Sparge water pH

[user 246304]

Double post.

 

[z-bob]

And this is going to sound ridiculous, but using RO water only in the sparge just...bugs me, lol. Doesn't feel right and I've no earthly reason why, yet. Go figure. The only thing I can come up with aligns with some of what AJ said above - one water, just used throughout the brewhouse. Unlike AJ's, however, grounded in science, mine is more of the myth of virginal brewing water, I'm afraid. Stuff comes out of the ground perfect for bitters, etc.

I'm determined to brew a tasty light-colored beer using my local tapwater, without running to Walmart to schlep home even a gallon of RO water. The water here tastes good, so I know it's possible to brew good beer with it. Might be stupid, but it's a personal challenge

I got a lot closer when I started adding acid malt to my mash, and using RO water just for the sparge. If it wasn't for just my pigheadedness, that would be a perfectly acceptable endpoint, and I could go on to working on temperature control.

 

[user 246304]

I'm excited to hear how it develops, z-bob. I'm not kidding when I say once our son is in college (1 1/2 years), my nose is sniffing for good water...job is to entice my wife with the things that float her boat, too!

Looking forward to your developing story!

 

[Brewsader1]

Makes perfect sense, Brewsader, and thanks for clearing it up. This whole approach is a new thing for me, and something I'll have to work out if I'm to do it. Kettle additions, for instance - when you treat mash water, those salts are reacting with mash-based compounds, and in addition they're being retained behind. What sorts of calculations do you use, if you're adding in minerals to the kettle?

And this is going to sound ridiculous, but using RO water only in the sparge just...bugs me, lol. Doesn't feel right and I've no earthly reason why, yet. Go figure. The only thing I can come up with aligns with some of what AJ said above - one water, just used throughout the brewhouse. Unlike AJ's, however, grounded in science, mine is more of the myth of virginal brewing water, I'm afraid. Stuff comes out of the ground perfect for bitters, etc.

If it makes sense to add your salts to the sparge water, then go for it as long as if you are fly sparging your pH doesn't get above 6. Like you said, brewers have been using the same water throughout for centuries...though even the Germans found a way to adjust the pH that is reinheitsgrebot approved (acidulated malt). The reason I add salts to the boil is because I don't see any benefit to adding them to the sparge water.

As for calculations, I use the Bru'n Water spreadsheet. It can seem complex, but if you read through the instructions tab and just add in all the accurate information (your tap water profile, malt bill, appropriate volumes, etc.), it'll get you where you want.

It's easy to get fixated on water profiles and such, especially folks who want to perfectly recreate an areas profile. But remember, they may have treated their water to get it where they wanted it. So focus on hitting a good mash pH, get enough calcium in there, and get the chloride:sulfate that you want. Once those things are figured, keep reading, exploring, and tweaking if you want!