When do you add salt, gypsum, baking soda, etc?

[Beerens]

I have been building my water the night before. I just watched the latest Chop & Brew and Dawson Butonized his water in his mash tun. Is this advised or am I better off continuing doing it before I add the water to the mash?

Cheers!

 

[duboman]

I suppose it might come down to what you are trying to do to your water but I simply add my additions to the mash and if necessary to the sparge water as well.

 

[Denny]

Some minerals do not dissolve well in water and are better added to the mash. Sometimes you add to the mash to adjust pH. Sometimes you ad to the kettle for flavor. It depends on what you're adding and why you're adding it.

 

[revansCAAD8]

I was wondering the same. In our case, our last brew was an IPA; using our water report (Ward Labs) and Bru'n Water, we needed to add Gypsum, Calcium Chloride, and Epsom Salt for a pale ale profile. I wasn't sure when to add them, so I added the recommended amounts to our Strike Water (in our BK) while heating it. At temp, transferred into mashtun and mashed in. Then measured out our Sparge water, added Lactic Acid amt (PH control) and then started heating it. Again then added recommended minerals to Sparge Water. Is this the correct method or should they be added directly into the Mash (grain/water) in our mashtun?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[Denny]

When Bru'nwater recommends additions to the sparge water, I add them (everything but lactic acid) to the kettle instead.

 

[revansCAAD8]

When Bru'nwater recommends additions to the sparge water, I add them (everything but lactic acid) to the kettle instead.

Sorry not sure I understand you.

Robert

 

[stpug]

What he means is:

...Then measured out our Sparge water, added Lactic Acid amt (PH control) and then started heating it...

He does the same

...Again then added recommended minerals to Sparge Water...

He does differently; he puts these directly into the boil kettle with all runnings.

 

[revansCAAD8]

What he means is:


He does the same



He does differently; he puts these directly into the boil kettle with all runnings.

Ah okay I see. Thank You

 

[boscobeans]

"Burtonized" water is basically the water that comes out of springs at specific local breweries in England. We try to copy it by adding minerals and salts to what ever water we use (if we have to).

I put mine in the RO water from the start. 10 gallons of water + 2 teaspoons each of Gypsum and Calcium Chloride. Makes pretty good ales.

OMO

bosco

 

[revelation]

Isn't the whole point of the water chemistry to affect the mash? If so, adding chemicals to anything post-mash has no effect.

 

[Denny]

Isn't the whole point of the water chemistry to affect the mash? If so, adding chemicals to anything post-mash has no effect.

Nope, not necessarily. In the mash, calcium can be good for conversion and lactic acid or chalk/pickling lime for pH. But many additions (gypsum and calcium chloride, for example) are for flavor and can just as easily go into the kettle.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Nope, not necessarily. In the mash, calcium can be good for conversion and lactic acid or chalk/pickling lime for pH. But many additions (gypsum and calcium chloride, for example) are for flavor and can just as easily go into the kettle.

That's interesting because I've just been adding gypsum to all my water from the start. Does it make a difference adding all additions to the water from the start vs adding to the kettle? Logically thinking I guess you'd be getting more into the wort adding straight to the kettle as none of it gets absorbed by the grain.

 

[jonmohno]

You probably shouldnt have to add it to the kettle if you are adding it in the mash,then check you mash ph and make adjustements there from the mash and you should be good.

If you add more additons in the kettle then you could be adding too much. Alot of the suggestions for adding to the kettle are for extract brews like pale ales/ipa's and such to achieve bitterness perception or malt enhancement or a balance or unbalance of both. In my experience a little goes a long way and be carefull with salt or baking soda. I like cutting Spring with R/O water and a bit of mash ph salts adjustment.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

You probably shouldnt have to add it to the kettle if you are adding it in the mash,then check you mash ph and make adjustements there from the mash and you should be good.

If you add more additons in the kettle then you could be adding too much. Alot of the suggestions for adding to the kettle are for extract brews like pale ales/ipa's and such to achieve bitterness perception or malt enhancement or a balance or unbalance of both. In my experience a little goes a long way and be carefull with salt or baking soda. I like cutting Spring with R/O water and a bit of mash ph salts adjustment.

I wouldn't do both. I'm just wondering since my only additions are to enhance flavor if it would be better to add my gypsum to the kettle as opposed to all my brew water pre mash since that way none is absorbed by the grain.

 

[Denny]

That's interesting because I've just been adding gypsum to all my water from the start. Does it make a difference adding all additions to the water from the start vs adding to the kettle? Logically thinking I guess you'd be getting more into the wort adding straight to the kettle as none of it gets absorbed by the grain.

It just depends on what you're after. For instance,on some beers, if I add gypsum to the mash it drops my pH too low. So I add it to the kettle instead.