Water Treatment Question - getting a brew on

[Goulders]

Hi, I have calculated the alkalinity of my water using salifert and was 239.5 and input to GW's calculator with my water profile suggested 46.5 ml of CRS. The amount of salts tobe added was gypsum 12g and 8g epsom salts.

I added 40ml of CRS and calculated again. The alkalinity is now 36.5, and putting into GW's calculator now says to add 2.5 ml more of CRS but now need 19.1g of gypsum, 8.11g of epsom salts and 1.8g of salt.

Should I go with the original salts calculation or the amended one for aditions?

Any help appreciated!

Thanks, Jon

[greenxpaddy]

I would go on the latter. The CRS may not have altered the water exactly as required

[Bobba]

Go with the new values. However, I would have thought you'd need less gypsum now, as adding CRS creates sulphite ions, as does gypsum. Maybe you're using the automatic mode to get some so4:cl ratio?

[Goulders]

Thanks all. I have selected the Burton Pale Ale profile.

My water profile from the report is:

Calcium - 0
Mg - 0
Na - 9.7
SO4 - 15.4
Cl - 21.3

I left the Sulphate to Calcium profile as 0.

Do you reckon put the gypsum in the mash and epsom salts in boiler? THBF says 6.6g gypsum in mash, with remainder in the copper

[vacant]

I'd stick with the original values. Calcium addition is based on the original alkalinity.

[Goulders]

Dilemma

@ Vacant, that's what I thought originally. However, My mash PH has been high around 6.1 after CRS and normal additions.

Oh well. Guess I can always add more gypsum if needed in the mash if the PH is too high?

[Goulders]

Well just shoved a spoon ful of gypsum in the tun and pH of 5.2 - result!

[Eric]

Well just shoved a spoon ful of gypsum in the tun and pH of 5.2 - result!

Super, delighted to read that Jon, with your results corresponding with mine with similar water, this has given my confidence a boost.

Could the anomaly with the predicted quantity of gypsum required be due to a necessity to enter the water's calcium content despite previously entering alkalinity measured in CaCO3? What do you think about doing the following?

Enter 239.5 in the Alkalinity box.
Select CRS. (Let residual be default value of 20)
Line 2 now has 143.6 for initial alkalinity and in line 4 shows anion quantities after the action of CRS. Line 3 has 4.79 as anion total.
Now 40% of the alkality measurement is calcium, so under calcium on line 2, 96 is entered so the cations will balance at 4.79.
Enter the given values for Na, SO4 and Cl in line 2, 7.9, 15.4 and 21.3 and the anions total now becomes 5.71.
To balance this with the same cations figure in line 3, I entered 7.0 into line 3 for magnesium.
You can now select the profile you want, but in the case of Burton, due to the action of CRS you have excessive chlorides and can't actually get that. However, your water can be made to match others but there is a possibility that your water without extra salts, as seen in line 4, might be very suitable, even better maybe?

I know there is a bit of licence taken there, but in Graham's notes for line 3 he suggests a bit of jigging may be needed with those figures in line 2.

Eric.

[Goulders]

Interesting theory Eric. I was just pleased to get a decent PH. I will let others comment on the theory if they want to. Think I fluked it!

[Eric]

I hope your result was no fluke, your pH matches my findings with similar water and I've enough doubts already.
Before using CRS, my mash pH was always high, producing beers of distinctive character with darker ones always better. After controlled reduction of alkalinity it was possible to make pale beers with more delicate flavours, but I still just add random quantities of the usual salts with hope that eventually the recorded results might give some guide for future brewing.
Anyway, I presume the brew went well and hope the result meet your expectations.

[Goulders]

Hopefully it wasn't a fluke. I think testing the alklalinity twice helped refine things. I have done a brewday thread. Went well but only my 2nd brew non BIAB so getting used to the equipment. BIAB was great butva squeeze getting everything into the kettle. The new way is longer but therapeutic in a way