Water chemistry help please?

[Jzrp]

Hi

I’ve been brewing for a good five years or so now but am not the most science minded person and have a limited understanding of water chemistry.

Water in Pompey is very hard and advice from local brew shop based on what more learned folk have discovered was…

(For 35-40l liquor all grain brews)
Dark beers - 1 campden tablet
Pales - 50ml AMS, 6g Gypsum, 1 campden tablet

I have followed this advice every time and beers have turned out great.

I am brewing a pineapple weizen have everything ready and just remembered I only have 30ml AMS left, and local brew shop didn’t have any (brexit or something). I have driven to next local brew shop in Bognor and they only had tartaric acid and malic acid (got both as they were cheap and thought would research later).

So my question to people who know what they’re doing with water chemistry is… is it even worth considering using Malic acid or tartaric acid or will they ruin my beer? My reading since I’ve been back home suggests they’re only used in wine.

My options are
A - continue as normal and just use 30ml AMS instead of 50ml
B - use 30ml AMS alongside a tiny bit of either malic or tartaric acid
C - use 30ml AMS and chop up a couple of limes and stick them in the mash? (Thinking would go well with pineapple)
D - use the AMS and add a little plain white vinegar?

Suppose I just want to know what people would do.

My instinct is a or c, as I’m assuming the pineapple will also bring some amount of acid to the party too? I have ripe pineapples but tiny, plan was to add chunks from two into boil and make purée with the other two to add to secondary

EDIT - just realised it’s tartaric acid so updated lol

 

[Agentgonzo]

It will be ok to continue with whatever AMS you have. I brewed for years and never did any acid additions and the beer was excellent (A). In just outside Southampton, so have similar water to you

I use lactic acid now, so can't speak for the other acids you have on offer. Someone will chime in to help you though, I'm sure

 

[Clarence]

I used hard water for ages and I thought my beer was ok. Then I got some salifert tests for Carbonate hardness and for Calcium and found the first was much higher than I thought and the second much lower. I made the adjustments recommended by Murphy and Sons with CRS and Cacium Sulphate and Calcium Chloride. My beer has improved noticeably- apart from the stout, which didn't need much adjustment anyway. Look up CRS and water additions on some of the old Murphy and Brupaks websites, Some of the et some Salifert tests off Amazon- don't rely on water reports especially these days.

Read this stuff Beginners Guide to Water Treatment (plus links to more advanced water treatment in post #1) by Strange Steve. Steve seems to have left the forum, which is a shame as he was our resident water expert.

 

[Jzrp]

Thanks both. Yeah was told the water here is great for stouts and porters with little treatment it’s just the pales that benefit from help.

In the end I just stuck the 30ml ams in the main mash tun and chopped half a lime up and stuck it in the sparge reserve 15l at 85deg for 5-10 mins just in case it helps a touch. Hopefully turns out ok