All Grain question about Water

[dx4100]

Hi All

Just about to start AG brewing and I have some question about the water I will be using.

What is important for me to check about it... I like the taste of the water out of my tap so it makes sense to me to start using it. But I know there are issues around PH levels / chlorine etc... But how this mixes in with AG brewing... and considering most the water will be boiled during the process I could do with a pointer on what is and is not important. Do I need to run out and get some PH strips etc ?

When I did kits I just used the cheap bottle water from Tesco and I think it had negative effect on my beer. I didn't like the taste of the water just from the bottle which didn't help.

Would it be more simple to just seek out water I like out of a bottle ?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Sideboard]

I'm no expert, a beginner at best, but if PH levels are what you'd like to delve into I believe its not the Ph of the water, grain or ingredient, its the ph of the mash that's important(to some). It depends on your grain bill with your type of water what your mash ph will be. If I'm wrong, any correction is welcome.

 

[Mark1964]

first you need a salifert alkilinity testing kit from e bay or aquarium shops. Then you need a water report from your local water spplier. This will give you the levels of calcium,magnesium,sodium,chlorine and sulphates. Which is needed for all grain brewing. Then when you have the figures just input them into the forum water traetment calculator

 

[graysalchemy]

Water chemistry isn't hard with the help of the forum calculator. But what you will need is a water report from your water supplier, usually easy to find on their website. However one thing you need to know but won't find is the carbonate hardness or alkalinity. For this you need a Salifert carbonate hardness/alkalinity test kit available from most aquarium shops or online. You will then need to rest your water. the result will give a figure in Alkalinity in meq/L which you need to multiply by I think 61 to give mg/L HCO3 which the forum calculator requires.

All you need to to is put in all the appropriate figures for the water cemistry along with details of how much water is being used, size of grain bill, and type of beer being brewed and a Voila, bingo its done.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[Mark1964]

Its CaC03 :thumb:

 

[graysalchemy]

I get confused there are so many :lol: :lol:

 

[Mark1964]

5.49 meq/L x 50 =274.5 ppm reduce to 25 ppm (25 ppm is the figure for the type of beer Pale/Stout/Bitter) 25 ppm is a Bitter! so 274.5 -25ppm = 249.5...So you have to divide 249.5 by 183 = 1.36 CRS per litre of water (183 mg/L ) is the amount of CRS to remove calcium) . So then multiply 1.36 by the amount of water you are using for mash and sparge together eg 40 Litres..So 1.36 x 40L = 54.5 CRS

:thumb:

 

[dx4100]

Water chemistry isn't hard with the help of the forum calculator. But what you will need is a water report from your water supplier, usually easy to find on their website. However one thing you need to know but won't find is the carbonate hardness or alkalinity. For this you need a Salifert carbonate hardness/alkalinity test kit available from most aquarium shops or online. You will then need to rest your water. the result will give a figure in Alkalinity in meq/L which you need to multiply by I think 61 to give mg/L HCO3 which the forum calculator requires.

All you need to to is put in all the appropriate figures for the water cemistry along with details of how much water is being used, size of grain bill, and type of beer being brewed and a Voila, bingo its done.

:thumb: :thumb:

Got the water report... Done some trail numbers for the alkalinity the numbers :) going to order a testing kit!

Cheers :)

Do most AG brewers use these calcs then ? or is it a bit anal or a must do ?

 

[orlando]

I believe its not the Ph of the water, grain or ingredient, its the ph of the mash that's important(to some). It depends on your grain bill with your type of water what your mash ph will be. If I'm wrong, any correction is welcome.

Yes, but not quite. Mash pH is important, full stop. It is also important that you have your starting liquour under 5.8 as well (5.5 is a good target). As long as you are sparging with pH under 5.8 you do not run the risk of leeching tannins into to the wort. This means you don't have to worry about the old canard of sparging below a certain gravity. (See Gordon Strong's Brewing Better Beer)

 

[graysalchemy]

Some will say that it is not as important and it is more important to master the basics of brewing first. However I don't think really it is that much of an inconvenience to do a water test and put a few figures into the calculator. Does it make my beer any better I don't know as I have always done it. :thumb:

 

[orlando]

Water chemistry isn't hard with the help of the forum calculator. But what you will need is a water report from your water supplier, usually easy to find on their website. However one thing you need to know but won't find is the carbonate hardness or alkalinity. For this you need a Salifert carbonate hardness/alkalinity test kit available from most aquarium shops or online. You will then need to rest your water. the result will give a figure in Alkalinity in meq/L which you need to multiply by I think 61 to give mg/L HCO3 which the forum calculator requires.

All you need to to is put in all the appropriate figures for the water cemistry along with details of how much water is being used, size of grain bill, and type of beer being brewed and a Voila, bingo its done.

:thumb: :thumb:

Got the water report... Done some trail numbers for the alkalinity the numbers :) going to order a testing kit!

Cheers :)

Do most AG brewers use these calcs then ? or is it a bit anal or a must do ?

Yes, definitely and yes, if you want to push the envelope and make really great beer. Otherwise no, you can still make good beer but you may not be quite satisfied :ugeek: .

 

[dx4100]

I believe its not the Ph of the water, grain or ingredient, its the ph of the mash that's important(to some). It depends on your grain bill with your type of water what your mash ph will be. If I'm wrong, any correction is welcome.

Yes, but not quite. Mash pH is important, full stop. It is also important that you have your starting liquour under 5.8 as well (5.5 is a good target). As long as you are sparging with pH under 5.8 you do not run the risk of leeching tannins into to the wort. This means you don't have to worry about the old canard of sparging below a certain gravity. (See Gordon Strong's Brewing Better Beer)

Water report just told me mine is 7.09 :P

Will that calc I just looked at sort this out for me when I finally get the Alkalinity reading from a test kit ?

 

[Mark1964]

Its the water but also the ph of the mash is also important

 

[orlando]

I think most water company's try to deliver water around neutral pH, mine is circa 7.1.