Water profile for Belgian Tripel

[vanwolfhausen]

I am taking plunge into water chemistry. Mostly or all because my new home has well water that is very soft and a lot of things have to be addressed. Does anyone know a good water profile for a belgian tripel?

 

[afr0byte]

If your water is indeed very soft, with correspondingly low alkalinity, then you may be set with some calcium chloride and some acid. It's hard to recommend how to proceed unless you post a water profile.

 

[PhelanKA7]

I know that Antwerp, Belgium has moderately hard water. Very similar to the water here in central Indiana as a matter of fact.

 

[vanwolfhausen]

Here is my water report:
pH 7.5
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 105
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.17
Cations / Anions, me/L 1.8 / 1.8
ppm
Sodium, Na 26
Potassium, K 18
Calcium, Ca < 1
Magnesium, Mg 2
Total Hardness, CaCO3 8
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.3 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S < 1
Chloride, Cl 2
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 103
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 85

 

[maida7]

check out the EZ water calculator. plug in your numbers and play around it's pretty EZ to figure out. http://www.ezwatercalculator.com/

 

[afr0byte]

Here is my water report:
pH 7.5
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 105
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.17
Cations / Anions, me/L 1.8 / 1.8
ppm
Sodium, Na 26
Potassium, K 18
Calcium, Ca < 1
Magnesium, Mg 2
Total Hardness, CaCO3 8
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.3 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S < 1
Chloride, Cl 2
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 103
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 85

I would dilute your water by 2:1 or 1: with RO water and then add calcium (probably calcium chloride) to get your calcium up to about 40-50ppm. You'll also want about 2-3% acid malt. It'll depend on the recipe, but I know my recent tripel came out well (mash pH of 5.42, nice and clear) with an alkalinity of about 50 and 2.5ml lactic acid. This was a 6 gallon recipe, with ~14lbs of grain (6 ounces being a ~7L crystal, and 2 ounces being a 120L special B), 6 gallons of strike water.

 

[wolfman_48442]

I have been making my best beers using the color profiles in Bru'n Water.
For a tripel I'd use the yellow balanced profile.