Boiling to lower alkalinity
Boiling to lower alkalinity
So, I decided to boil my brewing water tonight to see how much Alkalinity it would remove.
I started with 156.8ppm Alkalinity according to Salifert.
Boiled 35 liters of water for 30 mins and re tested, the end result was 64.2ppm Alkalinity.
I wanted to try this as I'm brewing a cream ale tomorrow, and Adding about 16ml of CRS adds a lot of Chloride and Sulphate and doesn't seem as smooth as it could be.
I'm actually amazed at how much Alkalinity is removed by boiling and I'm now thinking of doing this on every pale beer I brew.
Tomorrow I will decant from the BrewMonk to my fermenting bucket then transfer back.
Anybody else find this worth doing?
I started with 156.8ppm Alkalinity according to Salifert.
Boiled 35 liters of water for 30 mins and re tested, the end result was 64.2ppm Alkalinity.
I wanted to try this as I'm brewing a cream ale tomorrow, and Adding about 16ml of CRS adds a lot of Chloride and Sulphate and doesn't seem as smooth as it could be.
I'm actually amazed at how much Alkalinity is removed by boiling and I'm now thinking of doing this on every pale beer I brew.
Tomorrow I will decant from the BrewMonk to my fermenting bucket then transfer back.
Anybody else find this worth doing?
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Really interesting to see those results and also to see what others get by doing there same (or shorter/longer boils); it might be another tool in the armoury for very specific styles of beer, where CRS on its own might not be the best approach.
- Eric
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Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Did you decant the boiled water? If not you might care to recheck alkalinity tomorrow lest it absorbs enough CO2 to reabsorb the deposited calcium carbonate.
I don't as it doesn't work for me due to the amount of magnesium in my water.
I don't as it doesn't work for me due to the amount of magnesium in my water.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
I have just decanted so I will test and let you know, however, even if it raises to say 100ppm, means I use less CRS particularly for this style, which means a less " minerally " beer I guess?
Cool experiment to try none the less
Cool experiment to try none the less
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Just to update, re tested and I'm reading 70 ppm so my conclusion is that boiling to reduce alkalinity is worth it, for me at least.
How well this works for other with higher Alkalinity, I'm not sure but must be worth a try.
I know it's costs more in electricity or gas, but It took 45 mins including the 30 mins of boiling so I think it's definitely worth trying
How well this works for other with higher Alkalinity, I'm not sure but must be worth a try.
I know it's costs more in electricity or gas, but It took 45 mins including the 30 mins of boiling so I think it's definitely worth trying
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Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
65 ppm Alkalinity is about the low end limit for boiling, and it requires sufficient calcium excess to make it work. It appears you did well by it.
Developer of 'Mash Made Easy', a free and complete mash pH adjustment assistant spreadsheet
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
- Eric
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Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Yes Matt, less minerality, less reduction of unwanted compounds, less British, less taste, less satisfaction.
40% of the reduction in alkalinity is a reduction in calcium. 40% less protection for the essential enzymes from premature destruction. 40% less deposit of phosphates and oxalates as hot break. 40% less free amino nitrogen that stimulates yeasts and fermentation.
Boiling does not reduce the magnesium content as it is far more soluble, meaning it bonds with oxalates and secondary phosphates to reach the finished beer instead of being deposited with calcium in the kettle.
You can, of course, add some gypsum and calcium chloride to redress those losses or prefer drinking American style beers.
40% of the reduction in alkalinity is a reduction in calcium. 40% less protection for the essential enzymes from premature destruction. 40% less deposit of phosphates and oxalates as hot break. 40% less free amino nitrogen that stimulates yeasts and fermentation.
Boiling does not reduce the magnesium content as it is far more soluble, meaning it bonds with oxalates and secondary phosphates to reach the finished beer instead of being deposited with calcium in the kettle.
You can, of course, add some gypsum and calcium chloride to redress those losses or prefer drinking American style beers.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
I understand that I will have removed quite a bit of calcium too, which I will check shortly, which I will most likely use some Calcium Chloride to up the level a bit.
I have no issues with CRS, however I find for lighter style beers, especially for a cream ale, using it adds too much Chloride and Sulphate.
I certainly wouldn't do the boiling method when brewing something like a Bitter or a darker style beer, but even For a Pale Ale, I don't see why it would be a bad thing to boil before hand and use less CRS?
I have no issues with CRS, however I find for lighter style beers, especially for a cream ale, using it adds too much Chloride and Sulphate.
I certainly wouldn't do the boiling method when brewing something like a Bitter or a darker style beer, but even For a Pale Ale, I don't see why it would be a bad thing to boil before hand and use less CRS?
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Also just tested Calcium levels and I'm at 120ppm, retested Alkalinity and that's settles at 73ppm.
- Eric
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Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
If your water has 120 ppm calcium after removing 80 ppm alkalinity, then you have none of the concerns I raised. That also suggests the initial calcium content was in excess of 150 ppm, an unusually high level for a British domestic supply. Have you had your water analysed at any time?
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.
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Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Do you know what your ppm calcium was before boiling?
Developer of 'Mash Made Easy', a free and complete mash pH adjustment assistant spreadsheet
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Not had it analysed but I use the Salifert kits for testing both Alkalinity and Calcium levels.
To be honest I didn't check my Calcium befor boiling but I did brew last week and had in the region of 175ppm Calcium according to salifert
To be honest I didn't check my Calcium befor boiling but I did brew last week and had in the region of 175ppm Calcium according to salifert
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Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
I just whipped up a simple Alkalinity reduction via boiling spreadsheet calculator which can be downloaded and then ran in Excel or LibreOffice Calc at the Google Drive link seen below. Click on the 'Down Arrow' seen next to the printer icon in the upper right of the linked website to download it. The spreadsheet presumes that Alkalinity reduction will limit out at a best case scenario of about 65 ppm.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RvCxqM ... sp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RvCxqM ... sp=sharing
Developer of 'Mash Made Easy', a free and complete mash pH adjustment assistant spreadsheet
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Just got done brewing for the day, was a really good brew day, although took a while to drain the grain basket, which I did think would happen as I use both perforated plates at the bottom of the grain basket.
Now I may post a brew day thread.
Cheers guys
Now I may post a brew day thread.
Cheers guys
Re: Boiling to lower alkalinity
Matt,
I follow Eric's observation in that you calcium is high, or even super high. Are you reporting as Ca mg/L or CaCO3 mg/L. The hardest water I ever came across was in Swindon where it came in at 120 mg/L as Ca. I sold a water softener to the sports centre and they had avalanche of foam coming out of the showers as customers used normal levels of soap/ shampoo. I wonder by chance if you have a conductivity determination for your water. It would be interesting
I for one would be interested to know what you water analysis is.It would be interesting to know the background sulphate , chloride, and total hardness. Whereabouts do you live?
I follow Eric's observation in that you calcium is high, or even super high. Are you reporting as Ca mg/L or CaCO3 mg/L. The hardest water I ever came across was in Swindon where it came in at 120 mg/L as Ca. I sold a water softener to the sports centre and they had avalanche of foam coming out of the showers as customers used normal levels of soap/ shampoo. I wonder by chance if you have a conductivity determination for your water. It would be interesting
I for one would be interested to know what you water analysis is.It would be interesting to know the background sulphate , chloride, and total hardness. Whereabouts do you live?