water goes there are "salts" (not really salt necessarily but that's how they are referred to) that you can add to your mash to adjust the mineral content of your water. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR SOURCE WATER BEFORE YOU START ADJUSTING WITH SALTS. You can get a water report from your water company that will tell you all of the mineral content in your water. I found mine online but you may have to request a paper version. Legally they have to provide it to you.

OK, so your basic brewing salts are as follows:

Calcium Sulfate (or gypsum): Adds Calcium and Sulfate to the water
Calcium Chloride: Adds Calcium and Chloride to the water
Baking Soda: Adds Bicarbonate to the water.

Hopefully this gives you a basic idea of water chemistry (how it applies to brewing anyway). Sometimes it can get over complicated. Read this for a better understanding of what to do before you start making any adjustments to your water.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15.html

There is also an excellent spreadsheet at the end of the chapter that will help you calculate how much of each brewing salt you want to use to get where you are trying to go. It took me a little while to wrap my head around all of this stuff but like I said it has made a huge difference in my finished product. Good luck!