Water Profiling?

[aviator24]

So started brewing the extract kits with bottling off and on for past 20 years. Last year made the hyper jump to BIAB. Built two 3 tap keezers and am really happy with all this. Now I am reading about the water profiling and am trying to wrap my head around it. How many of my fellow BIAB'ers do the water profiling???
How much does this add to the brew day?? I BIAB to KISS (keep it simple stupid), just wondering if I need to mortgage the house for a new chemistry lesson, PH meter, flux capacitor, chemicals and whatever else is required? Figure before I do that I should install a RO system as going to the store for filtered water is a PITA but I do not trust my well water, or drink it.
IDK????

 

[stpug]

Unless you're already familiar with water profiling then there is a learning curve to get over - in terms of knowledge. Once over the hump, it's super simple. The curve can be reasonably small if you use a spreadsheet like Bru'N Water and use the included "Color-Quality" profiles as your targets. The hardest part is reading about the subject; digesting what you can; and running through the spreadsheet the first time. After that, the spreadsheet is quite simple to use. Actual "added time" to brewday is zero, but that's because the weighing of additions happens while waiting on water to heat to strike temps.

Cost may include: hundredths gram digital scale ($8-10), gypsum ($2), calcium chloride ($2), acid ($3). Possibly Epsom salt ($2) and table salt ($1) if desired. BUT, these additions will last you for 50+ 5gallon batches

I would say that starting from RO or distilled water that you definitely should be introducing some mineralization to the brew water. The other, more easy option, is to use AJ's water primer thread protocol and forego the learning curve. Basically it takes the calculations out of the equation and helps you target basic safe levels for different kinds of beers.

 

[PADave]

I kinda in the same boat. Our well water isn't good, so I have always brewed with bottled spring water, and never gave water chemistry any thought. That water was great for an IPA, but stouts just were not coming out right. So I dove into water chemistry. I use brewers friend, and figured out their water calculator. Started using distilled water and adding all of the salts. Now my IPAs are ending up even better. Haven't had a chance to brew a dark beer with salt additions yet.
I was never that good with chemistry, so it was a bit of a learning curve. Once you figure out a calculator or spreadsheet, it's pretty easy. EZ water is another one to try. I find it much simpler to use than Bruinwater.

 

[mabrungard]

While Bru'n Water looks like it's too complicated, a couple of minutes of reading the instructions helps substantially. It hasn't failed yet that brewers that initially said that the program looked too complicated, found out that was actually pretty easy after they READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!

 

[BongoYodeler]

Great timing, I was just looking for the first time at what's involved with a water profile. I found this video showing you can use distilled water and a pre-set profile found on the Bru'n Water spreadsheet and then add the mineral results into Beersmith. Anyone have any experience doing this?



What I don't know is how to deal with mash pH. I hear those test strips aren't all that accurate and a meter isn't in my immediate future. I'm planning on brewing an Amarillo SMaSH a few days after Christmas with my son. I followed the instructions using the "yellow dry" profile with distilled water, ad I input that into Beersmith. Hopefully I'm on the right track.

 

[craigthunder]

I am a very casual homebrewer. I only get the chance to brew a few batches a year. I've used the accumash water treatment pouches with distilled water and have pretty good results. It would be cheaper to weigh the additions out on my own but, I like the ease of the accumash. It's about $5 for 5 gallons.

 

[craigthunder]

I am a very casual homebrewer. I only get the chance to brew a few batches a year. I've used the accumash water treatment pouches with distilled water and have pretty good results. It would be cheaper to weigh the additions out on my own but, I like the ease of the accumash. It's about $5 for 5 gallons.

 

[Elvis_on_Bass]

Water adjustments have made a great difference in my final quality. One thing to be aware of with BIAB is the volume of water to the grain which dilutes some of the effects/increases overall buffer capacity. Especially if you are doing the full water addition in the infusion. I find that with full volume water additions the calculators get close, but I haven't found one that is ultra accurate. Usually they are off by 0.1 to 0.2, which in some styles is important, so shoot for the middle of the range and take notes. Also, let the mash sit for a few minutes before taking a reading.

For any additions I follow the KISS method, you don't have to add multiple salts to hit numbers exactly as based on your mineral breakdowns. Target a good mash pH and chloride to sulfate ratio for the style. A lot of the calculators give you this ratio and tell you if it tends towards maltiness or bitterness respectively.

 

[Master]

I started off blindly just adding "Burton Salts"

As an engineer and former industrial chemist, that was only me being lazy and lacking a decent analysis of my water at home. Now being less lazy and got the water reports from the city.

One one overseas trip I read the entire Brewer's Publications "Ingredients" series.

Bru'n Water is the easiest way to play with the water profiles I've found.

Started off with the free version. Liked it, and got the supporter version recently.

Like Martin B stated, read the instructions. It's pretty easy.

 

[jpakstis]

While Bru'n Water looks like it's too complicated, a couple of minutes of reading the instructions helps substantially. It hasn't failed yet that brewers that initially said that the program looked too complicated, found out that was actually pretty easy after they READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!

Yup, I agree with this! Our water authority (the Greater Boston area) prints out a really detailed annual and monthly water reports, but does not separate the bicarbonate and carbonate levels and instead lists the total alkalinity and pH and I kept banging my head against the virtual wall trying to input my water source until I read the instructions and used the alkalinity conversion calculator! My last two batches, both very hoppy IPAs, came out great as a result!

 

[jdauria]

Have been using RO or distilled (whichever is easier for me to get the day before brew day) and Bru'n Water spreadsheet for maybe three years now. In that time, my beers have improved drastically. My town's water report is worthless as they do multiple tests a year and only report the average of those tests once a year and that average is wicked high in chloride and sodium. Using town water, my beers were hit or miss, very muddled beers. Switching to RO/DI water and adjusting it to style has turned my beers into frequent medal winners in comps.

 

[bareknucklesbrewing]

I am trying to read up on water chemistry myself these days. Seems to be the next logical step in the process. I stumbled upon this link while looking for homebrew blogs.

http://www.thescrewybrewer.com/2016/11/ezbrewingwater-ro.html

He uses RO water for his water source.

Hope this helps.
Cheers!