Water Calculator Question

[AlanHarper]

Looking at the water calculator it requests the volume of water used overall and the amount of that water used in the Mash. If 25 lt is used overall and 15 lt used for the mash the difference, 10 lt, is to be used for Sparging. Or is it?
Later on in the process instructions the salts are split - some to the mash and the rest to be added to the boiler;
- "3) Carefully weigh out the boiler additions and add them to the boiler once you have completed sparging."
So, if I understand this correctly, 3/5 of the salts is diluted with 3/5 of the water then 2/5 of the water are used as sparge. The remaining 2/5 of the salt then has ALL of the wort added to it in the boiler. Why not add it to the 2/5 Sparge water or is the intention to have a higher relative concentration in the wort in the boiler considering that there will be some losses to liquid volume due to mash retention. It may just be the wording but I am confused with the overall maths of the process though the concept of splitting up the salt additions is understandable. Am I reading too much into this?

 

[GerritT]

Yes, I think so.
How would they have brewed in the place where the brew was original from? My guess is it would be all the same water. Match that water profile, and use it for the brewing all over. I could be wrong and wouldn't mind being stood corrected.

My own plan is (yes I think about these things too :) ) to find bottled water that matches the water I need. -ish.
Tapwater is softest in the country so I need harder water for ales. I have a few ounces of various salts and other powders and could try and relive my nightmares of Chemistry and Lab 101 classes (the horror... the HORROR...) or I could find matching bottled water.
Gonna brew a stout? Better buy 27 L of brand X. Imperial IPA time? 27 L of brand Y on the list. Occasional Pilsner? Tapwater it is!

And you could always try the recipe with tapwater: if it tastes nice, it can be brewed with. Unless there's so much calcium in it, it crunches between the teeth

 

[strange-steve]

Looking at the water calculator it requests the volume of water used overall and the amount of that water used in the Mash. If 25 lt is used overall and 15 lt used for the mash the difference, 10 lt, is to be used for Sparging. Or is it?
Later on in the process instructions the salts are split - some to the mash and the rest to be added to the boiler;
- "3) Carefully weigh out the boiler additions and add them to the boiler once you have completed sparging."
So, if I understand this correctly, 3/5 of the salts is diluted with 3/5 of the water then 2/5 of the water are used as sparge. The remaining 2/5 of the salt then has ALL of the wort added to it in the boiler. Why not add it to the 2/5 Sparge water or is the intention to have a higher relative concentration in the wort in the boiler considering that there will be some losses to liquid volume due to mash retention. It may just be the wording but I am confused with the overall maths of the process though the concept of splitting up the salt additions is understandable. Am I reading too much into this?

It doesn't really make a lot of difference whether you add the remaining 2/5 of the salts to the sparge water or directly into the boiler because essentially the same ions end up in the wort (not precisely, but close enough), but personally I add to the sparge water. Other people collect the whole volume of water and treat it all together at the beginning.

Yes, I think so.
How would they have brewed in the place where the brew was original from? My guess is it would be all the same water. Match that water profile, and use it for the brewing all over.

This approach would be fine if we knew with any certainty what the ion content of the water used for brewing in those areas actually was. A more reliable method is to adjust alkalinity to ensure proper mash pH, add enough calcium for proper yeast health and adjust sulphate/chloride to suit the style or your taste preference.

 

[GerritT]

This approach would be fine if we knew with any certainty what the ion content of the water used for brewing in those areas actually was. A more reliable method is to adjust alkalinity to ensure proper mash pH, add enough calcium for proper yeast health and adjust sulphate/chloride to suit the style or your taste preference.

An approach aimed at the best possible quality of the wort, and not the replication of the original brewwater