Need water help

(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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Whorst

Need water help

Post by Whorst » Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:46 pm

I'm trying to dial in my water for Bitter. It appears my spring water is relatively soft. I've been playing with the water calculator, but there are some things I'm not familiar with. I always add Burton Water Salts, but I don't know how much is necessary. Here's my water in ppm:

Total Dissolved Solids 93
pH 7.4
Calcium 15.1
Chlorides 6.8
Bicarbonate 80
Magnesium 5.3
Potassium 3.4
Sodium 9.3
Sulfates 9

Whorst

Re: Need water help

Post by Whorst » Sat Dec 06, 2008 10:29 pm

Here's the additions I have for Burton Water:

11.35g gypsum
3.43g Epson Salt
1g Kosher Salt

Whorst

Re: Need water help

Post by Whorst » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:42 am

I've got some lactic acid, but don't know how much to use. Would .22ml work?

Whorst

Re: Need water help

Post by Whorst » Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:09 pm

I use 5.2 in my mash, so I suppose I could use it in my sparge water. By the time the sparge water hits the grain bed, doesn't 5.2 keep the pH at roughly 5.2?

Whorst

Re: Need water help

Post by Whorst » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:22 pm

Yeah, my bicarbonate level is 80. I don't think I'll be using the 5.2 in dark beers.
Thanks, I really appreciate your help.

Whorst

Re: Need water help

Post by Whorst » Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:16 pm

Let me see if I've got this right. My water lists Bicarbonate at 80. I believe this is the same as alkalinity? I'd like to bring that figure down. Can I use 88% strength lactic acid, and if so, how much? Also, do you lose bicarbonates when you're boiling the wort?
Last edited by Whorst on Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

WallyBrew
Hollow Legs
Posts: 476
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Location: Surrey

Re: Need water help

Post by WallyBrew » Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:53 pm

Whorst wrote:Let me see if I've got this right. My water lists Bicarbonate at 80. I believe this is the same as alkalinity? I'd like to bring that figure down. Can I use 88% strength lactic acid, and if so, how much?
Assuming your 88% lactic is 88g per 100g then 1ml of your lactic will neutralise approx 587mg of calcium carbonate so about 0.11ml of your acid per litre of your water will neutralise all of the bicarbonate.

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