How much do you tinker with your water...

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HollisBT

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Just like the title states, I am wondering how much other brewers mess with their source water. I have been brewing for a few years now without making any water additions, but when I was recently talking with a brewer at a local micro he suggested adding CaSO4 to an IPA/DIPA, aiming for about 150ppm. This got me thinking and nerding out, about water profiles.

Looking at my water report I have seen that my municipalities water is generally pretty well rounded, only lacking a little bit overall to fit most beer style needs (mainly in SO4).

So how much do you other homebrewers nerd out over your water? Is there any online calculator that I can use to plug in my source water, desired ion levels, and it can tell me exactly what to add to it? So far the easiest one to use has been Kal's water chemistry calculator on brewers friend. I tried bru'n water, but it isn't very user friendly IMO.
 
I use brewNwater to determine how much acid I need to add to neutralize my high alkalinity. Beyond that nothing. Adding sulfates to your water for an IPA makes sense though as that brings out the hops.
 
I started playing around with my water this last year. What I learned, above all else, is that my local water is pretty darn good as it is for making beer. It's basically filtered lake water from a small lake that has no public access and is heavily policed because it doubles as a wildlife refuge for some rare species of fishes.

I've found that every modification I've tried has only resulted in beer that was less good as when I left the water alone. So I've stopped tinkering with the water and my brews are back to being the brews I like and love.
 
I will guess you searched under the wrong thing to find water adjustment calculators, other wise you would have found Bru'n Water and Ez_Water. If I remember correctly, one of them does have an ion calculator/converter. Good luck.

I did search, as a matter of fact I mentioned bru'n water in my OP, did you even read the post? This thread was created to see how much other people alter their water, and how important it seems to be to the overall community.

Thanks for your input, but just harping about the search feature doesn't add much to the community.
 
If I drink a quart in the morning, I have to tinker about 45 minutes later. I find this is the same with any water I drink.

Come on, nobody else is going to make that joke?

Okay, actually, it's funny I came across this thread. My next batch is going to be a side-by-side comparison of a straight from-the-tap mash and boil and a fully Bru'n-calculated mash and boil. I've been in a slump lately, and I'm wondering if it hit about the time I started adding gypsum, epsom, and CaCl. But I also have been subbing pale malt for my usual 2-row, without any corrections to the recipe, so that may have something do with it. (Or everything.)

I'm all about proper chemistry, but I need to know if my taste is really benefiting from the math. I like hoppy, so I focus on getting a big SO4 ratio when I do calculate (300ppm or so) and keep the chloride low. Ratio ends up around 8:1 for my last couple of batches.

I used to use the EZ calculator spreadsheet, and I just recently dug in and figured out how to use Bru'n (which is very complex, especially if you don't have a complete Ward's report in front of you).

I would say it's important to get pH right, but depending on your water (mine is really soft) that may not take a bunch, just a small acid addition if anything.
 
My water pretty much sucks for everything except Stouts. I always dilute it 50/50 with distilled water. I use EZ-Water to figure out my other additions. I use acid malt in most batches, as well as CaCl, Gypsum, and Epsom salts in whatever amount the beer calls for. It has helped my beer a lot.

I still struggle with getting good hop aroma though. I haven't figured that out yet.
 
Water adjustment can range from a complete and total necessity to simply useful in tweaking source water that is already good.

I use BrunWater to alter my tap water significantly.

My water is very hard and high in Bicarbonate. Fine for porters, stouts etc. Horrible for any light lager or hoppy pale ales, etc.

I cut with 40-100% RO water depending on style and use CaCl and Gypsum to add back - depending on style as well. I might use a couple ounces of acid malt from time to time - mainly with light lagers.

I think the #1 thing most people need to address right off the bat is getting rid of chlorine/chloramine - necessity for all beer to avoid plastic off flavors.

I think one of the more common things to look at #2 is very hard water. This can ruin some styles of beer.

From there, I think it is more about improving and tweaking flavor profiles. But, those first two will ruin your beer if you don't have them under control.
 
My brew water is from the backyard well, deep well, don't tweak anything and
is good enough for me, beers taste just fine fortunately..
 
I'm just now getting into frothing with my tap water. One thing that's nice is my tap water is very very bland with low mineral content, similar to Pilsen water. But with really high alkalinity. So I am tossing acidulated malt to get my mash ph under 5.4. Otherwise calcium chloride, canning salt, magnesium sulfate, used in varying amounts since I'm almost building up from a blank slate (19 calcium, 5.8 sodium, 8.5 magnesium, 19 chloride. 8.9 sulfate so all my base numbers are very low).
 
I started paying attention to my water about a year ago. I've tried EZ water, Bru'n water and Brewer's Friend. I have found Bru'n Water and Brewer's Friend to work the best for me (tested against a pH meter). I switched to 100% RO water and build up from there. My wife and I definitely feel that my beer has improved significantly.
 
HollisBT, I apologize. I did not read your message correctly initially, and as you can see I did change my post. I didn't realize it was too late until two minutes ago.
 
I have great tasting, but very hard, water. I have a pretty high bicarb level, like 227 ppm, so I don't make very good beer with straight tap water.

I can make a GREAT stout, but that's about it.

I was buying RO water at the 'water machine' at the grocery store, but found that cumbersome so bought my own RO system for $119. It's been great! For some beers, I use 100% RO water (like cream ale) and for some I use 100% tap water (like that stout), but for the rest it's usually a mix and it leans toward more RO than tap water.

As long as you hit the proper mash pH, that's really all that matters. The rest is like salting your food- it's to taste.
 
By the way, I'm a BJCP judge and I've judged a lot of beers that used tap water. Some were great, and some were not.

Many brewers seem to not be able to discern an off flavor that comes from a too-high mash pH or other water chemistry issues. I call that the "ugly baby syndrome". You know how some parents have this hideously ugly baby, but think it's the most beautiful baby in the world? I've noticed that with brewers- they have a blind spot when it comes to off flavors in their own beers. One guy from this forum even sent me a couple of lagers he loved- and I took one sip and picked it up right away- a harsh astringent bite from his water.

Not saying this is the OP or any of you at all- but try sending your beers into a competition and see what they say. If they beers score well, then you know you're on the right track and your water is just fine. If not, then you have a starting place and need to work on water and mash pH.
 
HollisBT, I apologize. I did not read your message correctly initially, and as you can see I did change my post. I didn't realize it was too late until two minutes ago.


No worries man, I actually saw that you edited earlier and thought about sending you a message as I shouldn't have replied so snarkily.
 
Lots of good replies itt, I think I am going to do some side by side comparisons, brew the same beer twice and experiment with different water additions.

What really got me needing out over this was that one brewmasters reference that reaching 140ppm of SO4 in his ipa recipe was super important. For years I have made beers that I am happy with, without doing any water adjustments. But some of the recent ipa/DIPA's being released have made me really start to wonder what I can do to push the envelope of my beers, and what I need to do to get on the same level.

Thanks for the replies guys!
 
Lots of good replies itt, I think I am going to do some side by side comparisons, brew the same beer twice and experiment with different water additions.

What really got me needing out over this was that one brewmasters reference that reaching 140ppm of SO4 in his ipa recipe was super important. For years I have made beers that I am happy with, without doing any water adjustments. But some of the recent ipa/DIPA's being released have made me really start to wonder what I can do to push the envelope of my beers, and what I need to do to get on the same level.

Thanks for the replies guys!

Even sulfate is a matter of taste- some brewers recommend 300 ppm for pale ales and IPAs, and I like a more modest level in all by one of my recipes. You can try it, and add a bit of gypsum to the glass to a finished beer (a tiny bit) and see if you like that better or not.

I'm in the "less is more" camp generally, but I do like 125-150 ppm sulfate in my IPAs and pale ales that I brew (again, except for one, and I like that one at 250 ppm+)
 
I have found Bru'n Water and Brewer's Friend to work the best for me (tested against a pH meter). I switched to 100% RO water and build up from there. My wife and I definitely feel that my beer has improved significantly.

This!
 
Even sulfate is a matter of taste- some brewers recommend 300 ppm for pale ales and IPAs, and I like a more modest level in all by one of my recipes. You can try it, and add a bit of gypsum to the glass to a finished beer (a tiny bit) and see if you like that better or not.



I'm in the "less is more" camp generally, but I do like 125-150 ppm sulfate in my IPAs and pale ales that I brew (again, except for one, and I like that one at 250 ppm+)


Well sulfate is the first ion that really sent me down the wormhole and launched me into researching different ions and how they effect beer. And tbh I still have really spent. Oat of my time dwelling over SO4 and haven't fully researched the others, yet...

Fwiw, my water out of the tap is only 4.7ppm of SO4, so it could definitely use a boost in that department.
 
I find I like Sulfate in relation to gravity of beer. When I make low gravity (1.040-50) pale ales, I like sulfate in the 80-100 ppm range. When I make hoppy beers in the 1.050-1.060 range I go up to 150-175. For IPA's and DIPA's in the 1.060-1.075 range I like about 250ppm sulfate.

I find high sulfate levels in low gravity beers to give a "dry" and "harsh" effect.
 
City line to tap in garage, through rv water hose, through rv charcoal filter, into brew. No additions at all.

And while some may have ugly baby syndrome, I have whatever the opposite would be called. No one is more critical of my beer than I am.
 
Gross! I never TINKLE in my water. Bad brewing process, if you ask me. Undoubtedly, will cause off flavors. There are rumors that many macro light lagers contain an overwhelming amount this substance.

Oh wait-- the title of this thread is "How much do you tinker with your water... " --- NEVERMIND! :D
 
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