nyer
Well-Known Member
I'm at the point in my homebrewing "career" where I'm starting to think about water and PH. I'm an AG brewer and the most I have ever done was add gypsum to my IPA's after speaking to a proffesional brewer and that helped a lot. I have well water and have never tested it, I know it is hard before it goes through my water softener. I also have iron I think because the water causes my tub to turn reddish after awhile. I have read that softened water is not good for brewing so I ran a seperate water line that bypasses the softener. I use a white whole house filter and a black carbon filter for it. This water feels noticeably harder to the touch and since I started using it I don't need to use any gypsum for IPA's. I know I should test the water and I'd like to have a test done for the softened water and the "hard" water line, but, I may be moving in a year so I would rather not pay for the testing if I don't have to. Lately I have been mostly brewing stout's, IPA's and pale ales and I feel like they are missing something. They don't have a malty taste and they don't have much mouthfeel when I compare them to commercial examples. They are good though but I want more. I don't really have the time to jump all in with water reports and spreadsheets and all that.
Of all the microbrewies I have been to only 1 admits to doing water adjustments. Can that be true?
I'm looking for the best or easiest option right now and I'm thinking I should start with a PH meter to see where my mash PH is.
I'm also curious what water I should be using (without testing for now) softened with white filter and black filter or hard straight well water with white filter and black filter?
To me all this water stuff seems like the hardest thing to understand in the brewing process. This part is not fun to me at all.
Of all the microbrewies I have been to only 1 admits to doing water adjustments. Can that be true?
I'm looking for the best or easiest option right now and I'm thinking I should start with a PH meter to see where my mash PH is.
I'm also curious what water I should be using (without testing for now) softened with white filter and black filter or hard straight well water with white filter and black filter?
To me all this water stuff seems like the hardest thing to understand in the brewing process. This part is not fun to me at all.