Water additions,,,,, when???

[brewkinger]

I am planning to manipulate my water tomorrow for the first time and I am wondering.

I have gypsum, salt, Epsom and lactic acid as additions to entire water volume of 9 gallons.

Are these all added with the water cold? As I am heating it up?

I know most things are more soluble in hot water, but I seem to have read somewhere that some brewing salts work better when water is cold.

Any thoughts?


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[freisste]

I don't think it matters when you add them. Keep in mind you shouldn't add anything alkaline to the sparge water. At least I don't think so. I'm pretty new to water chemistry.

 

[masskrug]

In the past I have thrown the salts in the mash tun. Tonight I threw it in the kettle just because I was trying to dissolve some calcium chloride and give the campden time to work. I don't think it matters...much.

 

[brewkinger]

I am a chemist by education but am new to brewing chemistry though.

This is forcing me to dig out old texts and research a lot!!
Who knew?? Brewing beer does make you smarter!
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[JimRausch]

Brewing tomorrow as well. Tonight I prepped my water-2 G DH20 plus 2G well water. I added the gypsum and Epsom salt to one of the distilled water jugs. I'll prep my sparge water tomorrow while I'm mashing. With the small gram amounts we are adding, cold or warm water doesn't seem to make a difference.
It's the calcium carbonate(chalk) that doesn't seem to want to dissolve. I even tried seltzer water once, figuring that a low pH,high CO2 level would help. After doing some reading, I don't bother with chalk anymore.

 

[mgortel]

Go here and read the "Water Knowledge" section...and download the spreadsheet.

This will tell you everything you need to know!

https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/

 

[hnycrk]

I add all my salts to my strike water right before I add the grains.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Don't add anything until you know what you need to add. If you have a pH meter you can take a small sample of your mash right after dough-in, cool it and test it. The various grains, depending on the beer you are making, will each affect the pH differently. So you really won't know what you need until you've got the mash going.

Calcium chloride dissolves pretty readily in warm water. If you need calcium carbonate (I rarely do) I understand it dissolves better in cold water (ymmv). I have an idea what the particular beer I am making will require so I make the coarse adjustments while heating the strike water. Then, once the mash is going, take a sample and make finer adjustments as needed.