Opinion on water chemistry for homebrewing

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jayjay

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Hi there
I am pretty new to homebrewing and have just started to look into my water profile

However, as i am still quite the rookie i would like to get a more experienced opinion on the quality of my tap water for homebrewing.

The reason that i started looking into the water chemistry is that i just tasted my first homebrewed NEIPA which turned out much more bitter or astringent than expected, which i have read can be because of the water profile.

Cheers
 

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Your water is hard, so you would need some minerals and possibly acids to lower it in range 5.3-ish. You could/should preboil it, or find yourself another water source.
 
Your hardness is good , the alkalinity is high and will cause your pH to be high on pale beers. Stouts and Porters should rock with that profile. You have a good amount of calcium for all of it's jobs. If you boil you will loose the calcium. I would buy a pH meter (not the 15$ one) and find a way to acidify the mash with either phosphoric or lactic acid. If it were me I would install an RO system and use it diluted with house water that is free of chlorine.
 
Your water is hard, so you would need some minerals and possibly acids to lower it in range 5.3-ish. You could/should preboil it, or find yourself another water source.

In the mash, the Hardness (from Ca and Mg) will largely offset the Alkalinity. This water will be fine with reasonable amounts of acidification to bring it in range for most beers. And for some beers, pH will be fine "as is," without any treatment.

Pre-boiling isn't really called for here, unless OP want to nails styles that benefit from very soft water (like Bo Pils). But that's from a flavor/mouthfeel perspective, and not pH.
 
Right then, so sounds like the main problem if i wanna brew pale ales and the sort is the pH being too high.
I know that a pH meter will be worth the high cost, however i am a student and my budget is quite limited at the moment so is there any cheaper way to measure the pH or can you calculate how much phosphoric acid you will need to lower the pH to a certain degree based on the mash ingredients and the water profile?
 
Right then, so sounds like the main problem if i wanna brew pale ales and the sort is the pH being too high.
I know that a pH meter will be worth the high cost, however i am a student and my budget is quite limited at the moment so is there any cheaper way to measure the pH or can you calculate how much phosphoric acid you will need to lower the pH to a certain degree based on the mash ingredients and the water profile?

You can get by without a pH meter. Look into the mash calculators out there.

For a standalone Water/Mash pH spreadsheet, I recommend MpH, which is free, and has been shown with real data to be the most accurate among the most popular sheets. Brewing Water Calculator: MpH Water Calculator v4.2

If you want an integrated "one stop shopping" brewing spreadsheet, that has the MpH model built in, I recommend BrewCipher, which is also free. Calculators - Google Drive
Full disclosure: BrewCipher is my mine. I created it (mainly) because of some shortcomings in popular software.
 
You can get by without a pH meter. Look into the mash calculators out there.

For a standalone Water/Mash pH spreadsheet, I recommend MpH, which is free, and has been shown with real data to be the most accurate among the most popular sheets. Brewing Water Calculator: MpH Water Calculator v4.2

If you want an integrated "one stop shopping" brewing spreadsheet, that has the MpH model built in, I recommend BrewCipher, which is also free. Calculators - Google Drive
Full disclosure: BrewCipher is my mine. I created it (mainly) because of some shortcomings in popular software.

Very good - i will try this approach - thanks for the help :)
 
You can get by without a pH meter. Look into the mash calculators out there.

For a standalone Water/Mash pH spreadsheet, I recommend MpH, which is free, and has been shown with real data to be the most accurate among the most popular sheets. Brewing Water Calculator: MpH Water Calculator v4.2

Suggesting that one can get by without a pH meter due to software is in my opinion more than a bit disingenuous.

Where might all of this data be that difinitively proves MpH 4.2 to be best overall?
 
Suggesting that one can get by without a pH meter due to software is in my opinion more than a bit disingenuous.

Where might all of this data be that difinitively proves MpH 4.2 to be best overall?

While I agree with you on having and using a ph meter, I can sort of see where hes coming from . I use a program for water profiling. I always check my wort ph about 15-20 min in. I've always been pretty close to what's predicted by the program. So in essence , knowing what I know now I could say that my mash ph is pretty spot on even if I dont check . I prefer to check anyways because you never know and I like to be certain. I dont think hes saying ph of 4.2 I think its version 4.2 ....maybe I'm wrong
 
Suggesting that one can get by without a pH meter due to software is in my opinion more than a bit disingenuous.

I would bet that over 95% of people using mash pH software don't own a meter. Would you suggest that the guy I was talking to, a student who can't afford a meter, not bother using software? Will you buy him a meter?

As for calling me disingenuous, that's uncalled for.

Where might all of this data be that difinitively proves MpH 4.2 to be best overall?

Perhaps you could ask the author.
 
To clarify my post above, my concern has always been one whereby giving the impression that software is so good that pH meters have become unnecessary is incorrect, and it is specifically that to which I referred as disingenuous (and by no means was I calling you that personally, as in fact I value much of what you have posted here on this forum, as well as on another forum where you have had long term residence). I don't believe that any mash pH assistant software (including my own) is at that level, and sufficient hurdles and pitfalls to precision in the realm of math model predictions remain such that achieving that plateau is (in my opinion) still a distant dream.
 
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