strange-steve
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Since it's a topic that comes up quite a lot on the forum I thought I'd post a beginners guide to simple water treatment. Rather than delving into the complex chemistry, this is designed to give the basic information to get you started. There is lots of much more in-depth information available online if you’d like some further reading.
More advanced treatment here -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/more-advanced-water-treatment.71451/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/digging-deep-into-water-treatment.83931/
Just to add a couple of caveats to this, firstly I'm not a chemist so everything here is based on the work of much more knowledgeable people than I. But because I'm an amateur, I understand why this can be a confusing topic and so I've tried to take all the stuff I've read on the subject and simplify it into a manageable method. Secondly, this is just one way of approaching water treatment, other methods are available because even the experts on the subject don't agree on the "best" approach. However, this method works successfully for me. I'm not going to go through all the various options because it would take forever and ultimately be counterproductive for a beginners guide.
So let's get started:
The treatment of water for brewing can be broken down into 3 simple parts:
1. Removal of chlorine and chloramine
2. Adjustment of alkalinity
3. Addition of calcium salts and flavour ions
So let's look at each of these 3 aspects, but first some details.
What do I need in order to start treating my water?
There are a few things you'll need:
Salifert KH/Alk test kit
Salifert Ca test kit
Campden tablets
Either CRS [see note 1] or lactic acid
Gypsum
Calcium chloride
Bicarbonate of soda
A small syringe to measure the acids
Small scales with 0.1g resolution (search ebay for jewellery scales)
Do I need a full water report?
For taking your first steps into water treatment, no. The problem with water reports is that they generally don't have the information we require, namely alkalinity and calcium values, and even when they do, they are usually mean values which can be subject to quite substantial variation. Using the Salifert kits mentioned above is a more reliable method for now, although you may consider getting a proper analysis done in the future.
When do I add the water treatments?
Add all treatments to the mash water and sparge water before heating. Therefore the order of events is:-
- Fill your HLT with the required volume of water for the mash
- Treat it as necessary, stirring well
- Heat to strike temperature and dough-in
- Repeat for the sparge liquor.
Why is the mash water and sparge water treated separately?
You could collect the entire volume of water needed and treat the whole lot together (in fact if you full-volume mash this is exactly what you'd do) however the reason I suggest splitting them, is that sometimes the mash water is treated differently from the sparge water, but more on that later.
1. Removal of chlorine and chloramine
Why?
These are undesirable compounds found in some tap water supplies which react with phenols from the malt and hops to create a very unpleasant medicinal/TCP flavour which will ruin your brew even in tiny concentrations and no amount of ageing will remove it. If you use bottled water, this step can be skipped because it doesn't contain chlorine or chloramine.
How?
Most supplies in the UK don't contain chloramine (though there are a some which do) but chlorine is fairly common. There are various methods of removal such as carbon filtration, boiling, aeration etc. which are effective for removing chlorine but not chloramine. These methods can also be time and energy consuming, and so the easiest and quickest method is simply to use campden tablets [see note 2] which are very effective at removing both chlorine and chloramine.
Simply crush the tablet between two teaspoons, add to the mash/sparge water and give it a good stir to dissolve. Do this before you begin heating the water and the reaction will be complete by the time it reaches temperature. At typical chlorine concentrations, half of a tablet will treat around 35L of water, but don't be concerned about measuring out exact amounts. I normally just use a quarter tablet in the mash water and quarter in the sparge water.
Chlorine treatment may not be entirely necessary depending on your water supply, but it's so quick and easy to add campden that I recommend doing it if you have any doubt.
2. Adjustment of alkalinity
Why?
This is the primary reason for treating water. The purpose is to make sure the mash pH falls within the desired range of 5.2 - 5.8 which has a number of benefits such as improved enzyme activity, more efficient conversion, better hop extraction in the boil, better protein precipitation, improved yeast health and clarity of the finished product to name a few.
Something to bear in mind though, is that the pH of your water has practically no effect on the pH of the mash. This can be a source of confusion for many, but alkalinity is not the same as hardness or pH [see note 3], it is essentially a measure of how resistant the water is to change of pH. Therefore if your water's alkalinity is too high it will prevent the mash pH from falling to the correct range. However to complicate matters a little, the grain bill also has an effect. If there is a lot of crystal or roasted malts in the mash it will lower the pH, meaning that in general, dark beers require higher alkalinity water than pale beers.
How?
Well first of all, you need to know what your alkalinity is so that you know what adjustments are required. In order to do this, I strongly suggest that you get yourself a Salifert KH/Alk test kit [see note 4]. Using this, you can test the alkalinity of your water every time you brew, which may seem like overkill, but it can be surprisingly variable.
Now you know what the alkalinity is, you need to adjust it to roughly the correct level. Sparge water should always be adjusted to a low alkalinity, about 30 ppm or less preferably, but for the mash water, the following is a very general target to aim for [see note 5 and exception 1]:
For a pale beer - 20 ppm
For an amber beer - 35 ppm
For a brown beer - 75 ppm
For a black beer - 120 ppm
Don't worry about being exact, most of the time a mash will naturally end up pretty close to where it should be but this step will give it a little push in the right direction.
To reduce alkalinity, there are various methods of doing so, however I'm only going to discuss reduction through acid addition, specifically lactic acid and CRS, because it's the simplest way and both are commonly available in most home brew stores.
Firstly lactic acid; now this can have a flavour impact on the finished beer if used in large quantities, therefore I would recommend using it only for relatively minor adjustments. I would err on the side of caution and suggest a maximum rate of about 0.3ml per litre of water, because a lactate flavour can be unpleasant in some beer styles. Lactic acid added at 0.1ml per litre will remove about 52 ppm of alkalinity.
As for CRS, it is more flavour neutral in beer and so can be used in higher quantities. Adding CRS at a rate of 0.5ml per litre of water will remove around 95 ppm of alkalinity.
When using acid to treat the water, always be sure to add it before you heat the water to strike/sparge temperature, and stir it in well to release CO2.
If you have low alkalinity water you may have to increase it to get to the correct level which can be done by adding bicarbonate of soda (the stuff you bake with, aka baking soda or sodium bicarbonate). Adding 0.1g per litre of water increases the alkalinity by about 60 ppm [see note 6].
Part Two below -
More advanced treatment here -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/more-advanced-water-treatment.71451/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/digging-deep-into-water-treatment.83931/
Just to add a couple of caveats to this, firstly I'm not a chemist so everything here is based on the work of much more knowledgeable people than I. But because I'm an amateur, I understand why this can be a confusing topic and so I've tried to take all the stuff I've read on the subject and simplify it into a manageable method. Secondly, this is just one way of approaching water treatment, other methods are available because even the experts on the subject don't agree on the "best" approach. However, this method works successfully for me. I'm not going to go through all the various options because it would take forever and ultimately be counterproductive for a beginners guide.
So let's get started:
The treatment of water for brewing can be broken down into 3 simple parts:
1. Removal of chlorine and chloramine
2. Adjustment of alkalinity
3. Addition of calcium salts and flavour ions
So let's look at each of these 3 aspects, but first some details.
What do I need in order to start treating my water?
There are a few things you'll need:
Salifert KH/Alk test kit
Salifert Ca test kit
Campden tablets
Either CRS [see note 1] or lactic acid
Gypsum
Calcium chloride
Bicarbonate of soda
A small syringe to measure the acids
Small scales with 0.1g resolution (search ebay for jewellery scales)
Do I need a full water report?
For taking your first steps into water treatment, no. The problem with water reports is that they generally don't have the information we require, namely alkalinity and calcium values, and even when they do, they are usually mean values which can be subject to quite substantial variation. Using the Salifert kits mentioned above is a more reliable method for now, although you may consider getting a proper analysis done in the future.
When do I add the water treatments?
Add all treatments to the mash water and sparge water before heating. Therefore the order of events is:-
- Fill your HLT with the required volume of water for the mash
- Treat it as necessary, stirring well
- Heat to strike temperature and dough-in
- Repeat for the sparge liquor.
Why is the mash water and sparge water treated separately?
You could collect the entire volume of water needed and treat the whole lot together (in fact if you full-volume mash this is exactly what you'd do) however the reason I suggest splitting them, is that sometimes the mash water is treated differently from the sparge water, but more on that later.
1. Removal of chlorine and chloramine
Why?
These are undesirable compounds found in some tap water supplies which react with phenols from the malt and hops to create a very unpleasant medicinal/TCP flavour which will ruin your brew even in tiny concentrations and no amount of ageing will remove it. If you use bottled water, this step can be skipped because it doesn't contain chlorine or chloramine.
How?
Most supplies in the UK don't contain chloramine (though there are a some which do) but chlorine is fairly common. There are various methods of removal such as carbon filtration, boiling, aeration etc. which are effective for removing chlorine but not chloramine. These methods can also be time and energy consuming, and so the easiest and quickest method is simply to use campden tablets [see note 2] which are very effective at removing both chlorine and chloramine.
Simply crush the tablet between two teaspoons, add to the mash/sparge water and give it a good stir to dissolve. Do this before you begin heating the water and the reaction will be complete by the time it reaches temperature. At typical chlorine concentrations, half of a tablet will treat around 35L of water, but don't be concerned about measuring out exact amounts. I normally just use a quarter tablet in the mash water and quarter in the sparge water.
Chlorine treatment may not be entirely necessary depending on your water supply, but it's so quick and easy to add campden that I recommend doing it if you have any doubt.
2. Adjustment of alkalinity
Why?
This is the primary reason for treating water. The purpose is to make sure the mash pH falls within the desired range of 5.2 - 5.8 which has a number of benefits such as improved enzyme activity, more efficient conversion, better hop extraction in the boil, better protein precipitation, improved yeast health and clarity of the finished product to name a few.
Something to bear in mind though, is that the pH of your water has practically no effect on the pH of the mash. This can be a source of confusion for many, but alkalinity is not the same as hardness or pH [see note 3], it is essentially a measure of how resistant the water is to change of pH. Therefore if your water's alkalinity is too high it will prevent the mash pH from falling to the correct range. However to complicate matters a little, the grain bill also has an effect. If there is a lot of crystal or roasted malts in the mash it will lower the pH, meaning that in general, dark beers require higher alkalinity water than pale beers.
How?
Well first of all, you need to know what your alkalinity is so that you know what adjustments are required. In order to do this, I strongly suggest that you get yourself a Salifert KH/Alk test kit [see note 4]. Using this, you can test the alkalinity of your water every time you brew, which may seem like overkill, but it can be surprisingly variable.
Now you know what the alkalinity is, you need to adjust it to roughly the correct level. Sparge water should always be adjusted to a low alkalinity, about 30 ppm or less preferably, but for the mash water, the following is a very general target to aim for [see note 5 and exception 1]:
For a pale beer - 20 ppm
For an amber beer - 35 ppm
For a brown beer - 75 ppm
For a black beer - 120 ppm
Don't worry about being exact, most of the time a mash will naturally end up pretty close to where it should be but this step will give it a little push in the right direction.
To reduce alkalinity, there are various methods of doing so, however I'm only going to discuss reduction through acid addition, specifically lactic acid and CRS, because it's the simplest way and both are commonly available in most home brew stores.
Firstly lactic acid; now this can have a flavour impact on the finished beer if used in large quantities, therefore I would recommend using it only for relatively minor adjustments. I would err on the side of caution and suggest a maximum rate of about 0.3ml per litre of water, because a lactate flavour can be unpleasant in some beer styles. Lactic acid added at 0.1ml per litre will remove about 52 ppm of alkalinity.
As for CRS, it is more flavour neutral in beer and so can be used in higher quantities. Adding CRS at a rate of 0.5ml per litre of water will remove around 95 ppm of alkalinity.
When using acid to treat the water, always be sure to add it before you heat the water to strike/sparge temperature, and stir it in well to release CO2.
If you have low alkalinity water you may have to increase it to get to the correct level which can be done by adding bicarbonate of soda (the stuff you bake with, aka baking soda or sodium bicarbonate). Adding 0.1g per litre of water increases the alkalinity by about 60 ppm [see note 6].
Part Two below -
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