RO Water, Imperial Stout, Bru’n Water

[The Lousy Hunter]

Howdy All

Looking to brew my first Imperial Stout. Struggling with the water-side of things. I can’t seam to get the PH in the right range. I can enter a ton of pickling lime and/or Baking Soda. I’ll get Bicarbonate in the right range, but the best I can seem to get for PH is 5.2ish. And that’s before entering other minerals. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I assume I’m missing something obvious.

Grain
2 Row - 15.5 lbs
Crystal 120 - 1 lbs
Black Patent - 12 oz
Chocolate - 12 oz
Barley - 10 oz
Flaked Rye - 8 oz
Flaked Wheat - 8 oz

5.5 gallon batch
100% RO water (only option)

 

[VikeMan]

There is no "right range" for Bicarbonate. Get Calcium, Sulfate, and Chlorides where you want them, and get mash pH where you want it. The bicarbonate will be whatever it is.

And maybe give this presentation a read:
http://sonsofalchemy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Intro-to-Brewing-Water-Treatment.pdf

 

[The Lousy Hunter]

Make sense. Problem is that I can’t seem to put enough of anything in to get the PH in the correct range. The second I put any other minerals in to meet my other numbers, then the PH starts going even further south.

 

[VikeMan]

Make sense. Problem is that I can’t seem to put enough of anything in to get the PH in the correct range. The second I put any other minerals in to meet my other numbers, then the PH starts going even further south.

Try this. From slide 9 of the presentation...

1) Start with Distilled (or RO) Water and Grain Bill

2) Decide how much Chloride and/or Sulfate is wanted for flavor, and add Calcium Chloride and/or Calcium Sulfate to reach

3) Check if Calcium Level is adequate.
-• If yes, skip to 4
-• If no, and if mash pH prediction so far is…
-------• too high: add more Calcium Chloride and/or Calcium Sulfate to reach desired calcium
-------• too low: add Calcium Hydroxide to reach desired calcium
-------• right on: add more Calcium Chloride and/or Calcium Sulfate to the kettle only to reach desired calcium

4) If the pH prediction so far is…
-• too high: add acid malt, lactic acid, or phosphoric acid to decrease
-• too low: add Sodium Bicarbonate or Calcium Hydroxide to increase