Bicarbonate: issue or not

Im guessing the source water only shows up for each users profile so I cant see yours only mine
 
Ozarks Mountain Brew said:
that looks good to me
Click to expand...
I guess what I need to figure out is the processes involved. I understand how to use lime and I have also read that by just boiling it reduces co2 without lime additions (which reduces alkalinity). I guess I am looking for calculations to understand what just boiling would do as compared to lime slaking. Since my alkalinity is mostly bicarbonate as I understand it, will boiling alone be enough for pale ales with just a few salt additions and a small amount of acid or acid malt to balance PH?
 
getting better, just like you have it with both Gypsum/Calcium chloride, in my opinion you need both but too much Gypsum is bad if Calcium chloride is not present, I’ve heard a balance 3/1 is best but I can’t seem to get that with my water
 
if you buy 88% phosphoric acid its just a tiny amount in a shot syringe
 
no it reduces heavy minerals and some compounds from the treatment plant like lime

my process is run the water through the 2 filters then fill the hlt to the top, add a crushed campden tablet and recirculate while heating, I don't add anything else to the water

I add the grain to the htl dry and when the water is 162 fill the mash tun from the bottom add my salts and phosphoric acid there once filled to the correct level start the recirculation then fill the hlt back up to cover the coils

after the mash is done add my sparge phosphoric acid while still recirculating to the hlt and I heat the hlt and mash up to 170 then start my fly sparge
 
you dont add any salts at all Ozarks? Surely depending on style you tweek it a bit for a malty or hoppy brew?

I havnt done a brew in adges where i didnt add either calcium chloride or sulphate.
 
yes, I do every brew just not always the same

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So I brewed a big dark(39.4srm) stout and came out with a 5.35ph and according to the calculator should have been 5.14 ph. Within the ballpark. Ordered my calcium chloride and some 85% phosphoric acid (have gypsum on hand). Next up will be a crisp clean wheat beer. Will set up water for a malty light beer with calculator and just boiling the mash water, then cooling enough to mash with. This should give me a chance to check ph at both ends of the SRM spectrum along with understanding the water calculator a little better. I have put off this "water" rabbit hole for quite a while but after having my process down now, the hole doesn't seem so deep.
 
yeah it can be a bit hard to grasp at first, the real thing to account is one change in one direction can alter another in the wrong way, I totally get what your saying, it just takes a few batches and experimentation
 
The calculator makes it much easier. I've looked all around and found lots of opinions but still come back to it. Boiling works for my water without decanting according to it so would be best for me rather than buying a RO system just for lighter beers. The addition of calcium chloride (along with gypsum) will be what helps me balance it out for other beers. As nosey bear said if it works don't fix it. I found a simple formula in a HBA article by Martin that proves the info spit out by the calculator on boiling helps and how much it helps is comparable to the calculator.
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=5792.0
 
that will work, thats roughly my every day water mix for most pale ales, always works for me
 
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