Water profiles for dummies!

[Pyg]

I am a noob when it comes to water. I have read many of the threads dealing with water profiles. I have also read articles regarding water profiles.
The issue I have is I still dont really get it.
I am under the assumption that different beers from different regions have different water profiles.
Belgian beers should have Belgian water.
However considering I do mostly IPA, APA, Cream Ales & Stouts, and soon a barlywine, Do I need to alter my water?
I should mention at this point that a year ago I was advised by a Doctor (not mine, but a brewer who also works as a brain Dr in Philly) to add a pinch of K-Meta to my brew water, since I use tap water.
Since adding the Kmeta to the boil I have not noticed a huge difference, my beers have been slightly better, but that could have been due to grain bill or recipes.

Should I be adding gypsum or sodium?
What is the easiest way to understand what my water should be for any or all brews?
I have attached my tap water write up just in case.

http://m.townofhalfmoon-ny.gov/sites/halfmoonny/files/file/file/halfmoon_ccr_2016_rev-1.pdf

 

[GoeHaarden]

Should I be adding gypsum or sodium?
What is the easiest way to understand what my water should be for any or all brews?

The answer to your question is....it depends? You have to know where your water starts and where you want it to end in order to know what to add.

Download a copy of Bru'n water and read up on how to use it. It's makes it really easy to adjust your water. I use distilled water and just build it up from scratch, so I don't have to worry about buffers and alkalinity and all that jazz...

 

[NSMikeD]

^^^ this

keep in mind that a lot of commercial brewers doctor their water and your water report is an average, so don't over think water chemistry.

The most important thing you can do is get a good ph meter and check your mash water to see if you need to add acid to make sure your mash will convert the sugars.

Aside from that - the water make up affects how your beer will taste - favoring maltiness or bitterness or balanced (and some textures things - read up)


fwiw, I use the average numbers and target balanced for all my beers since I can't be 100% sure what are the parameters of my starting water. The users of distilled water can be 100% sure.

 

[JonM]

I am under the assumption that different beers from different regions have different water profiles.
Belgian beers should have Belgian water.


http://m.townofhalfmoon-ny.gov/sites/halfmoonny/files/file/file/halfmoon_ccr_2016_rev-1.pdf

That's a popular misconception, and you'd do well to just put it out of your mind. Breweries treat, distill, etc the water they have on tap so they don't brew with "local" water.

Have you read Palmer's "Water?" I didn't get this stuff until I read that. It puts all the info in one place and in a logical order. I don't have a science background so I had to read some chapters a couple times, but I have a much, much better understanding because of that book.

 

[MrHadack]

I am under the assumption that different beers from different regions have different water profiles.

True! Water isn't the same everywhere on the planet. Different types of water lends itself to different types of beers.

Belgian beers should have Belgian water.

This is where the confusion starts. It's true that historically certain styles tasted better in certain areas of the world because of the water available to them. But replicating the specific water profiles of regions of the world is nearly impossible because you simply aren't going to take many years to allow your water to bubble up through limestone aquifers or other geological formations to impart specific qualities. All you can do is make adjustments to get the qualities you like in the beer you want to brew.

However considering I do mostly IPA, APA, Cream Ales & Stouts, and soon a barlywine, Do I need to alter my water?

Sure! That is, depending upon what your water looks like in the first place. It's also more important if you're mashing your own grain. But generally, here's how you should think of it:

Brewing salts which add sulfate, calcium, chloride, etc, should be used primarily to add flavor and character to the water. Hoppy beers, for example, are well served to get high levels of sulfate as it accentuates bitterness. Also, 50 ppm calcium is said to be good for yeast health. Adding minerals to some beers give them more depth of character.

Acids (such as Lactic acid) and buffers (like Calcium Hydroxide) should be added to adjust the pH level of the mash. When mashing your own grain, adding these will help get the beer to the ideal range (5.2 - 5.6) for the enzymes to work well.

I should mention at this point that a year ago I was advised by a Doctor (not mine, but a brewer who also works as a brain Dr in Philly) to add a pinch of K-Meta to my brew water, since I use tap water.

Potassium Metabisulfite acts to neutralize chlorine, which is present in a lot of tap water. Chlorine, in certain amounts, can lead to off-flavors in the beer. Adding it won't hurt anything, and may have helped-- it depends upon the chlorine levels in your water.

Should I be adding gypsum or sodium?
What is the easiest way to understand what my water should be for any or all brews?
I have attached my tap water write up just in case.

I can't really answer this-- it will vary on the type of beer you're brewing and whether or not you are mashing your own grain. I will say I never add sodium as it doesn't serve much of a purpose for me in any case (except maybe a Gose). Gypsum is calcium sulfate, and would add both calcium and sulfate to the beer which may be good in an IPA and stout. But again, it depends on a lot of factors.

 

[mabrungard]

That water report is insufficient for telling you the important concentrations for calcium and alkalinity, so you will have to send it off for testing. However, based on the ions that were reported, it appears that the water is probably a good starting point for brewing.

I suggest you visit the Water Knowledge page on the Bru'n Water website to help you understand the why and how of brewing water chemistry.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Step 1 - go to the Ward Labs website, get info on how to submit a water sample and then send one in. Step 2 - Read at least the first few pages of the Water Chemistry Primer in the Brew Science forum while you wait for the results. Step 3 - Based on steps 1 & 2, decide if your water is usable for brewing (looks like it probably is). Step 4 - Download Martin's Bru'n Water spreadsheet and learn how to use it. Step 5 - Using your acquired knowledge, brew away!

If (when!) you have questions, post them to the Brew Science forum. Martin and AJ have more water chemistry knowledge than any 10 people I know. They are super helpful and patient. Enjoy!