Adjusting water hardness for mead?

For those making mead and related drinks
Post Reply
Yosh

Adjusting water hardness for mead?

Post by Yosh » Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:28 pm

Hi guys. I'm starting to incorporate testing and adjusting water into my brewing. I've ordered some ph strips and a aquarium alkalinity test, although I'm not sure what it is I need to add to adjust the water.

I was hoping to make some rosehip mead this weekend but is it best to test and adjust the water for mead? and what am I aiming for? I live in Glasgow so the water is going to be soft.

Yosh

Re: Adjusting water hardness for mead?

Post by Yosh » Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:09 am

Feel free to delete this thread. I will try in the "brewing liqour" thread.

fatbloke

Re: Adjusting water hardness for mead?

Post by fatbloke » Sun Mar 01, 2015 11:40 am

I use RO (reverse osmosis) water for all my brewing now. Being in the SE, means high calcium, which can lead to flavour issues.

The RO water filters are wasteful as for 100% in, you only get about 20-25% out, the rest goes to waste (so water metres are a PITA), but depending on the membrane, you can take TDS (total dissolved solids) levels down to virtually nothing. They can be used to remove calcium, magnesium and Iron solids, as well as chlorine/chloramine from utility supplies, plus if you recycle.rain, airbourne pollution etc.

I don't like pH strips as they're generally too inaccurate (last time I broke my test meter I had to get "kombucha strips as they measured in the 2.8-4.5pH range).

A pocket test meter and calibration fluid was less than 20 quid.

Soft water isn't generally an issue so you likely don't need modifying it. Hard water is generally softened with salt, but I don't like using something that adds sodium, hence using RO instead.

With meads, especially traditionals, you can get quite wide pH swings. You can either add some potassium carbonate up front or monitor and wait for it to drop too low before adding. Some like one way some like the other.

There is a lot of bollocks spoken about minerals present naturally in water, but while that may benefit us, it's less so with yeast.

I like to prepare my nutrients accordingly (two parts Fermaidk to one part DAP/di-ammonium phosphate - I mail order the Fermaidk as it seems hard/impossible to locate in the UK and Youngs/Ritchies yeast nutrient is mostly DAP). I make the mix then apply between 1 and 1.5 grammes per litre, but as staggered addition, with most (70-75% of total) going in once I see signs of active ferment happening. The rest goes in once the gravity has hit the 1/3rd break.

Fruit etc, will provide some extra nutrition as well as adjunct buffering, which is why you often see less pH swings with melomels, cysers and pyments........

Post Reply