Does anyone have any tips for adjusting water for the pre-hopped malt extract tins (Mr. Beer, Coopers, Muntons, Briess, etc…)? Should be the same as un-hopped malt extract?
I usually use distilled water and a water calculator to adjust for calcium/chloride/sulfate/magnesium.
Just did a Mr. Beer - Diablo IPA and adjusted the sulfate to 75ppm, chloride to 25ppm, magnesium to 8ppm and Calcium to 34ppm. Should turn out very well.
How do you know what you are adjusting to? Extracts already contain all the minerals from the water they were originally brewed with. Unless you know the exact amount that is already present in the extract, you are flying blind.
The only time I add any minerals to an extract batch is when I brew hoppy beers that can benefit from a boost in sulfate. I add 1/2 tsp of gypsum to a 3 gallon batch in those cases. Otherwise, it’s not worth messing around with.
As was said, making water adjustments on extract beer is virtually impossible since you most likely don’t know the minerals present in the extract you are using. You are better off just sticking to distilled or RO water and maybe a little gypsum for hoppy beers or perhaps a smidge of calcium carbonate for darker brews.
Yes, water adjustments are tricky with extract since you don’t know what you are starting with. However, the most important thing you can do for extract brewing is to assure that the water has very little alkalinity. Starting with RO or distilled water is highly desirable, but you can acidify your tap water to reduce alkalinity as long as that tap water isn’t very mineralized.
Agreed, totally flying blind, but not sure how else to experiment with it. Haven’t made a bad batch so far.
Some of the kits are very bland, IMHO, without a good starting water.