Using DI water

[cdunn1221]

About to venture into my second all grain BIAB batch. I have well water and without a true water report I do not know how to adjust my water chemistry. My first batch I made an irish red and did about 8 gallon mash no sparge. I used 5 gallons DI water and 3 gallons well water. Beer tasted good before kegging, but now a week after kegging has a slight acidic? taste which I am hoping is just from carbonic acid.

Anyways till I get a water report is my safest bet using all DI water and adding the essential minerals? I am looking to make a batch of beer tomorrow and not even sure what style I want to make. I just know I have limited time to make beer and tomorrow is free. I can make RO/DI water so i wonder if this is the best route for the mash? I have played around with Brewers Friend a little bit but not sure how to go about this. Just add all the various minerals to get numbers in range assuming water source numbers will be 0 with DI water?

Sorry for the rambling trying to get myself ready to brew and want to make sure I don't make 5 gallons of mediocre beer

Any help appreciated :rockin:

 

[MrAverageGuy]

About to venture into my second all grain BIAB batch. I have well water and without a true water report I do not know how to adjust my water chemistry. My first batch I made an irish red and did about 8 gallon mash no sparge. I used 5 gallons DI water and 3 gallons well water. Beer tasted good before kegging, but now a week after kegging has a slight acidic? taste which I am hoping is just from carbonic acid.

Anyways till I get a water report is my safest bet using all DI water and adding the essential minerals? I am looking to make a batch of beer tomorrow and not even sure what style I want to make. I just know I have limited time to make beer and tomorrow is free. I can make RO/DI water so i wonder if this is the best route for the mash? I have played around with Brewers Friend a little bit but not sure how to go about this. Just add all the various minerals to get numbers in range assuming water source numbers will be 0 with DI water?

Sorry for the rambling trying to get myself ready to brew and want to make sure I don't make 5 gallons of mediocre beer

Any help appreciated :rockin:

If you don't really know what's in your well water, it's going to give you a more predictable result to use RO or distilled water. You might download the free version of Bru'n Water - to really optimize the mash results and flavor of whatever style you choose, you'll likely need to add a little acid and small amounts of certain readily-available minerals. The Bru'n Water spreadsheet helps you figure out the right amounts. I'll be doing the same thing tomorrow, starting with distilled water, adding some phosphoric to get the pH where I want it for mashing, and small amounts of four minerals to optimize the flavor of a Rye IPA I'm brewing.

 

[mblanks2]

About to venture into my second all grain BIAB batch. I have well water and without a true water report I do not know how to adjust my water chemistry. My first batch I made an irish red and did about 8 gallon mash no sparge. I used 5 gallons DI water and 3 gallons well water. Beer tasted good before kegging, but now a week after kegging has a slight acidic? taste which I am hoping is just from carbonic acid.

Anyways till I get a water report is my safest bet using all DI water and adding the essential minerals? I am looking to make a batch of beer tomorrow and not even sure what style I want to make. I just know I have limited time to make beer and tomorrow is free. I can make RO/DI water so i wonder if this is the best route for the mash? I have played around with Brewers Friend a little bit but not sure how to go about this. Just add all the various minerals to get numbers in range assuming water source numbers will be 0 with DI water?

Sorry for the rambling trying to get myself ready to brew and want to make sure I don't make 5 gallons of mediocre beer

Any help appreciated :rockin:

Agree with MrAverageGuy to use 100% RO water and the bru'n water spreadsheet. I use 100% RO and love the predictability.

 

[cdunn1221]

Thanks using DI water and adding salts. Just not sure if I'm going about using Bru n water correctly. Numbers look good except for pH which is 5.6. I do have lactic acid which I could use but how much can I use?

 

[cdunn1221]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=326524&stc=1&d=1451584922

 

[MrAverageGuy]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=326524&stc=1&d=1451584922

You should be able to play with the cell for quantity of Lactic - the spreadsheet should automatically calculate what that will do to the pH. In my version, the resulting pH shows up on the Adjustment Summary tab...

 

[MrAverageGuy]

You wouldn't have to add much lactic to get pH to drop a couple of points if you're already at 5.6.

 

[cdunn1221]

Yeah I see that just wasn't sure if 2ml is too much

 

[cdunn1221]

Do these numbers look ok otherwise?

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Do these numbers look ok otherwise?

Looks like a great job with the salts quantities - I would plug in the 2 ml of lactic on the sheet and see how it calcs the resulting pH. Don't forget to add in your grain bill if you have not already (it also affects pH). For reference, I added about 1.2 ML of phosphoric to 4 gallons of distilled water yesterday, to get my mash pH where I wanted it - so, sounds like you're in the right ballpark - but, since the sheet will do a more detailed calc for you, I would plug in your number and play with it until it shows the pH you want.

 

[cdunn1221]

Thank you

 

[cdunn1221]

Does hardness and alkalinity in the summary matter if the mineral ions are good?

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Does hardness and alkalinity in the summary matter if the mineral ions are good?

The way I read the instructions, provided you've got green cells on the 'Water Adjustment' tab in the Finished Water Profile, and your Estimated Mash pH is about where you want it on the 'Adjustment Summary' tab, you should be all good.

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Please post the results when you get a finished product in several weeks - very interested.

 

[cdunn1221]

It's showing virtually zero hardness and alkalinity with the 3 ml of lactic acid being added.
This is ok?

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Sounds OK - but if you really want the guy who understands this thoroughly, it's Martin Brungard, who posts here regularly - here's a more detailed thread that is (sort of) related to your question: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=298867

Look at posts #20 and #21 in that thread.

 

[JBOGAN]

Check this out. Helped me ten fold in improving my knowledge of water and what minerals really add to besides Ph.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=198460