Comments on: Water, Water Everywhere http://seanterrill.com/2009/08/08/water-water-everywhere/ If accidentally read, induce vomiting. Thu, 10 May 2012 18:07:38 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: webmaster http://seanterrill.com/2009/08/08/water-water-everywhere/comment-page-1/#comment-566 webmaster Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:03:26 +0000 http://seanterrill.com/?p=1147#comment-566 Jim, Obviously I didn't get to this in time, but maybe answering will be helpful anyway. Your water does have enough alkalinity (RA ~50) that you might have pH issues with a light lager grist anyway, but in my opinion the bigger issue is going to be the sulfate level. For a Helles-style beer I'm assuming you want to go for a malty finish, so I'd try to get the SO4 to <50 ppm. So right off the bat you'll be diluting at least 4:1 with the distilled water. If you do that and then add 0.5 g/gal of CaCl2, you end up with ~50 ppm Ca and ~80 ppm Cl, with an RA of -15. I think that would be as good a starting point as any. Sean Jim,

Obviously I didn’t get to this in time, but maybe answering will be helpful anyway.

Your water does have enough alkalinity (RA ~50) that you might have pH issues with a light lager grist anyway, but in my opinion the bigger issue is going to be the sulfate level. For a Helles-style beer I’m assuming you want to go for a malty finish, so I’d try to get the SO4 to <50 ppm. So right off the bat you'll be diluting at least 4:1 with the distilled water. If you do that and then add 0.5 g/gal of CaCl2, you end up with ~50 ppm Ca and ~80 ppm Cl, with an RA of -15. I think that would be as good a starting point as any.

Sean

]]> By: Jim Roderick http://seanterrill.com/2009/08/08/water-water-everywhere/comment-page-1/#comment-564 Jim Roderick Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:59:56 +0000 http://seanterrill.com/?p=1147#comment-564 Saturday 10-29-11 is my first attempt at a lager, I'm not sure what to add to my water to brew a light Pilsner/Munich Helles. Any help would be appreciated. I have a HERM system and a Ranco controlled refrigerator to lager. I usually brew 12 gallons so I can end up with 2 five gallon kegs. The water report is as follows: 8.1 pH Calcium: 65 ppm Magnesium: 26 ppm Sodium: 93 ppm Sulfate: 220 ppm published 169 Chloride: 97 ppm Bicarbonate: 135 Hardness: 16 grains per gallon or 230 mg/l Alkalinity 13.4 Hardness110 I've purchased 12.5 gal of distilled water to cut my water but I am a little confused as to how much to use and how much minerals to add. My basic recipe is: 16.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 71.11 % 4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 17.78 % 1.50 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 6.67 % 1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.44 % 1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 6.9 IBU 1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 7.3 IBU 1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (20 min) Hops 4.2 IBU 1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (20 min) Hops 4.4 IBU 2.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (0 min) 2 Pkgs Southern German Lager (White Labs #WLP838) The starter is ready. Saturday 10-29-11 is my first attempt at a lager, I’m not sure what to add to my water to brew a light Pilsner/Munich Helles. Any help would be appreciated.

I have a HERM system and a Ranco controlled refrigerator to lager. I usually brew 12 gallons so I can end up with 2 five gallon kegs.

The water report is as follows: 8.1 pH
Calcium: 65 ppm
Magnesium: 26 ppm
Sodium: 93 ppm
Sulfate: 220 ppm published 169
Chloride: 97 ppm
Bicarbonate: 135
Hardness: 16 grains per gallon or 230 mg/l
Alkalinity 13.4
Hardness110

I’ve purchased 12.5 gal of distilled water to cut my water but I am a little confused as to how much to use and how much minerals to add.

My basic recipe is: 16.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 71.11 %
4.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 17.78 %
1.50 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 6.67 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.44 %
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 6.9 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 7.3 IBU
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (20 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (20 min) Hops 4.4 IBU
2.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (0 min)
2 Pkgs Southern German Lager (White Labs #WLP838) The starter is ready.

]]> By: webmaster http://seanterrill.com/2009/08/08/water-water-everywhere/comment-page-1/#comment-287 webmaster Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:38:02 +0000 http://seanterrill.com/?p=1147#comment-287 Man, I had to google "alkaline water ionizers". Looks like all they do is electrolytically split the water into acid and base fractions. It might be a nice toy to have for tweaking pH, but for that kind of money I'd stick with straight acid additions. Unless your alkalinity is off the charts to begin with you'd have to add a ton of water to overcome the buffers in the mash, versus a few milliliters of acid or grams of brewing salts. Man, I had to google “alkaline water ionizers”. Looks like all they do is electrolytically split the water into acid and base fractions. It might be a nice toy to have for tweaking pH, but for that kind of money I’d stick with straight acid additions. Unless your alkalinity is off the charts to begin with you’d have to add a ton of water to overcome the buffers in the mash, versus a few milliliters of acid or grams of brewing salts.

]]> By: JimRod http://seanterrill.com/2009/08/08/water-water-everywhere/comment-page-1/#comment-285 JimRod Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:26:17 +0000 http://seanterrill.com/?p=1147#comment-285 Thanks for helping me with the beer chemistry. I've been trying to figure out the beersmith water profile section on my own. I'll take your advise and start playing with the nomograph. Just curious, what do you think of all those alkaline water ionizers that are for sale now? I had a friend buy one for 4K but I can't find the science behind them. Thanks for helping me with the beer chemistry. I’ve been trying to figure out the beersmith water profile section on my own. I’ll take your advise and start playing with the nomograph.

Just curious, what do you think of all those alkaline water ionizers that are for sale now? I had a friend buy one for 4K but I can’t find the science behind them.

]]> By: Water Chemistry Question (sorry) - Home Brew Forums http://seanterrill.com/2009/08/08/water-water-everywhere/comment-page-1/#comment-212 Water Chemistry Question (sorry) - Home Brew Forums Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:14:45 +0000 http://seanterrill.com/?p=1147#comment-212 [...] wrote this about a year ago, trying to come up with a decent, short, introduction to water chemistry for [...] [...] wrote this about a year ago, trying to come up with a decent, short, introduction to water chemistry for [...]

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