Three Steps to Brewing Success (And: Water Modification)

[Steve Killen]

Oh, and corn sugar. Whee!

On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 9:22 PM, Steve Killen <steven.f.killen at gmail.com>wrote:

> 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
>



-- 
Steven F. Killen <steven.f.killen at gmail.com>
| elvestinkle @ twitter
| pursuing.calefaction.org

Etsi provectus in sententiis sis
Esse parvulus in spiritus debes
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