Bru'n Water help

Get the pH right, and it is best to measure the pH of the mash.

Your sulfate is given as SO4-S, sulfate as sulfur, to get as sulfate multiply by 3, so you end up with SO4=147 ppm. Maybe you have akready done that.

 

I don't use Bru'nWater (I like EZWater), so I can't offer help with your specific spreadsheet questions. But if by salt you mean NaCl, I wouldn't recommend adding it. I generally build from distilled water, and I get all of my chloride from CaCl. Also, if by punch up your hops you mean enhance the 'crisp' bitterness, the sulfate from Gypsum does that. Chloride tends to enhance malty flavors. The trick is to find the right balance between Sulfates and Chloride.

 

I had to download a new version to see the RA graph and the cities. It looks like he has left off some of the cases that AJ Delange has on his chart. I think Martin might have looked at those and decided they are not realizable as they might not balance electricly.

One beer I have brewed often is a Pils with a negative RA. Works fine.

 

A negative RA is not a problem. As I said, get the pH right, use the papers and do the best you can with them. 5.3 would be better for a light colored beer.

As far as the Cl to SO4 ratio, don't get too hung up on it. CL=19 and SO4 = 294 is fine for a hoppy bitter beer. There are a few IPA waters in the IPA book by Steele that are in that range.

 

Me thinks you be playing w/fire by using a water report from an unknown spigot.

 

If he knows what the city is putting out from the water plant, and is on the same system, I don't think it will be too far off. Seasonal variation would be more.

If I remember, I will ask the city water manager at a nearby city next I see her what the variation would be around the system.

 

Probably shoulhd have added some context.

I too used a proximty groundwater report while waiting for Ward to analyze mine.
The two were worlds apart.

Agree if the source in municipal...then it should be in the ballpark.

 

I've been using Bru'n water for all my brews.
1st thing is to get the Ph to the right level.
Use "Pale Ale" under water desired.
What I do is get it as close as possible to that waters SO/Cl ratio which is 5.5.
I have to use "Pickling lime" to do this. Gypsum and Calcium chloride also is used.
By playing around with the other salts you will see your Ph go up or down.
Once Ph+salts levels+SO/Cl ratio are in range your set..

 

are you adjusting all of your beers to this profile? pale ale / high sulfate/choride ratio?

hoppy/bitter beers will benefit from this. if you are trying to make something malty however, say a brown ale or a bock, this would not be the way to go.

 

If it is ground water it can be very different. Well depth and strata it is in will make a very big difference.

 

That is true if the sum of CL and SO4 >100. For small values don't worry too much.
Look at the ratio for Munich water, and from that ratio you would say they could only make hoppy beers. The ratio is a guideline with limits.

 

yes, that is true. i still dont believe that there is not a "one-profile-fits-all" technique for adjusting water however. fine tuning chemistry should make for better beers within each style. not completely necessary for making good beer, but preferred for getting the most flavor out of every beer in every style.

 

What has surprised me the most in this discussion is the apparently all-purpose advice to add 1 TBSP gypsum / 5G no matter the water's profile.

This doesn't suggest it's not the right thing to do...just that it's a one-size-fits-all solution.

 

I agree that would be bad advice. But I don't see anyone in the thread giving it.