Beginners Guide to Water Treatment (plus links to more advanced water treatment in post #1)

[AMyd666]

Got gypsum. Off to Brew2bottle for calcium chloride and lactic acid!

 

[AMyd666]

I think for stout/porter especially you'll get a noticeable improvement by getting the calcium up to 100 - 150ppm with calcium chloride. It should really help with malt flavour and mouthfeel.

Hi Steve. Sorry for pestering you again, but I've ordered a Festival Old Suffolk Strong Ale kit and wonder what water treatment I'd require? I couldn't get any calcium chloride, but do have gypsum to up the Ca, then adjust pH with bicarbonate of soda to keep my water between 5.2 and 5.6. One, is the treatment required in this instance (for a kit) and Two, is my treatment suggestion correct?

 

[strange-steve]

One, is the treatment required in this instance (for a kit) and Two, is my treatment suggestion correct?

For a kit beer probably not. Half a Campden tablet to remove chlorine is all I would do. You maybe could add some gypsum/calcium chloride (if you had it) for the flavour effects, but I have no experience with kits so can't say for sure if there's any benefit.

 

[AMyd666]

For a kit beer probably not. Half a Campden tablet to remove chlorine is all I would do. You maybe could add some gypsum/calcium chloride (if you had it) for the flavour effects, but I have no experience with kits so can't say for sure if there's any benefit.

Thanks for your feedback. I wasn't sure either, as I'm sure I've read somewhere here that you don't need to for kits, but can't find it, plus this thread made me curious.
Cheers!

 

[buddsy]

Just tagging on to this thread.

I got the Salifert KH/Alk test kit.

Results are 228 ppm.

Im going to brew an IPA so want to be about 20ppm?

If so I should add 1ml per L so on a 35L brew Im looking 35ml?

Cheers all and thanks for a great and simple thread.

buddsy

 

[strange-steve]

If so I should add 1ml per L so on a 35L brew Im looking 35ml?

Yes, thereabouts but bear in mind that it's 1ml per litre of water to be treated rather than brew length.

 

[buddsy]

... water to be treated rather than brew length.

I dont quite follow?

I was just approximting when I said 35l

My actual strike size is 16l and my sparge is 12l so 28l boil size.

So I should add 16ml to the strike and 12ml to my sparge?

Many thanks for your insight.

buddsy

 

[strange-steve]

So I should add 16ml to the strike and 12ml to my sparge?

Yes exactly. The way I read your previous post I thought you were saying the finished batch size was to be 35L, but never mind, you got it

 

[buddsy]

Thank you

buddsy

 

[umfana]

...<much wisdom>...

This is awesome. Thanks Steve.

I have just got my salifert tests and now I know why dark beers are difficult for me. And why my pilsners are always the best regarded of my beers.

It turns out my water is fairly extreme for tap water.
5ppm for alkalinity
and 10ppm for calcium.

severn trent water report has mean chloride at 17ppm and mean sulphate at 26ppm.

All hail the welsh mountain water delivered here in Birmingham.

Thanks again Steve.

 

[strange-steve]

This is awesome. Thanks Steve.

I have just got my salifert tests and now I know why dark beers are difficult for me. And why my pilsners are always the best regarded of my beers.

It turns out my water is fairly extreme for tap water.
5ppm for alkalinity
and 10ppm for calcium.

severn trent water report has mean chloride at 17ppm and mean sulphate at 26ppm.

All hail the welsh mountain water delivered here in Birmingham.

Thanks again Steve.

That's a pretty good blank slate you've got to work with there

 

[umfana]

A general question on process.

When I watch harrybrew69 on the toob I see that he throws the dry water treatment ingredients in with the dry grain before underletting. Which appears to mean that his sparge water is not treated at all. He adds his AMS to the mash directly too once it is wet.

I guess the salts added to the mash need to be scaled for the entire brew volume which means an overdose for the mash and an underdose for the sparge.

Are there any significant pitfalls with this approach?

Umfana

Ps
My first brew with water treatment turned out lovely. So much so I was worried I might have had a leaky corny given how fast the level dropped.

 

[strange-steve]

Are there any significant pitfalls with this approach?

I don't think so really, just whatever way you prefer. My preference is to mix the additions into the water just because I think this will better ensure that they are properly mixed and dissolved before the grain goes in. Treating the sparge water actually isn't really necessary tbh, I like to lower the alkalinity just to help reduce tannin extraction but it's not an essential step by any means, and the salts could just as well be added during the boil (which many do). There's more than one way to skin a cat, so whatever works for you is fine.

 

[umfana]

There's more than one way to skin a cat, so whatever works for you is fine.

Awesome. Thanks.
Let the cat skinning begin.

 

[phildo79]

Is there a single device that calculates both pH and calcium levels but isn't really expensive? I am a partial mash brewer so I 'think' this is all I require for now.

 

[strange-steve]

Is there a single device that calculates both pH and calcium levels but isn't really expensive? I am a partial mash brewer so I 'think' this is all I require for now.

Not that I know of. You can get a calcium level meter but i think for one with the proper resolution for brewing it'd be really expensive.

What about a cheap pH pen (not too bad as long as it's calibrated before use) and a Salifert Ca kit? Under £25 quid total, plus another fiver or so for some buffer solutions.

 

[phildo79]

Not that I know of. You can get a calcium level meter but i think for one with the proper resolution for brewing it'd be really expensive.

What about a cheap pH pen (not too bad as long as it's calibrated before use) and a Salifert Ca kit? Under £25 quid total, plus another fiver or so for some buffer solutions.

Is pH/alkalinity something I need to be concerned about, given that I am not an AG brewer?

 

[strange-steve]

Is pH/alkalinity something I need to be concerned about, given that I am not an AG brewer?

Sorry I missed that bit of your post. Nah probably not then, you could still add some calcium salts to adjust sulphate/chloride if needed, and half a Campden tablet for chlorine removal.

 

[phildo79]

Sorry I missed that bit of your post. Nah probably not then, you could still add some calcium salts to adjust sulphate/chloride if needed, and half a Campden tablet for chlorine removal.

Yeah, was planning to do that. How accurate do you think these yearly water reports are? For my postcode it is saying:

Calcium Hardness (mg/l) 68.8
Calcium (mg/l) 53.8

Do you feel it is totally necessary to test the calcium levels, given that I will probably only be ramping it up to 100-150ppm? Not going for exact levels here as those seem hard to come by when doing clone recipes.

 

[strange-steve]

For partial mash it's probably accurate enough. There can be some variation, but as you say it's not necessarily an exact science.