Water Profile For Austin Hombrew Clone Recipes

[nianticcardplayer]

Hello all;

Quick question I have ordered some clone recipes from Austin Homebrew when they were on sale...Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Goose Island Summer Kolsch and Sam Adams Summer Ale...I plan on brewing Sunday and I am wondering if I should go with Spring Water or some distilled water with any of these brews. They are all mini (partial) mash recipes.

For the Kolsch I am using the Kolsch Wyeast strain for the goose island..

 

[Yooper]

I actually like reverse osmosis water if you can find that. They usually have it in those big "water machines" at places like Wal-Mart and grocery stores, and it's cheaper than the bottled spring water and distilled water. That would be perfect for extract/steeping grains recipes.

Otherwise, both the spring water and distilled water would work as well.

 

[D_Nyholm]

I have to start keeping an eye out for RO water. I've only seen 5 gallons of Poland spring and stuff like that for water coolers, never saw RO water around here. I wonder if it is because we have decent drinking water here already? Though I have to say, I do not think it is good for brewing, very soft and all the desired minerals and stuff is too low. Even adding Burton brewing salts to it hasn't seemed to work, but I am not a water profile person at all!

 

[nianticcardplayer]

I usually use bottled spring water as at least if the labeling is correct and true doesn't have the chemicals that I know are present in the tap water around here. I did use distilled water in my Stella Clone (lager) as that was what the suggestion was. I will look for the RO water.

Also is mini or partial mashing now being referred to as steeping with extract some of these terms seem to be changing all the time

 

[Yooper]

Also is mini or partial mashing now being referred to as steeping with extract some of these terms seem to be changing all the time

Extract with steeping grains uses steeping grains (making a tea with them) for color and flavor. Partial mash brewing uses some base grains (mashing them) to make up a portion of the fermentables instead of all malt extract for the fermentables.

I hope that makes sense!

 

[D_Nyholm]

Nope, steeping is just that, steeping the grains and getting the color and some flavor. No conversion takes place.
With partial and mini mash, you get some of the sugars from the grains.

 

[nianticcardplayer]

OK I was wondering have been doing the partial/mini mash kits from AHS with the last six recipes, and had me wodnering if I needed to do the...60 or so minutes at 153-155 then run 170 degree water over the grain in the strainer bag....I usually end up with about a 3 gallon boil and add the extract and go from there....

 

[Yooper]

OK I was wondering have been doing the partial/mini mash kits from AHS with the last six recipes, and had me wodnering if I needed to do the...60 or so minutes at 153-155 then run 170 degree water over the grain in the strainer bag....I usually end up with about a 3 gallon boil and add the extract and go from there....

Yes, if you are doing a partial mash kit that is exactly the technique! A partial mash will have basegrains in the kit to convert other grains (for example, an oatmeal stout will have two-row in it to convert the oats) and to convert the starches in the base grains to fermentable sugars.

Steeping grains (crystal malt, chocolate malt, etc) will provide color and flavor to your beer, and making a "tea" with them is fine. They've been pre-converted during manufacturing, so to speak.

 

[nianticcardplayer]

Ok brewed two brews today the rogue dead guy clone and the summer kolsch alot of break material it appears in the kolsch here is a pic

Almost hit the gravity in the instructions as well.. Dead Guy called for 1.065 I hit 10.61, and Kolsch was 1.047, I hit 1.044 so overall very happy with the brew day. Just have to figure out how to get that material to settle quicker hate it when a lot of it hits the fermentor.

 

[SunRayWaters]

Howdy, y'all. At SunRay Waters, we have both reverse osmosis and distilled water. We are on the southeast corner of N. Lamar at Hwy 183. You may bring your own bottles or buy some of ours. Or we can deliver to your home or office.

We've had quite a few home brewers come in for our water. They say the few remaining minerals in the ro are perfect to bring out the full flavor of the other ingredients.

Come see us!