I have a terrible attitude towards water additions!

[Gerryjo]

What would I add to raise the PH of the water? I have got an idea of a beer I want to make but it has rather a lot of dark grains in it and I've ended up with a PH of 5.1. I thought I could use bicarb to raise it but will it make it taste salty? Sorry for daft question!

As mentioned its fine so would leave as be for now....

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

OK, thanks all

 

[JohnB]

I'm a bit of a troglodyte on this question. When I first started out all-grain brewing I got an analysis of my water from the local water company, I checked it against John Palmer and the first time or two I religiously added a pinch of this and a pinch of that - like DocAnna I weighed it out to within a gnats. I then asked our local micro what they did and they said "Chuck the water in and bring 'er to the boil!" No treatment at all. I do now, if I remember, add a campden tab to vent off the chlorine, but it depends on time of day, number of pints previous night, colour of sky, etc. I guess what I'm saying is that for me, the difference between a pinch of CaCl or not is insufficient in results to be worth getting hung up about.

 

[moto748]

I'm a bit of a troglodyte on this question. When I first started out all-grain brewing I got an analysis of my water from the local water company, I checked it against John Palmer and the first time or two I religiously added a pinch of this and a pinch of that - like DocAnna I weighed it out to within a gnats. I then asked our local micro what they did and they said "Chuck the water in and bring 'er to the boil!" No treatment at all. I do now, if I remember, add a campden tab to vent off the chlorine, but it depends on time of day, number of pints previous night, colour of sky, etc. I guess what I'm saying is that for me, the difference between a pinch of CaCl or not is insufficient in results to be worth getting hung up about.

That is my gut feeling too. Although, to be fair, some posters here do say that they have seen significant improvements since they started taking their water more seriously, and I'm happy to accept that. But then again, that might be more to do with the supply where they live.

I know one thing, if someone tasted one of my beers and said, what would really improve that, moto, is another half-teaspoonful of gypsum, I'd be really impressed!

 

[Nicks90]

I'm with Johnb, lifes too short.

Never done a water report, never checked pH, never added anything (*) other than ingredients.
However I do live in a midly hard water area, so it's pretty good for everything. Only know that as I get scale on my kettle...


(*) shitake mushrooms is a bit weird, still waiting on the taste test for that one.

 

[Alastair70]

I hit my numbers and made nice enough beer for several brews without worrying about anything other than alkalinity. Then I got the feedback from my first competition entry, a Dunkleweisen that I thought was awesome. To paraphrase, needed more chloride.
Now I’m making tastier beer (in my opinion), by paying more attention to water profiles.
Next stage for me will either be RO, or an assay kit that covers the other ions correctly, I’m guessing those from the water report at the minute, and my Ca measurement often isn’t close the reported mean.
I’ve done a couple of consecutive brews with different water additions. I’ve learned two things; The difference in flavour between them is surprisingly large, and I prefer my balanced profile to tip towards sulphate.
My issue is that at the minute I’m starting off from very approximate estimates of ion concentrations.

 

[Oneflewover]

I hit my numbers and made nice enough beer for several brews without worrying about anything other than alkalinity. Then I got the feedback from my first competition entry, a Dunkleweisen that I thought was awesome. To paraphrase, needed more chloride.
Now I’m making tastier beer (in my opinion), by paying more attention to water profiles.
Next stage for me will either be RO, or an assay kit that covers the other ions correctly, I’m guessing those from the water report at the minute, and my Ca measurement often isn’t close the reported mean.
I’ve done a couple of consecutive brews with different water additions. I’ve learned two things; The difference in flavour between them is surprisingly large, and I prefer my balanced profile to tip towards sulphate.
My issue is that at the minute I’m starting off from very approximate estimates of ion concentrations.

Was it me that said that about your Dunkelweisen? I seem to remember that it was a great beer that would've been enhanced by accentuating the malt flavours. I also like the bite and the perception of dryness of a sulphate forward beer, but not sure it suits a malty wheat beer? Cheers

 

[Alastair70]

Was it me that said that about your Dunkelweisen? I seem to remember that it was a great beer that would've been enhanced by accentuating the malt flavours. I also like the bite and the perception of dryness of a sulphate forward beer, but not sure it suits a malty wheat beer? Cheers

It was you! And thank you for focusing my attention on the issue:hat:. The one you got would have been very sulphate positive. My last 2 American ambers have had ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 if my water reports are to be believed and I liked the later better. The Irish Red Ale that’s in the fermenter at the minute is supposedly around the 1.2 mark. But I’m only guessing where I’m starting from so its RO, or more assays for the next few brews and we’ll see where we are then.

 

[JohnB]

Sorry if I was being a bit disingenuous with my previous comment about chucking water in and boiling 'er up, but that was the comment made to me. However, I've never brewed for comp's so perhaps if I did I'd be more cautious. We live in a very hard water area, chalk aquifer stuff and for me and the boys out fishing it suffices.

I know one thing, if someone tasted one of my beers and said, what would really improve that, moto, is another half-teaspoonful of gypsum, I'd be really impressed!

@moto748 Brilliant - Sums up me brewing entirely!

 

[Deadhead]

If you like your beers, why change?

I've got a little bit into water treatment and it's definitely improved my beers.
With the calc I normally use now gone I'm relying on my quite precise brew journal..
One thing I do wonder about is that no two water addition calculator will give you the same results!

Same. I have beautiful tap water, but decided to try my hand at water treatment.
StrangeSteve's calculator was so helpful as it was easy, but now I'm currently using historical notes, plus the beta version of the water calculator on the Grainfather app.

I do weigh out on a small scale, because the amounts are so miniscule. I'd like to think the water treatment is helping, but I haven't tried without it in a long while, so have no comparison!

 

[Alastair70]

I know one thing, if someone tasted one of my beers and said, what would really improve that, moto, is another half-teaspoonful of gypsum, I'd be really impressed!

That’s exactly what @Oneflewover did with my beer.
In simple terms, adding Sulphate is like turning up the treble on your stereo and adding chloride is like pushing the middle and base.
Hoppy beers like the crisp bright tones of the higher treble, malty beers like the warm rich middles and base.

 

[devexwarrior]

Like the first poster, I live in a soft water area. The bloke who fixed my washing machine replied when I commented on how clean the filament looked, "It'll look like that in 25 years time". I used to let my brew water stand overnight with a campen tablet in. Now I don't bother and just chuck it in. My beer tastes just fine according to me and the friends I pass it to. I know what pH is, having a science degree but I really can't get worked up on the finer points in relation to home brewing.

 

[Griff097]

I have been happy that with quite soft water I didn't need additions and mostly happy with what I am brewing, but after sending some bottles to an experienced friend, he suggested as good as they are, taking additions seriously would take them to the next level.
So water report has been done and just need to find out what I need to start doing now, I will have a look for Strange Steve's article.