RO water profile into Beersmith?

[byronyasgur]

How do I put my Reverse Osmosis profile into software like Beersmith - Brad says on the blog page `You can use the Tools->Water profile to start with a RO base water profile and it can calculate the additions using the calculate button in that tool.` - but there's no profile for RO water that I can see.

Somewhere on the Bru'n Water docs I read that an RO profile is related to to the raw water. Does that mean I need a water test to figure out my starting profile for 100% RO water or is there a rough RO profile I could use - I'm only starting All Grain it doesn't have to be extremely precise at this point I don't think - I'm just trying to get to the next level and get my water chemistry to a reasonably solid baseline that I can work with going forward.

 

[CU_tony]

Their filtered water is zero'd out which matches what I believe RO water ideally is.

Also, thanks for pointing out that there is a mineral calculator in Beersmith, I have been messing around with spreadsheets and the like and this looks much more convenient.

 

[byronyasgur]

Also, thanks for pointing out that there is a mineral calculator in Beersmith, I have been messing around with spreadsheets and the like and this looks much more convenient.

this is a nice video explaining the two side by side but it's the old version of beersmith that doesn't have the mash ph calculator AFAIK
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0baxAHXmQU[/ame]

 

[Tommydee]

I'm a noob, but have an RO system in my house, a Chem Eng degree, and questionable tap water. So I just bought some gypsum, chalk, a pH meter, CaCl2, downloaded brun water, and put 100% in the RO dilution field...then I tweak the last tab with additions to get the water profile I want, more or less. I'm doing an Irish stout on Wednesday, and I was able to get close to Dublin water with chalk, gypsum, and epsom salt. I'll let you know how it goes. Take my advice with a grain of salt (pun intended) since I have 0 BIAB batches under my belt. Haven't tried yet in beersmith. only problem is that Dublin profile with my grain bill kicked out a mash pH a bit higher than I'd like, so I'm going to undershoot on the chalk, and have lower carbonate than the true Dublin profile. Don't plan to add lactic acid, but will have it if mash pH is too high...because I don't trust myself just yet....Wish me luck....

 

[BrunDog]

Don't use chalk.

 

[trav77]

Yeah no real reason to add carbonate if your target pH is already high. Don't forget that commercial breweries are treating their water as well to reduce carbonate or adding acid to adjust pH etc. just because a city has a specific profile doesn't mean that you need to target that. Shoot to approximate Ca, SO4, and Cl.

 

[Tommydee]

Got it on the chalk. Thanks for the advice, and sorry for the partial hijack. Maybe someone can confirm for OP (and I) that by adding 100% to the RO dilution line in brun water that it should get us pretty close to RO. Also interested in the beersmith solution.

 

[BrunDog]

Indeed. I use BnW as it works, and works well.

I personally find BS's "new/upgraded" water tools worthless, but maybe it is a function of my failure to understand it. With BnW I can dial in my pH... when I add brewing salts in BS, nothing happens to the calculate pH. That's not helpful IMO.

BTW I use pickling lime if I need to add Ca without dropping pH. Chalk is not dissolved easily and it is very tough to estimate how much makes it into the water. Ditch it and buy some pickling lime.

 

[byronyasgur]

sorry for the partial hijack. Maybe someone can confirm for OP (and I) that by adding 100% to the RO dilution line in brun water that it should get us pretty close to RO. Also interested in the beersmith solution.

... yea don't mind me LOL ipe: ... no worries
I've spent hours on both progams since askign this and as far as I can see if you put 100% in like you say it essentially ignores your water report data page ( which is what I wanted myself and what I guess you're after ... it also mentions something about this on the first ( instructions ) tab - what I did was put in some crazy figures on the water report tab and then by changing the dilution from 0 to 100 and back again I was able to see the crazy settings being removed and added - so yea for RO water I think you make that dilution setting 100 and ignore the water report tab

I personally find BS's "new/upgraded" water tools worthless, but maybe it is a function of my failure to understand it. With BnW I can dial in my pH... when I add brewing salts in BS, nothing happens to the calculate pH. That's not helpful IMO.

I spent ages and yes came to the same conclusion - it's got some handy bits but no matter how you add the salts it seems to have no effect on mash PH - according to this page

the estimated mash pH does not directly include any water mineral additions as these are assumed to be factored into the water profile – which is why I recommend using the Water Profile tool to create custom profiles if you are working with water additions.

but using the water profile tool doesn't seem to work either because it just allows you to add additions to your water profile to match another profile - then when you add your water it adds those additions to the mash which has the same effect as far as I can see - ie that it doesn't affect mash ph.

I did find beersmith handy though for automatically matching a profile and then bang those figures into brunwater to get the mash ph there - slightly easier than messing with brunwater manually

 

[BrunDog]

Gotcha, thanks for confirming. I actually find it easy to do BnW manually. Start with Epsom and NaCl - get those to match the Mg and Na needed (which isn't usually much). Then add Gypsum and CaCl in the proportions desired until you reach the desired calcium. If you need more calcium because either your sulfate or chloride is too high, dial back as needed and add pickling lime (knowing it will raise pH).

 

[byronyasgur]

I actually find it easy to do BnW manually. Start with Epsom and NaCl - get those to match the Mg and Na needed (which isn't usually much). Then add Gypsum and CaCl in the proportions desired until you reach the desired calcium. If you need more calcium because either your sulfate or chloride is too high, dial back as needed and add pickling lime (knowing it will raise pH).

nice technique - will try that