Water treatment - when to add

[stubrewworx]

I usually get my required water volume and add Camden, calcium etc whilst it's heating. The obviously mash in the grains.

I've seen in CBC video, calcium and/or gypsum egg added with the grains.

When do you add yours?

 

[Baldylocks Brewery]

Same as you

 

[Sadfield]

I treat my water the night before brewing. Using it for mashing and sparging.

 

[The Baron]

The day/night before for me too

 

[MashBag]

I usually get my required water volume and add Camden, calcium etc whilst it's heating. The obviously mash in the grains.

I've seen in CBC video, calcium and/or gypsum egg added with the grains.

When do you add yours?

Do you know you need these additions?

 

[millerdw]

My issue is very hard water so part of the treatment is boiling/decanting for me. To hit close to strike temp, I'll fill up from the kettle and dilute from the tap, say 75:25, and then dissolve any other salts before I add the grain. Takes a little while but results seem good so far, and I don't think it burns any more energy than before...

 

[MashBag]

Would AMS not be easier & cheaper?

I use no heating, I add the calculated amount of AMS & DWB @ 20°c. No campden. Immediately before dough in.

 

[stubrewworx]

Do you know you need these additions?

According to brewfather and my Yorkshire water profile and tested alkinlinty and calcium levels...

I only use sodium met and calcium chloride for mash ph and a balanced profile.

The sodium met effects my sulfate levels, increasing in further. So I might try without on the next brew.

 

[millerdw]

Would AMS not be easier & cheaper?

I use no heating, I add the calculated amount of AMS & DWB @ 20°c. No campden. Immediately before dough in.

My understanding of AMS/CRS is that they're just adding more acid salts to balance out the alkilinity in the water. Like saying, I've got too many units on right side of the scale so I'll add more to the left.

My bicarbonate levels are in the 350ppm range, and other ions are also really high, so I wanted to actually reduce everything, i.e. take things off the right side of the scale. Boiling and then decanting, even just from the kettle, is pretty good for that, you can see salts precipitating out just by eye

As for cost, I'd have to heat the water anyway, so mixing 75% boiling with 25% tap gets me very close to strike temp, but with lower salt levels all round, for within 10% of the kWh... The only issue is my (kitchen) kettle's only 2L, so it takes a few batches. I should probably buy a second one

 

[JockyBrewer]

I believe that acids need a few minutes for the reaction to complete, so best added before heating or night before.

Campden or metabisulphite reaction is almost instant so can be stirred in to your liquor any time up to a few minutes before adding grain.

Salts are variable in their solubility, and you can end up with the situation where if you add to a hot liquor tank they drop to the bottom and don't get transferred to the mash, so I prefer to add them to the grain before mashing in.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I believe that acids need a few minutes for the reaction to complete, so best added before heating or night before.

Campden or metabisulphite reaction is almost instant so can be stirred in to your liquor any time up to a few minutes before adding grain.

"a few minutes" - so you don't need to add it the night before. In fact you can do it "any time up to a few minutes before adding grain".

I always do my water additions whilst heating the mash water, it's convenient to weight them out whilst you're weighing everything else out and it's not like you don't have time whilst the water is heating.