CRS additions according to Salifert and Total Boil Volume

[Charlie B]

Hi All,

I have been treating my liquor according to my Anglian Water report but I have just bought a salifert alkalinity test kit.

My water report says 233 mg/l CaCO3 and so I have treated with CRS as per Grahams calculator and I get around 5.3 according to my pH papers.

Salifert test kit says I have 257 CaCO3 so I should be using more CRS. Is there a benefit to adding more if I am getting the correct Mash pH anyway?


Secondly if I know my boiler dead space, 1.4L, my losses to hops, around 1.5l for 100g, and I am aiming for a 23L brewlength in the fermenter do I actually formulate a recipe for 26L. I ask this because I can't find much written about that. Surely what's left in the hops and boiler is the same as my wort which I will just lose and so should incorporate it into my recipe. I know about the evaporation as I can compensate for that as I am only losing, mainly, water.

[Charlie B]

Cheers chris. I'll have a mess around with it again and see what I get.

What are your thoughts regarding my losses to hops? Do you account for them in your formulation as if not I am spreading my hop flavours over 3 extra litres if I don't formulate for a 26L recipe.

And also how can you test your water after treatment with these kits. If I've treated so that there is only 30mg/l CaCO3 remaining then that will be immeasurable with the salifert won't it?

[Charlie B]

Thanks Chris I didn't think of doing half the amount. I'll do that now. It's surprising that my test from this morning and yesterday and very different.