Making first water adjustments

[jturman35]

Hey guys was wondering if someone could double check me as this is my first time to make water adjustments using Brun water. I am using 8.8 gallons Distilled water and building my profile for this Nut Brown Ale.

Am I doing this right?

 

[mabrungard]

Looks correct to me. I assume you are doing BIAB or some other form of no-sparge?

 

[jturman35]

Im using the Brew Boss system which has a COFI basket. Basically a fancy biab. This water adjustment is way easier than I thought it would be, not that I understand the science behind it. Basically because I’m using distilled I just try and match the profile as close as possible. I’m keeping it simple using gypsum, cal chloride.

 

[SEndorf]

It looks like your color inputs are wrong in the grain bill input.
Crystal 60 is listed as 8L, and flaked oats is listed at 40L (Oats are probably around 2 or 3?)
This will affect the estimated Ph.

 

[myndflyte]

It looks like your color inputs are wrong in the grain bill input.
Crystal 60 is listed as 8L, and flaked oats is listed at 40L (Oats are probably around 2 or 3?)
This will affect the estimated Ph.

Good catch. Did not see that the first time.

 

[jturman35]

It looks like your color inputs are wrong in the grain bill input.
Crystal 60 is listed as 8L, and flaked oats is listed at 40L (Oats are probably around 2 or 3?)
This will affect the estimated Ph.

Thanks man! I completely overlooked the color tab.

 

[jturman35]

Should I worry about blending my tap water or just use 100% distilled?

 

[SEndorf]

My tap water is not brewable so I don't have a lot of experience in interpreting these water report numbers, but the sodium is very high. Could this be softened water? This is not recommended for brewing. Your alkalinity is quite high as well. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in here, but my take is that this water is not very suitable for brewing. RO (not distilled) may be your better option.

 

[mabrungard]

That's not great brewing water, but its workable. I can see that its softened water. Why don't you use the unsoftened water? Is the unsoftened water metallic tasting?

You'd need to get it tested.

 

[jturman35]

That's not great brewing water, but its workable. I can see that its softened water. Why don't you use the unsoftened water? Is the unsoftened water metallic tasting?

You'd need to get it tested.

I’m not following you. I posted above my results from Ward Labs. For simplicity I figured using distilled would be easier than trying to fix my water. I also believe using distilled would be more consistent than my tap water which likely changes through out the year. When you say unsoftened water do you mean carbon filter?

 

[mabrungard]

Your water is ion-exchange softened, whether you know it or not. Some municipalities use ion-exchange softening on their water supply, but most don't leave the water that soft in their distribution system. So your water is softened at your location.

I missed that you asked about blending your tap water. Yes, you could see some economy in using a portion of tap water. That would be worthwhile.

 

[jturman35]

Ok guys just an update! I brewed this afternoon using distilled water and added salts! Using my ph meter I hit my mash PH for the first time! 5.3 I also came within 4 points of hitting my OG which I’m stating to think is a result of grain crush.

 

[jturman35]

Beer is much better and no tart aftertaste after using distilled and adding water salts! The first time I brewed this using tap water this Nut Brown had a tart/tang on the back end that is now completely gone!

 

[ajdelange]

What is the source of this water?

 

[jturman35]

I used distilled water from Walmart and built it according to a Balanced Brown Profile. See pics above.

 

[ajdelange]

Sorry - I wasn't clear. I meant the water for which you posted the Ward Labs report in No. 7.

 

[jturman35]

That’s my tap water. I figured using distilled and adjusting would be more consistent than trying to fix my tap water. At least for now.

 

[ajdelange]

I guess I still was not clear. I was curious as to where your tap water comes from. Well? Community well? Municipal supply? This is because, as has been noted, it has, ostensibly, been softened by ion exchange. I'd guess that somewhere in your basement there is a plumbed in cylindrical shaped device with a nearby or integrated brine tank though, as has been suggested, some public supplies are treated this way. It has also been noted that that explanation isn't so likely as a municipal supply would probably restore some calcium to water they softened in order to protect their distribution.

If you are not certain you should look for this device as it requires service from time to time (salt needs to be added to the brine tank) in order to keep it working. The water entering the softener is going to have a lot less sodium and probably 20 - 30 mg/L calcium and so has some potential for brewing though the alkalinity would have to be dealt with. RO will always give you the most control however.

 

[jturman35]

I am very late posting this reply! My water comes from the city Municipal water supply. I have been building up from distilled ever since i got my water tested posted in # 7. Buying gallon jugs of distilled is getting old. I would like to either try and fix this water or at least blend with distilled. My beers seem to be ok, however i have noticed my Hoppy, beers are not as crisp as i would like trying to build up from distilled. My Irish red, RIS, brown ale all seem fine, its the hoppy beers that are lacking.

Any suggestions if i should try and work with my tap water or maybe switch to spring water?

 

[jack13]

I am very late posting this reply! My water comes from the city Municipal water supply. I have been building up from distilled ever since i got my water tested posted in # 7. Buying gallon jugs of distilled is getting old. I would like to either try and fix this water or at least blend with distilled. My beers seem to be ok, however i have noticed my Hoppy, beers are not as crisp as i would like trying to build up from distilled. My Irish red, RIS, brown ale all seem fine, its the hoppy beers that are lacking.

Any suggestions if i should try and work with my tap water or maybe switch to spring water?

Does your walmart have one of those bottle filling stations? That's RO water, so you'd be starting from scratch just like with distilled. It's less expensive ($0.37/gal at mine) and you just fill your own 5 gallon jugs (or any vessels, for that matter) rather than buy a bunch of gallon containers.

 

[jturman35]

I have never seen it if there is one. What’s the difference in RO verse distilled? I hear distilled is bad for you because all of the minerals are stripped out. How is this not the same with RO?

 

[Yooper]

I have never seen it if there is one. What’s the difference in RO verse distilled? I hear distilled is bad for you because all of the minerals are stripped out. How is this not the same with RO?

"Bad for you"? No. It's water. RO is not distilled, but it's nearly 0 across the board with minerals/ions/bicarb. My RO water has a bicarbonate level of 17 ppm, so it is not all that much different than distilled.

 

[Yooper]

I am very late posting this reply! My water comes from the city Municipal water supply. I have been building up from distilled ever since i got my water tested posted in # 7. Buying gallon jugs of distilled is getting old. I would like to either try and fix this water or at least blend with distilled. My beers seem to be ok, however i have noticed my Hoppy, beers are not as crisp as i would like trying to build up from distilled. My Irish red, RIS, brown ale all seem fine, its the hoppy beers that are lacking.

Any suggestions if i should try and work with my tap water or maybe switch to spring water?

Your alkalinity is really high, and you could dilute it with RO or distilled, but you'd have to dilute it by about 75% or so for most beers (not stouts, though). So it's probably just easier to start with RO or distilled water.

For modest amounts of alkalinity, you can drop it down with additions of phosphoric or lactic acid, if you want to go that route.

 

[jturman35]

Thanks Yooper!

I have made Charlie P’s Rosemary Pale Ale twice. First using the tap water, second using distilled. Tap water version seemed better. Distilled version seemed water down, not crisp at all.

Would bumping my Sulfate from 200ppm to 300ppm help much?