LS27 keeping it simple

[buggerlugs]

Hi, am I right in thinking if I live in Leeds LS27 and want to use tap water I can get away without boiling and just add a tsp of gypsom and half a camden tablet to the mash tun and to the sparge water?

[Parva]

I'm in LS12 and will be on a completely different supply to you but that's pretty much all I use and it works just fine. Well, I actually add 1 tsp gypsum to the mash tun and 1 tsp to the boiler.

[Minimasher]

Well I'm yorkshire water website has my water as 'moderately soft' so there is no need to boil to remove temporary hardness (I think). I can't get my head round the rest of the water report even though I have Graham Wheelers idiot proof guide to water treatment in his recent book.

Do you guys find water treatment makes much difference in these parts?

[kay-jay]

if your beer tastes fine with gypsum and campden (mine does) i really don't think there is any real need to over complicate things by any additional treatment. it will only add expense. some areas do have water that is not good for beer and that needs to be treated, but from what i can gather us northern lads have a reasonably good water supply.

KJ

[Spikesdad]

Hi Buggerlugs, I think you might be on the same watermain as me, and from what i can make out, as Mimimasher says, we have moderatley soft water.

i have put our stats through Mr. Wheelers water treatment programme, and it comes out as:-

for-

General Purpose :- 9.2 mls CRS/ 2.9g Gypsum/ 1.6g Calcium Chloride/ 1.9g Epsom Salts

Bitter :- 9.2 CRS/ 7g Gypsum/ 2.5 Calcium Chloride/ 1.8 Epsom Salts

I also put 1/2 campden tablet in mash liquor and sparge liquor. I do not pre boil.


This is what i've recently been doing, and pH has been bang on the mark, but to be honest, first few brews were way high, but still turned out fine. dont worry too much about it.

Hope this helps, Dave

[buggerlugs]

Cheers, I'll just stick to the gypsom and campden tablets from now on. Tride boilling and a pinch of precipitated chalk in the mash to buffer the gypsom last brew and now my beer tasts of juniper berries.