Hey all. I have a favor to ask. I’m brewing a Munich Dunkel this weekend, and I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out Bru’n Water. I can tell that it’s an amazing resource … once you figure out how to use it. I’m going to keep doing my research and learn this program if it kills me, unfortunately it’s not gonna happen before this weekend.
If anyone has the time and wouldn’t mind helping me out with my water profile, I would greatly (!!) appreciate it.
This is a 5.75 gallon batch using only RO water.
7 lb, 8 oz Munich (9 SRM)
2 lb Munich (20 SRM)
1 lb, 8 oz Pils (2 SRM)
8 oz Caramunich (56 SRM)
4 oz Carafa II (412 SRM)
Have you actually read the Bru’n Water instruction page? If not, you’ll probably never understand it. Once you read them, you’ll wonder why you were ever confused.
It looks like nobody else is going to help, so here is my minimalist approach. I took Bru’n Water, zeroed out the water report and entered your grain bill and volumes. I added gypsum and calcium chloride to bring the calcium level up to just above 50 ppm while keeping the sulfate:chloride ratio near unity. That led to a very low estimated mash pH so I added baking soda to bring the pH up to about 5.4. Here is the summary, cut and pasted from Bru’n Water (columns are all messed up). It is similar to the Amber Full profile.
Bru’n Water v.5.3 Water Adjustments
Enter Batch Name Here
Profiles (ppm) Exist Mash Finished
Ca 0 54 54
Mg 0 0 0
Na 0 51 19
SO4 0 52 52
Cl 0 57 57
HCO3 0 120 NA
SO4/Cl Ratio 0.9
Batch Volume 5.8 Gallons
Total Mash 3.8 Gallons
Mash Dilution 0.0 Gallons
Total Sparge 6.3 Gallons
Sparge Dilution 0.0 Gallons
Estimated Mash pH 5.42 SU
Mineral Additions (gm) Mash Sparge
Gypsum 1.3 2.2
Calcium Chloride 1.7 2.8
Epsom Salt 0.0 0.0
Mag Chloride 0.0 0.0
Canning Salt 0.0 0.0
Baking Soda 2.7 Not Recommended
Chalk 0.0 Not Recommended
Pickling Lime 0.0 Not Recommended
Sodium Metabisulfite 0.0 0.0
Thank you, Richard. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I’ve been playing around with the numbers for the Munich (boiled) profile, and it seemed like no matter what combination of numbers I used, something was always getting thrown way off. Being new to Bru’n Water, I’m fairly confident that I’m not filling out every necessary piece. I think I’m understanding the basics, but as you know, a little mistake/oversight can have a pretty big impact on the overall water profile. Anyway, I like your approach of using something similar to the Amber Full profile, and I think this will be the direction I head.
Foxbrew, I would like to recommend a few things. I apologize there is less advice from some of the best brewers you can find in here. I agree with Martin the creator of BrunWater, that BrunWater is as simple a device as you take about 15 mins to simply look at Intro Sheet, because you are RO you can Skip to cell 12 and read from there.
As for your recipe it is a little overdone with variety of malts in there. It will make a fine beer, but you could do yourself a favor on your shopping list if you still need to get one.
Recipe
1.048-52 OG
99% Weyerman Munich II (Or a blend of Barke Munich and Munich II)
1% Carafa II
Hops
20IBUs Tett or Perle or Hallertauer or Magnum at 60 min
Yeast
2206 or 2308 at a Lager Pitchrate, please please please make a starter and pitch no less than 500mL of slurry (~1.6M/mL/P) although I make it with 800mL of fresh slurry ferment at 46-48F
Water
Its difficult to give you volumes of brewing minerals to add to your RO because I don’t know you system as far as mash volume, boil volume, sparge amount etc. So I will say your Finished profile guideline in my opinion should be close to this:
Calcium Magnesium Sodium Sulfate Chloride Bicarbonate
59 6 39 69 92 11 ppm
pH should calculate between 5.2 and 5.3
SO4/Cl ~0.7 malty - I don’t prefer the very malty or the very bitter ratios in my beer so I don’t suggest it.
Mash
1.5 - 1.75 qt/lb or full volume if you can swing it and I recommend a step mash if you are able to. This is where most brewers divide on opinions, I prefer the 133/148/155/169. However at the least I recommend a 133@20/152@45/169
If all you can do is hold a temp, and sparge do whatever you can it will still make beer. As long as you enjoy it go for it.
Outside of that aging, do your self a favor and with your 1st gravity reading, throw a packet of 34/70 into the sample to find a fast ferment FG when you are a few points away bottle/keg it.
hey jjefers09 - thank you as well. i know it’s a big “ask” to have someone run the numbers for me, but i appreciate your time. i’ve been playing with brunwater quite a bit the past few days, and i’m feeling better about it … i just have some more learning to do.
i also appreciate your recipe suggestion. i’ll take another look at the one i put together and likely make a few changes.
i do have one question for you … how were you able to get your bicarbonate levels so low with a pH of 5.2-5.3. When i’m moving numbers around in brunwater, i feel like i can get everything pretty close to where i want it except for my pH. when i add some baking soda to raise the pH, obviously the bicarbonate #s start getting far away from my target #.
i know this is a noob question, but i keep getting stumped.
The adjustment with lactic acid to the right pH level lowers your bicarbonate.
Do not feel bad, or be apologetic for trying to learn. That is what this community is for, helping one another sharing the wealth of knowledge and giving perspective of what works well, what works better, what works best etc The more you enjoy this hobby the more availability of products for all of us.