Which water treatments items are needed?

[northernnick]

As I progress through my homebrewing career(?) I am becoming more interested in water treatments. I use a  Camden tablet and use  temp control. But I just feel some of my breakfast are lacking something. A friend has told me water treatment should be something to look into next.

So I've had a good old luck at Brew n Water, played around with the water report figures I found on here and on boards.ie (from July 14 South City treatment report) and I have the calculations for my next brew.

I am just wondering where and which items you buy? Can you get gypsum and epsom on a small scale? Do people use CRS as well?

I'm just interested in people's experiences of water treatment and how they approach their brew day.

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[DEMPSEY]

Go to your bog standard chemist and ask for Epsom salts,cheap as chips and will last you a lifetime as you use so little. the rest you get from your homebrew shops.

[DEMPSEY]

Baking soda in Tesco,s

[northernnick]

Baking soda in Tesco,s

SodoumBicarbonate if my early science serves me right?

Is Gypsum the same as CRS?

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[Leann ull]

Go to your bog standard chemist and ask for Epsom salts,cheap as chips and will last you a lifetime as you use so little. the rest you get from your homebrew shops.

Nicking your misus's Radox again Dempsey

[nigel_c]

That radox stuff is great if your brewing a lavender ale.

[cruiscinlan]

Go to your bog standard chemist and ask for Epsom salts,cheap as chips and will last you a lifetime as you use so little

Never heard the saying "go through you like a dose of salts"?  Magnesium generally is a laxative, and people may be susceptible to it even in the small doses used in brewing.

A far safer method of altering your sulphate balance is gypsum aka calcium sulphate. You may also need calcium chloride as well as baking soda (be careful with additions) or brewers chalk to increase hardness.

Acid malt is also available to adjust your mash pH as well as are phosphate buffers ie 5.2 from Star chemicals.

[Slev]

What are the general thoughts on using DLS (dry liquor salts)? 

[northernnick]

So in layman's terms.

+ Calcium + Sulphate = Gypsum. Available in Chinese/Asian markets
+ Sodium = Baking Soda. Available in grocery shops.
+Mag + Sulphate. Epsom salts. Available in a pharmacy.

What does Chalk do? Also how do people measure pH? Those little strips?

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[DEMPSEY]

Here is the breakdown of D.L.S.
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,3637.msg44637.html#msg44637

[Slev]

Thanks Demsey.  Very useful.
Do folks use dls or prefer to do the individual salts as Northernnick is asking about?  Ie is dls a blunt instrument?

[DEMPSEY]

I stopped using it not because I did not like it but instead beersmith works out the individual salts for my recipe and so I stock them.

[northernnick]

I stopped using it not because I did not like it but instead beersmith works out the individual salts for my recipe and so I stock them.

I'll have to update my beersmith, this sounds perfect. My only gripe with Bru n Water is that you have to edge up your additions by .1g at a time to get it closer to your target.

If Beersmith just tells me add x Y and z ammount automatically that then really really appeals to me and I have no reason not to be ignoring water treatment.

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[Slev]

I find brun Water very good also.
But got some dls and crs with my last order,  so trying to figure out the mineral implications if I use it.  But have kind of resolved to just adjusting the calcium levels with the dls and leaving it at that.  (well- adding latic acid and 50%  of total as purified water). 

[DEMPSEY]

You will need a jewellers weighing scales as the amounts are in the 1.8 grams area