Tell me how this looks.

[Blindguardian]

I am planing on doing my first water adjustment
and am going to brew the Cream of Three Crops recipe that is posted in the recipe section here on HBT.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Cream Of 3 Crops
Brewer: Blindguardian
Asst Brewer:
Style: Cream Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.70 gal
Estimated OG: 1.037 SG
Estimated Color: 2.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 13.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.0 oz Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 6.25 %
6 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.00 %
1 lbs Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 12.50 %
8.0 oz Rice, Minute Rice (1.0 SRM) Grain 6.25 %
0.50 oz Williamette [4.80 %] (40 min) Hops 7.4 IBU
0.50 oz Crystal [4.00 %] (40 min) Hops 6.2 IBU
1 Pkgs SafAle American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-05) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 8.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
90 min Mash In Add 3.00 gal of water at 161.7 F 152.0 F



I would like to know how this water adjustment looks for this style of recipe or should I adjust it a different way.

the recipe has been adjusted to 5.50 gal batch size.

Starting Water (ppm):
Ca: 15.2
Mg: 1.12
Na: 3.21
Cl: 13.4
SO4: 13.8
CaCO3: 31.9

Mash / Sparge Vol (gal): 3 / 5.19
Dilution Rate: 0%

Adjustments (grams) Mash / Boil Kettle:
CaCO3: 0 / 0
CaSO4: 0 / 0
CaCl2: 3 / 5.19
MgSO4: 2 / 3.46
NaHCO3: 0 / 0
NaCl: 0 / 0
HCL Acid: 0 / 0
Lactic Acid: 0 / 0

Mash Water / Total water (ppm):
Ca: 87 / 87
Mg: 18 / 18
Na: 3 / 3
Cl: 141 / 141
SO4: 82 / 82
CaCO3: 32 / 32

RA (mash only): -41 (2 to 7 SRM)
Cl to SO4 (total water): 1.71 (Malty)

So what do you think?

thanks,
Blindguardian

 

[jescholler]

Looks great. All of your minerals are at good levels. Your Cl to SO4 is appropriate for the style. Your RA is within range. In my experience, my pH tends to be a little low when using Palmer's spreadsheet, so I shoot for the high end of the RA, which you've done.

Great job for your 1st time.

 

[Blindguardian]

Thanks for the reply jescholler! I had given up on this thread due to not getting/having a reply over a 3 day period. It is good to know that I am on the right track with adjusting my water.

I have another question, do I add my salts to the mash just after I add my grains and to my boil at the full boil time (90 min)?

 

[jescholler]

I have another question, do I add my salts to the mash just after I add my grains and to my boil at the full boil time (90 min)?

I think Palmer recommends adding the salts after the grain, so that sounds good. I like to add the salts to my mash tun before the grains. I don't think it makes a difference. The important thing is that the salts aren't too soluble in the water itself. Once I added my salts to my kettle that I was heating my mash water in. They didn't dissolve and I left a bunch in the kettle when I transferred the water to my mash tun.

As far as the boil salts, that's probably a good time. Ideally we would add the minerals to the sparge water, but it isn't worth it since they're not very soluble. The next best thing would be to add them to the kettle after the sparge. But I'm sure it wouldn't make a difference if you added them when the wort starts to boil. I get them in there sometime between finishing the sparge and getting to a full boil.

Let us know how it turns out.