Basic water treatment for first AG brew

[Monkeybrew]

This time in two weeks I should have AG#1 sitting in the Brewfridge waiting for the yeast to kick in!

I would like to attempt some basic water treatment with gypsum and epsom salts, but don't want to balls it up.

Here is my local water report, but the whole thing is going right over my head (never was very good at chemistry).

http://waterquality.anglianwater.com/mergedreport.aspx

Any simple advice would be most welcome

MB

[Dennis King]

The report is not showing. But if you have the figures put them in the forum calculator. http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/water/water.html

[mark4newman]

Hi

Don,t use Epsom salts. The malt will have all the mg you need,and Epsom salts give you the poos in smallish amounts.

As I can't see your water report, then it is pretty impossible to advise. Perhaps you could send a sample to murphys homebrew and they will advise.

[Dennis King]

Hi

Don,t use Epsom salts. The malt will have all the mg you need,and Epsom salts give you the poos in smallish amounts.

As I can't see your water report, then it is pretty impossible to advise. Perhaps you could send a sample to murphys homebrew and they will advise.

I use a small amount of Epsom salts as part of my water treatment and have normal toilet habits.

[Rookie]

This time in two weeks I should have AG#1 sitting in the Brewfridge waiting for the yeast to kick in!

I would like to attempt some basic water treatment with gypsum and epsom salts, but don't want to balls it up.

Here is my local water report, but the whole thing is going right over my head (never was very good at chemistry).

http://waterquality.anglianwater.com/mergedreport.aspx

Any simple advice would be most welcome

MB

What style are you going to brew?
What does your water taste like?
Simple advice? If your water tastes okay don't muck with it. The only thing I ever do water wise is to go half and half filtered tap water with distilled water and that only for Czech pilsner.

[Monkeybrew]

The report is not showing. But if you have the figures put them in the forum calculator. http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/water/water.html

I'll have a go when I get time tonight.

Cheers

[Monkeybrew]

What style are you going to brew?
What does your water taste like?
Simple advice? If your water tastes okay don't muck with it. The only thing I ever do water wise is to go half and half filtered tap water with distilled water and that only for Czech pilsner.

I will be brewing GW's Black Sheep Ale recipe which is an English pale ale style.

My water tastes ok, but does have a noticeable chlorine aroma about it.

I just don't want to spend all of the time and effort to brew something without sparing a thought for water treatment.

Cheers

MB

[barl_fire]

Used Graham's book for my first all-grain brew and the one piece of advice in that book that stuck with me from the start was when first getting into all-grain, especially for your first brew, don't bother with any water treatment, just keep things simple and see what the beer tastes with without and if any changes need making you can do that in later brews. One of the best pieces of brewing advice I have ever read.

As for your chlorine aroma, if you boil your liquor prior for 20-30 min prior to adjusting it to strike temperature that will see off any chlorine. If you're still worried about it then the usual half campden per 23l that other people recommend. As for adding other salts to your brew I'd leave it at least until after you've brewed a few beers and you're in the position to see what improvements you actually need to make to a recipe. Your first AG brew ain't gonna suffer for it and most likely will knock your socks off as to how good beer brewed from fresh ingredients can taste.

[FUBAR]

Not a bad idea which I did for my first AG brew and I know a few others have done the same is to use Asda smart price water,does'nt need anything apart from a teaspoon of Gypsum in the mash and the boil.Just means one less thing to worry about on the first brew.

[Normski]

My two peneth worth.
Keep it simple. Enjoy the brewday.
Half a tab campden crushed in the water before you start.
Half teaspoon gypsum in the mash and half teaspoon gypsum in the boil.

[darkonnis]

Wouldn't even bother with water treatment, not to be rude to you but you haven't got a clue as to what you're doing.

How do you know the water you wish to use isn't fine as is? How do you know that the results it gives are spot on for your tastes.

You're trying to fine tune the design of something you've never build before.

Make your beer, then come back to this, there is plenty to be playing about with without even looking at water treatment.
All you'll do is over complicate matters and you'll have no clue as to what does what or whats gone wrong (if it does).

Cooky

[Goulders]

Agree with barl_fire. boil the water the night before for 20 or 30 mins. if you have had water (mine is about 230 for alkalinity), leaving the water will result in a rancid brew - I had to throw 2 batches away because of this.

If you have soft water no need to boil.

Enjoy!

[Monkeybrew]

Cheers for all of the comments and ideas.

My water is classified as HARD with a figure of 262.5mg/l for Calcium Carbonate.

-EDIT- Just noticed Alkalinity in the report as 141 mg/l CaCO3

There are many other chemicals and nasties listed in the full quality report, so what are the other key chemicals that I am looking for?

I agree that water treatment may over complicate things a little for my first brew, but as I understand it, certain types of water not only affect the flavour/style of a finished beer but also affect the mash too, so why not try and hit an optimum mash PH the first time around?

Cheers again.

MB

[barl_fire]

Boil your water, brew your beer and worry about the fine tuning once you've got a handle on how beer made from your water supply tastes. Only then can you really say what tweaks and changes are needed. Throwing salts at a brew is pointless until you know what you're actually working with. If you're still bothered about it then by all means use some gypsum and get some pH strips and iodine, but believe me all you are doing is adding an extra level of things to fret about that aren't really necessary at such an early stage.

Concentrate on the simpler more important things like hitting reasonable strike/mash/sparge temperatures and good sanitation and you'll make great beer without worrying about the science. First brew days are tense affairs for everyone and you'll probably feel like you're juggling around and on the go for the whole day, so as few distractions the better. After a few brews everything becomes second nature and experimentation becomes a lot easier once you're more organised and you've got your typical AG brewday plan sussed. The key to your first AG brewday though is keep it simple and you'll not go wrong. Enjoy and be sure to let us know how it goes

[InsideEdge]

Cheers for all of the comments and ideas.

My water is classified as HARD with a figure of 262.5mg/l for Calcium Carbonate.

-EDIT- Just noticed Alkalinity in the report as 141 mg/l CaCO3

There are many other chemicals and nasties listed in the full quality report, so what are the other key chemicals that I am looking for?

I agree that water treatment may over complicate things a little for my first brew, but as I understand it, certain types of water not only affect the flavour/style of a finished beer but also affect the mash too, so why not try and hit an optimum mash PH the first time around?

Cheers again.

MB

Hello, agree with what others have said about keeping it simple initially.

The most important thing with water is the alkalinity which effects the mash ph. Untreated yours is a bit high for pale ales but good for darker beers. The other minerals do have some effect on taste especially at the extreme ends but I feel this aspect is massively overplayed. Just get the alkalinity right, then if you want to dig into it some more.

You will need to look into 'CRS' water treatment for reducing your alkalinity but take it one step at a time.

All the best.