146 replies to this topic

[MtnBrewer]

i usually try to keep my batch sparge at 5 gallons or less.  i also need to check the "can i mash it" calculator to be sure I can handle it.  i suspect i'll be okay.

OK thanks. How much mash water?ETA: nm, you said 10 gallons previously.

[neddles]

Here's what I've got, assuming 10 gallons of mash water.Gypsum - 0.3gBaking Soda - 5.5gCalcium Chloride - 8.1gThis produces a profile in the mash of:Ca 65, Na 66, SO4 18, Cl 129, HCO3 136What I did is use the black malty profile and then reduced baking soda until I got to pH 5.4.

Nice. Funny to see different approaches. So many ways to do this.

Nevermind what I said about mash only additions this has mash and sparge additions. I pretty much ignored the profile and just assumed you wanted balanced Cl/SO4 and Ca of 50ppm

 

                          Mash                      Sparge

Gypsum               3.4g                           1.6g

Sodium Bicarb     2.0g                           0.0g

CaCl                    3.2g                            1.3g

 

pH 5.4, Ca-50, Mg-0, Na-41, SO4-66, CaCl-67

 

You can dink considerably here with the Na, Cl, and SO4 to tweak the flavors you want and still maintain your mash pH.

 

ETA: These are pretty darn modest additions for 10 gallons of beer if you are of the less is more mentality.

Edited by ettels4, 12 December 2013 - 05:08 PM.

[Big Nake]

And the 66ppm of Na that MTN first posted is a good level of Na in a stout?  I don't think I ever get to that level of Na.

[MtnBrewer]

Ettels I like your profile better because there's not so much chloride in it.

[MtnBrewer]

And the 66ppm of Na that MTN first posted is a good level of Na in a stout?  I don't think I ever get to that level of Na.

Well clearly that's wrong then.

[neddles]

Well clearly that's wrong then.

Funny.

 

I think Martin (by way of Denny) was saying higher levels of Na were pretty well received in malty beers. You just don't want a lot of Na and SO4 at the same time. So it kinda depends on what they want to emphasize here.

[MtnBrewer]

So it kinda depends on what they want to emphasize here.

Exactly. What a good level is is up to the brewer. Just like any other ingredient.

[Big Nake]

Well clearly that's wrong then.

Yeah, I was just wondering what the result would be. I have accidentally added too much CaCl and/or gypsum and ended up making a "salty" beer and a number of other area homebrewers have done the same when they were first futzing with their water. I was curious about the level of Na you would have to get to before it became a problem.

[positiveContact]

the 10 gallons is a fine assumption for the mash liquid.

 

okay - something isn't adding up here.  i plug this stuff into kai's calculator and in order to raise my pH up the desired 0.5 (started just below 5.0) I need to add 27g of baking soda.  how are you guys getting there with so little baking soda and on top of that adding in gypsum/calcium chloride which drops the pH?

[positiveContact]

so just to reiterate:

 

15 gallon of water, 10 gallons of which is for the mash.  5 gallons for the sparge

28 lbs of grain, 10.7% of which is roasted

45 SRM is what i'm calculating (close enough)

 

with no additions i'm at a pH of 4.9

 

in order to shift it up 0.5 I need to add 27g of baking soda (according to the spreadsheet).  why do you guys see this change with so little baking soda?

[neddles]

so just to reiterate:

 

15 gallon of water, 10 gallons of which is for the mash.  5 gallons for the sparge

28 lbs of grain, 10.7% of which is roasted

45 SRM is what i'm calculating (close enough)

 

with no additions i'm at a pH of 4.9

 

in order to shift it up 0.5 I need to add 27g of baking soda (according to the spreadsheet).  why do you guys see this change with so little baking soda?

Unfortunately to answer this you and I would need to sit down with both spreadsheets to try and figure it out. While I am sure it's legit, I am just not familiar with Kai's water calculator.

 

ETA: Also, I used a sparge of 4 gallons so if you change it to 5 gallons then the sparge additions are very slightly increased from what I posted above.

Edited by ettels4, 12 December 2013 - 05:31 PM.

[positiveContact]

is there an online calculator i can use somewhere to confirm this?

[HVB]

do you not like bru'n water?Also,seeing more are participating,any issues with me using pickling lime?

[neddles]

is there an online calculator i can use somewhere to confirm this?

I can email you the BrunWater spreadsheet as I have worked it out. That way you also could enter in your existing water from your water report to make sure we have that as it should be. PM me if interested.

[neddles]

do you not like bru'n water?Also,seeing more are participating,any issues with me using pickling lime?

No issues. I am just not familiar with it. Does it have any undesired effects?  Baking soda is easy enough and everybody has it on hand.

[positiveContact]

do you not like bru'n water?Also,seeing more are participating,any issues with me using pickling lime?

 

just don't know how to use it.  i already had this other spreadsheet integrated with my other stuff.

 

I can email you the BrunWater spreadsheet as I have worked it out. That way you also could enter in your existing water from your water report to make sure we have that as it should be. PM me if interested.

 

PM sent - maybe this will help.  bru'n water seems to ask for a lot of info i don't know regarding my source water.

[positiveContact]

okay - i think i have bru'n water working okay.

 

so it's saying 1.2g/gal baking soda to get to a pH of 5.4.  is that for the total water (15 gallons) or just the mash (10 gallons)?

 

either way we are looking at 12-18g of gypsum.  this is all assuming i set this thing up right.

Edited by TheGuv, 12 December 2013 - 05:52 PM.

[positiveContact]

i just tried the bru'n water that ettels sent me he gets diff results.  he has the grains pretty much right on.  i updated the water to be my water and his additions work on his spreadsheet.  they don't work on the bru'n water spreadsheet i made.  not being familiar with it i don't know how to debug what my problem is.

 

what's odd is that i've been nailing pH using kai's spreadsheet for the past year.  granted i don't make many stouts though.

[MtnBrewer]

okay - i think i have bru'n water working okay. so it's saying 1.2g/gal baking soda to get to a pH of 5.4.  is that for the total water (15 gallons) or just the mash (10 gallons)? either way we are looking at 12-18g of gypsum.  this is all assuming i set this thing up right.

Go to the adjustment summary tab and it will split it out by mash water and sparge water.Also, why are you adding so much gypsum?

[positiveContact]

Go to the adjustment summary tab and it will split it out by mash water and sparge water.Also, why are you adding so much gypsum?

 

it's saying all the baking soda in the mash.  i meant to say baking soda, not gypsum.  sorry about that.  tired, rushing, frustrated.