Water profile, do I need to add acid?

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Blinky

Regular.
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Messages
292
Reaction score
44
Location
NULL
I'm just outside Edinburgh and my water is pretty pure, I've got the water report and plugged the figures into the ez water calc. I'm adding 4.8g of gypsum, 1.9 of calcium chloride and 2.9g of Epsom salts to get the following profile
Ca 76
Mg 13
An 8
Cl48
So4 155
Which seems good for a hoppy beer, my. Concern is around the mash Ph. According to the calculator it's going to be around 5.64, adding in 150g of acid malt brings it down to 5.31 which seems to me to be a batter value. I just wanted to confirm this was all correct?
 
I'm just outside Edinburgh and my water is pretty pure, I've got the water report and plugged the figures into the ez water calc. I'm adding 4.8g of gypsum, 1.9 of calcium chloride and 2.9g of Epsom salts to get the following profile
Ca 76
Mg 13
An 8
Cl48
So4 155
Which seems good for a hoppy beer, my. Concern is around the mash Ph. According to the calculator it's going to be around 5.64, adding in 150g of acid malt brings it down to 5.31 which seems to me to be a batter value. I just wanted to confirm this was all correct?
Are you taking into account your malt bill?
 
Yeah sorry, the malt bill has been added to the calc. It's 3.8kg of pale, 165g of light crystal, 248g of medium crystal and 165g of wheat. It's strange measures as I'm buying a kit but the 19l. Version so it's been scaled down from the 23l one
 
Yeah sorry, the malt bill has been added to the calc. It's 3.8kg of pale, 165g of light crystal, 248g of medium crystal and 165g of wheat. It's strange measures as I'm buying a kit but the 19l. Version so it's been scaled down from the 23l one
I don't think you need to be adding Epsom salts, you have a fair amount in there already .
 
Not sure what you mean about the Epsom salts? There is no Epsom salts already in, sorry I'm a bit confused with the whole eater additions thing!
 
I'm just outside Edinburgh and my water is pretty pure, I've got the water report and plugged the figures into the ez water calc. I'm adding 4.8g of gypsum, 1.9 of calcium chloride and 2.9g of Epsom salts to get the following profile
Ca 76
Mg 13
An 8
Cl48
So4 155
Which seems good for a hoppy beer, my. Concern is around the mash Ph. According to the calculator it's going to be around 5.64, adding in 150g of acid malt brings it down to 5.31 which seems to me to be a batter value. I just wanted to confirm this was all correct?
Yes 5.3 with the above profile and 150g acidulated malt will be fine for a hoppy beer. The acid malt will make up 3.3% of the grist which ought to be below the taste threshold for the lactic acid that it's bringing to the party.
 
Sorry, how do you know how much magnesium is in before I add the salt?
 
Sorry, how do you know how much magnesium is in before I add the salt?
If you are adding 2.5 g then you must have had magnesium before the salt addition plus there is enough magnesium in the grain without having to add more and just checked Edinburgh water and it is 18 ppm.
Profile for a light hoppy beer.
Ca2+ Mg2+ Na+ Cl- SO42- HCO3-
75 5 10 50 150 0

https://byo.com/article/water-adjustments/
 
Ah ok, I'm about 15 miles south of Edinburgh and my water report shows 2mg of magnesium I think. But I see what you mean about the malt also having some, so I don't need to add any more. Will have another look at the salt additions with no Epson then.
 
I have a similarly low level and used the last of my epsom salts watering my greenhouse. I just use calcium salts now and occasionally plain table salt.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top