Milk stout - best water profile

[beerRush]

Hi guys, I'm planning to brew a milk stout and my question is:
What was the best water profile for that style from your experience ? Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3, Na+, Cl and SO4 what values are the best

Cheers

 

[Jag75]

I use my tap water for Stouts . It works really well for this style .

 

[marc1]

Hi guys, I'm planning to brew a milk stout and my question is:
What was the best water profile for that style from your experience ? Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3, Na+, Cl and SO4 what values are the best

Cheers

Use some software to help with calculations.
I'd avoid magnesium.
Get your Na, Cl, and SO4 where you want them, and check that you have some Ca. If you like Jag's water, aim for that, but don't worry about hitting things exactly.
Whatever you end up doing, don't target a HCO3 value, add HCO3 to adjust the estimated mash pH, which will be based on your grain bill, water profile, and water volumes. Baking soda will add some sodium, so you can play with it to get your values where you want them.

 

[beerRush]

Use some software to help with calculations.
I'd avoid magnesium.
Get your Na, Cl, and SO4 where you want them, and check that you have some Ca. If you like Jag's water, aim for that, but don't worry about hitting things exactly.
Whatever you end up doing, don't target a HCO3 value, add HCO3 to adjust the estimated mash pH, which will be based on your grain bill, water profile, and water volumes. Baking soda will add some sodium, so you can play with it to get your values where you want them.

thanks

so my water is (from store - bottles):
original values:
Ca: 42.08
Mg: 6.40
So4: 22
Na: 15
Cl: 17
HCO3: 93.70
Alkalinity: 77

I have used brewers friend calculator for a total of 31 liters and I need to add:
Baking Soda NaHCO3 - 4 grams
Gypsum CaSO4 - 0.50 grams
Calcium Chloride CaCl2 - 5 grams

After addition my profile will be:
Ca: 90
Mg: 6.40
So4: 31
Na: 52
Cl: 95
HCO3: 187
Alkalinity: 153

Looks good for a stout profile ? but one question because you have mentioned about HCO3 to not raise it up but once I add baking soda it will be increased to the level of 187 (HCO3), is that ok ?

 

[McKnuckle]

Let the estimated mash pH be your guide. Shoot for 5.5 or a little below. Ignore HCO3 completely.

Right now the ions look good, but the Na is a tad high, and if you lower chloride about 10-20 ppm, you may be able to also lower Na by the same amount (less baking soda).

What mash pH is brewer’s friend currently predicting?

 

[thehaze]

This is my usual mash water profile: 200 ppm Cl / 100 ppm SO4 / 155 ppm Ca / 5 ppm Mg / 10 ppm Na ( Na rises when adding baking soda - depending on recipe - anywhere between 60 and 100 ppm Na ) pH Target: 5.40-5.50

 

[marc1]

thanks

so my water is (from store - bottles):
original values:
Ca: 42.08
Mg: 6.40
So4: 22
Na: 15
Cl: 17
HCO3: 93.70
Alkalinity: 77

I have used brewers friend calculator for a total of 31 liters and I need to add:
Baking Soda NaHCO3 - 4 grams
Gypsum CaSO4 - 0.50 grams
Calcium Chloride CaCl2 - 5 grams

After addition my profile will be:
Ca: 90
Mg: 6.40
So4: 31
Na: 52
Cl: 95
HCO3: 187
Alkalinity: 153

Looks good for a stout profile ? but one question because you have mentioned about HCO3 to not raise it up but once I add baking soda it will be increased to the level of 187 (HCO3), is that ok ?

Ideally you only want to add enough baking soda to get your mash pH in a good place. This is dependent on the grain bill and other things in the water, which is where the software comes in.

 

[beerRush]

Let the estimated mash pH be your guide. Shoot for 5.5 or a little below. Ignore HCO3 completely.

Right now the ions look good, but the Na is a tad high, and if you lower chloride about 10-20 ppm, you may be able to also lower Na by the same amount (less baking soda).

What mash pH is brewer’s friend currently predicting?

Maybe I should ignore baking soda completely because original value for Na is 15 mg/l so maybe that is sufficient ?
of course we are talking about sweet beers so that is why I have a hesitation also about this Na - I know it matters it that kind of beers.
Original Ph of water (bottling) is 6.9 Ph

 

[marc1]

Maybe I should ignore baking soda completely because original value for Na is 15 mg/l so maybe that is sufficient ?
of course we are talking about sweet beers so that is why I have a hesitation also about this Na - I know it matters it that kind of beers.
Original Ph of water (bottling) is 6.9 Ph

1) I haven't played around with sodium much, it's something that you'll have to try recipes with and without and see how you like different levels.

2) The pH of the water is not relevant. The pH of the mash is. That's why people use software to estimate it.