5 replies to this topic

[HVB]

I just got "Session Beers" in the mail this weekend and like many other newer home brewing books, there is nothing at all talked about in the recipe section about water or pH.  I really wish these newly published home brewing books would at least provide a general water composition and suggested pH for each recipe.

 

 

[positiveContact]

that is an issue since it has a pretty big impact on perception of the final product.

[BrewerGeorge]

that is an issue since it has a pretty big impact on perception of the final product.

Or whether it even mashes properly at all.

 

I know my water is so hard that I can't even make irish stout without adding acid.  Much less something pale.

[positiveContact]

Or whether it even mashes properly at all.

 

I know my water is so hard that I can't even make irish stout without adding acid.  Much less something pale.

 

I think there is an assumption that people are adjusting their water to hit reasonable mash pH and the book can't really spell out for you what you need to add to get there since the book doesn't know what your water is like to start with.  but the book could make some suggestions for what level of sulfate, chloride, sodium and calcium (not sure if I missed some important ones) you might like in your beer profile and then it's up to the homebrewer to figure out how to get there with their water.

[HVB]

I think there is an assumption that people are adjusting their water to hit reasonable mash pH and the book can't really spell out for you what you need to add to get there since the book doesn't know what your water is like to start with.  but the book could make some suggestions for what level of sulfate, chloride, sodium and calcium (not sure if I missed some important ones) you might like in your beer profile and then it's up to the homebrewer to figure out how to get there with their water.

 

I agree with that.  If they could hit those 3 and a proposed pH range would be good.

[Big Nake]

In some of the books (Beer Captured comes to mind), there was a water chart in the book and each recipe would suggest which chart to target for each beer. Agreed, they don't know what your water composition is and since water and pH could be their own book (big books...) they must just assume that the brewer already knows about it and knows how to arrive at a suggested profile by either diluting, starting from RO or distilled, etc.

All of that said, water composition (and an understanding of how it works) and pH control is what cranked my beers up from good to great (this is only my opinion of course) and two areas that are often not covered by a "recipe".