DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

(That's water to the rest of us!) Beer is about 95% water, so if you want to discuss water treatment, filtering etc this is the place to do it!
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andybiochem

DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by andybiochem » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:38 pm

Just a quick question...

When adding liquor salts, should you base your additions on the total amount of water used in the brewing process, or on the final brew length?

E.g. currently I generate enough RO water for my whole brew (usually about 24L for a 15L brew length). Then, to the mash, I'll add whatever salts I need to generate my chosen water profile (London, Burton, Dublin, etc). Should I calculate my additions based on 24L or 15L?

Currently, I base additions on the final beer volume, just to be on the safe side. But, I'd assume that the whole idea of adding DLS is that it generates a starting water profile, not a 'finish' water profile. :?:

Any thoughts?

Cheers!
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boingy

Re: DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by boingy » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:51 pm

According to Murphy and Sons, use final brew length for DLS calculations and total liquor volume for CRS.

However, as we are talking about water treatment you can expect at least 2 or 3 different opinions!
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Aleman
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Re: DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by Aleman » Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:47 pm

The Murphys figures are quoted for the 'Beer Profile' not the liquor, as such if you treat the total volume then boiling will concentrate the salts so that your beer will have a higher concentration than Murphys state. This is the reasoning behind Murphys statement that you treat for Beer Volume for DLS.

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Of course Murphy's have no way of knowing just how much will be precipitated out during the mash, and lost during the boil trapped in break proteins and trub etc ;)

Which is why I treat my mash liquor to give me an additional 150ppm of calcium and my sparge Liquor (Added directly to the boiler not the liquor) to have an additional 100ppm of calcium
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gregorach
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Re: DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by gregorach » Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:48 pm

And is that final brew length before or after the run-off, and including or excluding hop absorption? Suppose you've got a boiler with a lot of dead space, and your recipe features a huge amount of hops... ;)

For what it's worth, I calculate my salt additions based on total liquor volume. Brupaks seem to agree...
Cheers

Dunc
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Aleman
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Re: DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by Aleman » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:56 pm

gregorach wrote:For what it's worth, I calculate my salt additions based on total liquor volume. Brupaks seem to agree...
Which is odd because the Brupaks DMS and CRS are repackaged Murphys products #-o
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gregorach
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Re: DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by gregorach » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:59 pm

Indeed. ;)
Cheers

Dunc
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boingy

Re: DLS Water volume target? Length or Total?

Post by boingy » Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:08 pm

Or you could check the CBA info sheet that Aleman has linked to before. Can't remember what that said (and can't be arsed to look :D )

Edit: Not sure it was Aleman who linked it but here is the doc:

http://www.craft brewing.org.uk/bc/factsheets/BC0-1_Water.pdf
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