Three Steps to Brewing Success (And: Water Modification)

[Steve Killen]

Eh, it's $4. I'm not sweating it. Just have coffee ready for me tomorrow and
we're cool. :)

Your thinking matches my own in the steps. 5mins between checks should be
sufficient time for diffusion into solution. I'll pick up the CaCO3demon at
flhs when getting more London Ale yeast. I guess a degassing whip too :)

--
Steve Killen
| elvestinkle @ twitter
| pursuing.calefaction.org

etsi provectus in sententiis sis
esse parvulus in spiritus debes

On May 17, 2011 1:50 PM, "Clinton Ebadi" <clinton at unknownlamer.org> wrote:
>
> The three steps to a successful brew:
>
> 1. Finish making a starter
> 2. Push the bung into the starter jug
> 3. Watch the bung fall into the jug
>
> So uhhhhh yeah. Steve you need a new packet of yeast (I'll pay for it
> since I screwed up there). I was planning to go to the brew store, but
> realistically can't today (60 miles for the river eno trek + 45
> roundtrip for the brew store + gas is $4/gal ... yeah).
>
> The brewing salts look pretty easy. We mostly need baking soda and CaCO₃
> (chalk) since all we are doing is raising the mash pH. We'll want to use
> a mixture of mostly chalk with potentially a small bit of baking soda to
> avoid raising either the Ca or Na content too much.
>
> Luckily we have headroom for both (~70 ppm Ca, ~25 ppm Na). The Sulfate
> to Chloride ratio is also really off, and so we'll want to try and get
> that as close to 1:3 without raising the Na too much.
>
> I've been reading more on how pH buffering works and I think the buffer
> 5.2 might work in our water. The reports online of it being no good in
> soft water are still a cause for concern, but it looks like salts in
> buffer 5.2 have a higher buffering capacity than the carbonates in water
> thus fixing the pH. Some parts of the Internet even say you only need
> half as much for soft water since it has very little buffering capacity
> to be overcome. I may have failed chemistry so don't trust me.
>
> With all of this in mind I feel this is the best approach for water
> adjustment tomorrow:
>
> - Target a mash temp of 152F to compensate for some heat loss from
> keeping the tun open for an extended time
> - Mash in
> - check pH
> - Add *half* the recommended amount of buffer 5.2
> - check pH
>
> If the pH is ok hooray! Otherwise,
>
> - Add 1/4 the amount of chalk theoretically needed to raise the pH
> - check pH
>
> Repeat until the mash pH has been tamed.
>
> Then we should add a bit of NaCl to the boil (keeping the Na levels
> below 60ppm) to bump up the Chloride levels.
>
> --
> <unknown_lamer> baihu: terroristcat says hi
> <unknown_lamer> she is biting me now
> <baihu> JIHADTAG
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