Sparge water
-
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:57 pm
- Location: Lockerbie,Scotland
Sparge water
Hi all. I'm quite lucky (l think) that my tap water alkalinity is between 26 and 38. I use the calculator on here to add salts to the mash. However,l only treat the mash water. Is there any need to treat the sparge water too,other than campden? I've recently read that it should also be a ph of 6 or less,but not clear whether that is the actual water,or the grain bed being sparged?
It's been 25 years since l last sat in a chemistry lesson....
TIA
It's been 25 years since l last sat in a chemistry lesson....
TIA
Getting Carlisle United into the First Division,is possibly the greatest football achievement of all time-Bill Shankly
- Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Sparge water
You want the pH of the sparge water to be at 6 or lower to avoid extracting tannins from the grain that will make it astringent.
If you sparge with straight water the pH of the grain bed will gradually rise until this becomes a problem, so best to acidifybyour sparge water to avoid this.
If you sparge with straight water the pH of the grain bed will gradually rise until this becomes a problem, so best to acidifybyour sparge water to avoid this.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
Re: Sparge water
Calcium is also helpful and stops the pH of the run-off rising....this is why some people split their salt addition between the mash and sparge.
Re: Sparge water
Or use RO as it has no resistance to PH adjustment
Deos miscendarum discipule
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie
Re: Sparge water
I put sufficient water in the HLT for both mash and sparge and treat the entire lot in one go.
James
James
Re: Sparge water
Same here. I use RO water and fill HLT with all I need for the brew. I also use beersmith and in my profile I set up the water for my equipment as RO so when I choose a water profile from the water section it automatically calculates the salt additions for my Mash. PH is always bang on 5.2.
Deos miscendarum discipule
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie
- orlando
- So far gone I'm on the way back again!
- Posts: 7197
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
- Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt
Re: Sparge water
At 26-38 you get away with it for standard bitters. The problem arises when you want to make a Stout or Porter, any darker beer really. For a Stout for example an alkalinity of circa 100-150 is a good starting point. The real nature of the problem is that it is actually a lot easier to reduce alkalinity than increase it. Take a look at this chart for some starting points.lord.president wrote:Hi all. I'm quite lucky (l think) that my tap water alkalinity is between 26 and 38. I use the calculator on here to add salts to the mash. However,l only treat the mash water. Is there any need to treat the sparge water too,other than campden?
I am "The Little Red Brooster"
Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,
Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer
Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,
Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer
- Aleman
- It's definitely Lock In Time
- Posts: 6132
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:56 am
- Location: Mashing In Blackpool, Lancashire, UK
Re: Sparge water
Which may or may not be optimum depending on the beer you are brewing . . . for me personally I think it's too low, and tend to target pH 5.4john luc wrote:Same here. I use RO water and fill HLT with all I need for the brew. I also use beersmith and in my profile I set up the water for my equipment as RO so when I choose a water profile from the water section it automatically calculates the salt additions for my Mash. PH is always bang on 5.2.
- Kev888
- So far gone I'm on the way back again!
- Posts: 7701
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:22 pm
- Location: Derbyshire, UK
Re: Sparge water
I think that link has been attacked by the gremlins - it takes me to a reply & quote of the OP.orlando wrote:Take a look at this chart for some starting points.
Kev
Re: Sparge water
Yes, I think it has. It does the same for me, unsurprisingly.Kev888 wrote:I think that link has been attacked by the gremlins - it takes me to a reply & quote of the OP.orlando wrote:Take a look at this chart for some starting points.
James
Re: Sparge water
Click the chart button and could not help pressing the submit button to see what would happen. Was hoping it would have brought me to a secret sitelord.president wrote:Hi all. I'm quite lucky (l think) that my tap water alkalinity is between 26 and 38. I use the calculator on here to add salts to the mash. However,l only treat the mash water. Is there any need to treat the sparge water too,other than campden? I've recently read that it should also be a ph of 6 or less,but not clear whether that is the actual water,or the grain bed being sparged?
It's been 25 years since l last sat in a chemistry lesson....
TIA
Deos miscendarum discipule
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie
- orlando
- So far gone I'm on the way back again!
- Posts: 7197
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:22 pm
- Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt
Re: Sparge water
Don't know how that happened but have corrected it, try here.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"
Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,
Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer
Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,
Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer
-
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:57 pm
- Location: Lockerbie,Scotland
Re: Sparge water
Cheers all.
Thought it was just me that was happening to!
Thought it was just me that was happening to!
Getting Carlisle United into the First Division,is possibly the greatest football achievement of all time-Bill Shankly