Water chemistry laziness question

[Jtvann]

I’ve made about 5 batches now adjusting my water from RO, building a profile specific to the beer I’m making. Results are positive overall. I’m not noticing much difference, but for sure one recipe I’m able to taste the roast malt longer in the aftertaste and pick out the individual malts more distinctly.

I’ve been measuring out additions using Bru’n water and BeerSmith. I have been doing both mash and sparge additions.

My question is what would happen if I added everything all at once into the mash. Aside from minor pH variations, which I may have to make minor adjustments for (if any), what’s the down side to just adding everything at once.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

My question is what would happen if I added everything all at once into the mash. Aside from minor pH variations, which I may have to make minor adjustments for (if any), what’s the down side to just adding everything at once.

After adding your salts, minerals and acid it takes about 20 minutes for the water to reach pH equilibrium again. Most of the benefits of pH in the mash also happen in the first 20 minutes which is why I prepare brewing water the night before.

 

[Yooper]

You can do that- but just never add alkalinity the sparge water. So no baking soda/lime/chalk to sparge water. As long as your mash pH is where you want it, all salts (except for alkaline ones) can go into the mash.

 

[hezagenius]

As long as you have your pH under control in the mash and sparge, then I don't know if matters which minerals are added at each step. I've often wondered this myself but I haven't seen any confirmation of certain minerals making a difference in any given step.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I forgot to mention I sparge with plain RO water, no additions added.

 

[Yooper]

I forgot to mention I sparge with plain RO water, no additions added.

Me too!

 

[Jtvann]

Yeah, I use RO water and could sparge with just that. I’ve been splitting my gypsum, calcium chloride, canning salt, and epsom salt between the strike and sparge water.

If I could just combine all those additions into strike water only, and use pure RO for sparge .... that’s basically what I’m asking. Will that give any detrimental affects.

 

[TheHopfather]

It will change your pH. The single most important factor in adjusting your water is hitting the pH you are looking for. If you want to be "lazy" about it you can setup Bru'N Water like you are doing BIAB to see what all of the additions at once will do to your pH. As long as it is where you want it I can't see anything bad happening to the finished beer.

 

[Jtvann]

It will change your pH. The single most important factor in adjusting your water is hitting the pH you are looking for. If you want to be "lazy" about it you can setup Bru'N Water like you are doing BIAB to see what all of the additions at once will do to your pH. As long as it is where you want it I can't see anything bad happening to the finished beer.

Thanks. This is what I had planned on trying. Wanted to ask here first, cause I’m sure other folks have done it first.

 

[dmtaylor]

I’ve made about 5 batches now adjusting my water from RO, building a profile specific to the beer I’m making. Results are positive overall. I’m not noticing much difference, but for sure one recipe I’m able to taste the roast malt longer in the aftertaste and pick out the individual malts more distinctly.

I’ve been measuring out additions using Bru’n water and BeerSmith. I have been doing both mash and sparge additions.

My question is what would happen if I added everything all at once into the mash. Aside from minor pH variations, which I may have to make minor adjustments for (if any), what’s the down side to just adding everything at once.

Excellent question. My answer: I don't know, and I doubt hardly anyone really knows. Bottom line for me is final beer flavor, and the only way to really know if there is a difference is to run a blind triangle test, and not many people have run those with consistent results. So the best answer, I think, is "we don't really know".

 

[mabrungard]

You can add all the mineral additions all at once into the mash and none into the sparging water. The only difference is that the mashing pH will probably be affected. As long as you account for that and your sparging water alkalinity is nice and low, you can do it that way.

I often use the 'add all minerals to the mash' technique when I brew light lagers in which I want only minor water mineralization. I brew with RO water and by adding all the minerals to the mashing water, I boost the calcium content above 40 ppm so that its more likely that I'll take out oxalate in the mash and avoid creating beerstone at downstream points in my brewing process. When the RO sparging water is added to the mash, the overall wort mineralization is diluted.