==============
> Ca 16
> Mg 5.05
> SO4 36.9
> Cl 9.212
>
> I appreciate that with Ca as low as 16 p.p.m., for porter I need to
> raise it to between 100-120 p.p.m., a rise of about 100. This gives
> approximately 0.5 g DLS per litre. That’s fine, I understand that.
<Deep Breath Mode ON>
Well that takes care of the Calcium addition, however you are going to
also increase the Sulphate and Chloride levels as well, which for a
porter you do not necessarily need.
> But my CaCo3 is only 40 p.p.m., and for porter needs to be 100-150
> p.p.m. How do I get my CaCo3 up to the required level?
Try adding CaCO3
Seriously adding precipitated chalk will increasethe carbonate (and alkalinity) levels. Of course the reason for saying
that a Porter needs 100-150ppm is to counteract the acidity of the dark
malts in the grist so that the mash pH falls at the required 5.3.
Or a) does it not
> matter if you are under the recommended range, or b) does the action of
> adding DLS bring the CaCo3 up to the correct level anyway? I cannot use
> CRS, as this reduces CaCo3, whereas I need to increase it.
No CRS reduces the bicarbonate level (and the Alkalinity which is more
important), IIRC CRS is a blend of Hydrochloric and Sulphuric acids, so
for every HCO3- removed either a CL- or SO4-- is freed increasing the
chloride or sulphate level accordingly. However the calcium level stays
constant, which is a good thing as it helps establish the mash pH at the
right level. From What I remember DLS is a blend of calcium chloride
calcium sulphate and magnesium sulphate (IMBWIOA) all making positive
contributions to the mash. Murphy's recommend a level of 200ppm calcium,
although Fix quotes that 60ppm is minimum for optimum hot break.
> Oppositely, when I lived in Reading my CaCo3 reading was a lot higher,
> which was fine as I could reduce it with CRS, but I had a Ca reading of
> 127 p.p.m. – now DLS only increases Ca, how would I have lowered that to
> say 100-120 p.p.m. (Porter) or 90-110 p.p.m. (Mild)? DLS only increases
> Ca, I need it reducing. Or again, would this have been taken care of by
> the addition of CRS automatically lowering the Ca value to the desired
> level?
Is your palate really that highly trained to notice a difference of
10ppm Ca? or even 27ppm? I know mine isn't. As a person with a good
grasp of physical chemistry I attempted to go into a great deal of
detail with water chemistry to "get it right", and do you know, it made
diddly squat to the quality of the beer I was producing, regardless of
style.
Like you I have very soft water, and I know that when I'm brewing my
alkalinity is below 30ppm (Murphys Palintest is yellow BEFORE I Add any
acid). Reading all the books I should add around a Gram per litre of
Chalk to brew a dark beer, IF I remember I may add a couple of grams of
calcium chloride to the grist . . . I often forget, and yet the beer
turns out fine, the pH may be a little low for optimum conversion
efficiency, but the great thing about the mash is that its a self
regulating equilibrium. The pH is not going to hit 2.5 if you don't add
chalk to soft water, or hit 13.0 if you don't reduce your alkalinty to
30ppm with acid, it generally settles in at around 5.0 - 5.8. Now you
will notice an improvement if you reduce it from 5.8 to 5.3, however
there are so many other factors coming into play that you will still
make good if not great beer with no treatment.
My guiding principle towards water profiling is now very simple.
1) Reduce the alkalinity of all brewing liquor to below 30ppm
2) If the style calls for enhanced bitter flavours add calcium sulphate
to raise the calcium level to 60ppm (for all brewing liquor adding the
dry salts directly to the grist), if the style requires enhanced malt
flavours use calcium chloride instead. If is a balanced profile use a
mixture of the two.
It is all to easy to get really involved with water profiling, and yet
there are many more things that have much more importance to the
finished product. Only by getting to grips with all of these things will
any effect of the water profile be noticed.
<Deep Breath Mode OFF>
Hope this helps