Today I am brewing a pale ale. Prior to mashing in I measured out my brewing salts (Gypsum, Chalk, & Calcium Chloride) but forgot to throw them in until I was 30 minutes into the mash!
My tap water is:
Ca: 43
Mg: 13
Na: 34
s04: 44
Cl: 92
HC03: 84
My target was:
Ca: 124
Mg: 13
Na: 34
s04: 122
Cl: 93
HC03: 156
I took a pH reading after adding the salts and was ~5.4-5.5.
Any thoughts on how/if the late addition of the salts will affect the brew?
Thanks
Other than calcium and magnesium, the ions are for flavor and can be added in the kettle. Ca and Mg are needed in the mash, but you have about the required level in your base water. Short story - doubt you’ll notice a difference.
The good thing is that your chalk addition was probably ineffective, since it wouldn’t have dissolved in the mash. But that brings up the question of why you were targeting such a high bicarbonate content? I can’t think of any mash that would need that bicarbonate content in the water.
The pH reading is reassuring, assuming that it was obtained from a room-temperature wort sample using a freshly-calibrated pH meter. In that case, you probably don’t have much to worry about.
Thanks guys, the bicarbonate was calculated using John Palmer’s spreadsheets to hit the desired SRM. I’m new to water treatment. I just read the book Water: A comprehensive guide for brewers and some of Palmer’s other stuff within the month as an introduction so I admit I may well be making some rookie mistakes. I basically use beer smith and Palmer’s spreadsheet/range guidelines as my guide.
Oh and the pH sample was not room temp but the device claims to auto temp correct. It is recently calibrated but I wouldn’t swear by it’s accuracy.
PH samples are evaluated at room temperature. Autocorrection compensates for the meters error, not changes in the sample with temperature. The probe will last much longer if you measure at cool temps.
Ah! I definitely misunderstood the ATC function then… that would put it closer to 5.2 then
Try Bru’nwater. I get much more accurate results with it than others.
+1 (reminder to self, get the paid version ASAP)
Really? That’s about what I shoot for to get the mash pH up to 5.5ish for a porter or stout. My tap water RA is only 10-30 depending on the season and without the salt addition it would come in around 5.2 pH.
yeah, I need to do this too. I hear the paid version is a 100ppm better.
+10. Great software.
Where does one get that?
You follow the link to Bru’nWater and can either download the free version or agree to make a contribution. Once you make a contribution, Martin will email you the supporter’s version, which has improved features. Whatever amount you contribute, I assure you it’s a steal. It’ll make your beer better.
Actually maybe it was right, just saw this sentence on the calculator:
“This calculator attempts to correct the reading of a pH meter that does not internally account for temperature. If your pH meter features automatic temperature compensation (ATC) or the ability to “dial-in” temperature, it is already internally performing this correction.”
Then again 152 may be too high for it to work effectively.
An ATC function accounts for the probe’s variation in pH reading as a result of temperature. It doesn’t change the fact that the mash pH itself is also different at different temperatures.
Is there a formula that does compensate for this or do different grains vary from each other? Also don’t ph probes degrade when used in hot liquids?
Two things go on with temperature, the meters accuracy. The sample will change. Do you think the meter is made just for wort, or is it made for any sample that will change with temperature at different reaction rates WRT temperature?
I measure at room temperature, even though my meter has temperature compensation.
That makes sense, thanks again. I guess the only downside of waiting for your mash to cool is that it gives you less time get a reading and make any needed adjustments for a proper pH.
A small sample will cool pretty quickly.