Bicarbonate: issue or not

[Head First]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator/?id=YCRS355

So this is what I came up with for a light beer to play with water. I will use WB-06 slurry for yeast instead of T-58.
Just boiling and acid additions for PH with a balanced light colored water profile. Now I need amazon to get on it and get me my stuff!

So brewed this yesterday and all calculations came out as predicted. I was very happy with the outcome. Hit 86% efficiency with 2 batch sparges on my RIMS system. The flour in this recipe is quite odd though, like adding gravy as a late addition. Surely that starchy haze could be done another way but it's something different and it does leave a lasting cloudiness. Anyway I am certain now my brews will improve with the proper use of the water calculator. It does all the math as long as you fully understand what you are doing. I have seen lots of posts that people tried to mess with water without understanding what they were doing and was not going to be one of them. Thanks Kai

 

[Head First]

Brewed a pale ale today. Boiled my water with salts, let cool to mash temp, added proper phosphoric acid to mash at 5.4 all according to calculator. Well missed mash ph with my meter by .02 . I think this will work to make better beer but I have to question how much chalk I lose doing this and is it going to be consistent every time.. There is a thin layer inside the entire hlt but I'm sure some that has precipitated out gets transferred to the wort or sparge water as the pick up is near the bottom (same keggle for both). I calculate it as precipitating not decanting but must be leaving some chalk. If this was a significant amount shouldn't it show up against the calculations somewhere? This is a trial and error for me but consistency is what I'm looking for. The Wit was just kegged today with an uncarbed taste test of clean for the brew(brewing partner likes this one so have brewed it several times before). Will see how the Pale Ale comes out. Efficiency was up with it also so on the right track. Just wondering if as far as consistently brewing like batches if I should go ahead and spill out for an RO system. Maybe brew this Pale Ale a few times and see if there is any significant difference between batches?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

the only way to really get rid of the minerals and additives is to decant after boiling and in the calculate theres a check for that, have you sent off your water yet for brewing analysis

 

[GFHomebrew]

Better brewing efficiency has that also been a result of trying to acidify mash ph there headfirst? Its my understanding that a ph of 5.6 is perfect fir enzymatic action in the wort. As per Braukaiser website.

 

[Head First]

the only way to really get rid of the minerals and additives is to decant after boiling and in the calculate theres a check for that, have you sent off your water yet for brewing analysis

Yes my water results are listed in first post in this thread. The boiling obviously works to reduce the bicarbonate but was just curious about how much chalk is staying in the HLT. I have no way of testing. Martin's calculation are what I need to go by it looks like.

Yes trialben just still playing around with figures for now. I like the fact that I can hit target ph doing the preboil for bicarb with the exact prescribed acid. I think the consistency will be there just have to trust the calculator.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

ha ha my bad I didn't read the whole thing, yesterday was a strange day anyhow I guess you could boil decant then send it off to really see whats going on

 

[Head First]

ha ha my bad I didn't read the whole thing, yesterday was a strange day anyhow I guess you could boil decant then send it off to really see whats going on

That is what it would take I think to see hard evidence. For now I am going to brew a few more lighter batches and see how they come out. Really liked the outcome of the wort yesterday. Will brew it several more times. The only issue is what to do with all the excess beer.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Patience and time and good brew notes will get you there eventually.

 

[Head First]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/553656/bitchin-belgian-wit

This was the first lighter beer trial batch brewed with water adjustments. It has carbed since Sunday evening at 20 psi and in my opinion it is much more crisp and clean than prior batches. The Cascade shines out and no bitter aftertaste.

 

[GFHomebrew]

It sure is worth taking time to take time with water adjustments.

Hey they your own hops the cascade I see you added leaf/whole hops?

How's the Bitchin Belgian pouring BTW at that pressure?

 

[thehaze]

I have brewed using water with high levels of Bicarbonate ( 202 ) and never had an issue. You do not need to use a bit more acid to lower the pH of the mash, but as long as you do not overdo it ( use one or more of the water spreadsheets available on the Internet ), you will be fine.

Or boil the water.

I wouldn't, as I simply do not want to boil 38 liters every time.

 

[Nosybear]

Yes my water results are listed in first post in this thread. The boiling obviously works to reduce the bicarbonate but was just curious about how much chalk is staying in the HLT. I have no way of testing. Martin's calculation are what I need to go by it looks like.

Yes trialben just still playing around with figures for now. I like the fact that I can hit target ph doing the preboil for bicarb with the exact prescribed acid. I think the consistency will be there just have to trust the calculator.

You could measure it with a total dissolved solids meter, if you had one or had access to one. Measure the TDS before boiling, after boiling, the difference is the amount of calcium carbonate precipitated out. Or you can have the post-boil water tested. It's worth knowing what's in your water if your water runs to the extreme. Or you can brew a style that doesn't mind high carbonate - it's ultimately the residual alkalinity in your mash that matters more then the carbonate content. If your RA is in range for a style, your beer will work, at least from a water chemistry perspective. Use the "More" expansion of the Recipe Builder to get to the target RA for the recipe, shoot for the middle of the range (initially - if it still comes out flat, adjust the next brew to a lower RA), use the Water Calculator to get there. Options are calcium and magnesium salts - both lower RA - or acidifying to reach the RA you need to create the mash pH you need.

 

[Head First]

It sure is worth taking time to take time with water adjustments.

Hey they your own hops the cascade I see you added leaf/whole hops?

How's the Bitchin Belgian pouring BTW at that pressure?

Was different than normal for force carbing. Put it at 20psi Sunday and it wasn't fully carbed to my liking for the style til Wednesday evening. Dropped it to 13psi and is good now. The cascade are from a friend's plants nearby.

 

[Head First]

I have brewed using water with high levels of Bicarbonate ( 202 ) and never had an issue. You do not need to use a bit more acid to lower the pH of the mash, but as long as you do not overdo it ( use one or more of the water spreadsheets available on the Internet ), you will be fine.

Or boil the water.

I wouldn't, as I simply do not want to boil 38 liters every time.

For Amber or darker beers my water is ok. Just add some salts, gypsum and calcium chloride, works well. It's the lighter beers that suffer from the bicarbonate in my water. Not really to bad to boil first. Strike water is in the 165f-170f range so more time to cool back to strike temp is the time consumer.

 

[Head First]

You could measure it with a total dissolved solids meter, if you had one or had access to one. Measure the TDS before boiling, after boiling, the difference is the amount of calcium carbonate precipitated out. Or you can have the post-boil water tested. It's worth knowing what's in your water if your water runs to the extreme. Or you can brew a style that doesn't mind high carbonate - it's ultimately the residual alkalinity in your mash that matters more then the carbonate content. If your RA is in range for a style, your beer will work, at least from a water chemistry perspective. Use the "More" expansion of the Recipe Builder to get to the target RA for the recipe, shoot for the middle of the range (initially - if it still comes out flat, adjust the next brew to a lower RA), use the Water Calculator to get there. Options are calcium and magnesium salts - both lower RA - or acidifying to reach the RA you need to create the mash pH you need.

Good point about the TDS meter! I have access to one so will get it and check. We use it for our water system I help oversee. The meter could be a simple way to confirm consistency.