Beer Forum

I'm going to brew the CYBI Union Jack clone this weekend and I'm trying to figure out water adjustments when building up from RO. In the recipe cloning episode Tasty Mcdole says he used his standard water profile for that beer.
He posted the following calculations with amounts per gallon but I don't see anything about having to add lactic or phosphoric acid for PH adjustment.
Is this just not an issue with RO or distilled water?
I haven't got myself a PH meter yet so I'm trying to find a water recipe that will get me in the right range.

TastyMcD wrote:
Tasty

From what i remember from listening to Matt brynildson talk about his water profile....this is what I use

He says he only uses Gypsum and Calcium Chloride to bring the ppm's of calcium, sulfate and Chloride to around 100 ppm

So I have 0.65 grams per gallon of water of gypsum and 0.75 grams per gallon of water of calcium chloride..I also use RO water as a base

That is what i remember and if the beer tastes anything like the cold crashed sample...it will be pretty spot on..


edited for correct values...lol

Stinkfist wrote:So I have 3.9 grams per gallon of gypsum and 4.5 grams per gallon of calcium chloride..I also use RO water as a base

Are you sure grams per gallon or just grams total? I'd guess at those quantities per gallon you would be at 200-400 ppm of everything

Stinkfist wrote:From what i remember from listening to Matt brynildson talk about his water profile....this is what I use
He says he only uses Gypsum and Calcium Chloride to bring the ppm's of calcium, sulfate and Chloride to around 100 ppm

So I have 3.9 grams per gallon of gypsum and 4.5 grams per gallon of calcium chloride..I also use RO water as a base

That is what i remember and if the beer tastes anything like the cold crashed sample...it will be pretty spot on..

So just RO an those two additions. Were you able to check your mash PH?

Bokonon wrote:

Stinkfist wrote:So I have 3.9 grams per gallon of gypsum and 4.5 grams per gallon of calcium chloride..I also use RO water as a base

Are you sure grams per gallon or just grams total? I'd guess at those quantities per gallon you would be at 200-400 ppm of everything

you are right I forgot that is grams per 6 gallons of water....so divide by 6 to get grams per gallon my bad...

It seems to me, based on what John Palmer mentions about distilled water and ph, that if i make the additions Tasty has in those calculations to this recipe I would come in below the 5.2 range.

Based on How To Brew:
100% base malts with distilled water = ph 5.4 to 5.5 (at mash temp)
W/ 20% dark caramel malt & distilled water = 4.9 to 5.0

Recipe:

Pale Malt 81.9%
Carastan 1.3%
Munich 11.8%
Carapils 5%

Being that the recipe is a little more than 80% base malt that should put me in the 5.2 range but wont the salt additions bring it down lower? Too low??


Crap, I'm about to pull a pope and quite on all this water stuff and just go back to bottled spring water......

Ihaveabig wrote: I'm about to pull a pope

Is that the same as 'flogging the bishop'?

Ihaveabig wrote:It seems to me, based on what John Palmer mentions about distilled water and ph, that if i make the additions Tasty has in those calculations to this recipe I would come in below the 5.2 range.

Based on How To Brew:
100% base malts with distilled water = ph 5.4 to 5.5 (at mash temp)
W/ 20% dark caramel malt & distilled water = 4.9 to 5.0

Recipe:

Pale Malt 81.9%
Carastan 1.3%
Munich 11.8%
Carapils 5%

Being that the recipe is a little more than 80% base malt that should put me in the 5.2 range but wont the salt additions bring it down lower? Too low??


Crap, I'm about to pull a pope and quite on all this water stuff and just go back to bottled spring water......

I'd say you're worrying about it way too much. Do the additions & brew it. Even if you do hit 4.9 in your mash, it's not like the enzymes will go on strike. Your efficiency might go down a tiny bit, but I'm guessing this isn't for a 60bbl batch where that might actually matter. Try it, record your results, don't lose your notes, make the necessary adjustments on your next attempt. You might even surprise yourself & hit the pH dead on, even though the math is telling you otherwise. Don't sweat it, just brew it. It only hurts for a second.