Which water treatments items are needed?

[Will_D]

Is Gypsum the same as CRS?

Gypsum is Calcium Sulphate (as found in plaster board! but don't use that!!!)

Easely obtainded from HB shops.

CRS is Carbonate Reducing Solution and is a mix of a couple of food grade acids (phosphoric and maybe Sulphuric but not quite sure)

It is used to remove permanent hardness (carbonates) from water:

Carbonate + acid = CO2 + the acid salt + water

so:

CaCO3       + H2SO4           =      CaSO4 + CO2 + H2O
Lime Stone + Sulphuric Acid gives Gypsum, Carbon Dioxide and water

Simpples!

[DEMPSEY]

Here is a simple water treatment regime that you can follow using CRS and DLS,
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/wordpress/water-for-brewing/

[DEMPSEY]

Breakdown of CRS
250ml CRS is,
198ml water,
39ml hydro,
13ml sulphuric
- giving 65ppm cl+ per 1ml/L & 88ppm so4+

[Leann ull]

Will watch out Dempseys after your title

[northernnick]

OK all of these ppm's and per ml/L are the exact reason I find water treatment to be so intimidating.

I'm gonna try the new and updated beersmith with my next brew if all it does it tell me x ammount of gypsum, etc.

Just out of curiosity, why haven't any homebrew shops thought of doing a kit consisting of the relevant salts? Seems very easy to put together and could be very helpful

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

[Leann ull]

There are commercial products out there already. When you do a brew post and we can walk you through it, it really is idiot proof as this one has been using it for 6 months now.

[DEMPSEY]

The shops all stock the needs,

Precipitated chalk, Calcium Carbonate CaCO3,
Magnesium Sulfate,Epsom Salts, (big big tub in chemist)
Calcium Chloride,
Gypsum, Calcium Sulfate,
Baking soda (Tesco),
And get a jeweler weighing scales and your oxo

[Leann ull]

Was thinking this stuff
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/Mash_Stabilizer_Tech_Sheet.pdf

[Ciaran]

Obviously water reports are a greal start,  but in the north at least the most current report is 6 months in the past. What would be the minimum test kits required to get all the required parameters into brewsmith / brunwater etc? I've a ph meter coming in the group buy but would also like to get the necessary salifert kits as well.

[Archsnapper]

Oh goody -  other people are asking all my questions !

[DEMPSEY]

TDS. a total dissolved solids unit and a salifert hardness kit will help you to narrow down a water profile of your tap water.

[wallacebiy]

OK all of these ppm's and per ml/L are the exact reason I find water treatment to be so intimidating.

I'm gonna try the new and updated beersmith with my next brew if all it does it tell me x ammount of gypsum, etc.

Just out of curiosity, why haven't any homebrew shops thought of doing a kit consisting of the relevant salts? Seems very easy to put together and could be very helpful

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

Vary your grain bill to improve efficiency and get the results you want from your Beer . Vary your sparge water amounts and initial batch ratio to acheive Ph in the mash with the water you've got .

IMHO , Adding salts at homebrew batch size is an absolute waste of energy . It's basically taking something that can improve efficiencies at mass production scales and attempting to
shoehorn it into small bucket .
Great if you want to learn about water chemistry and all , ( like a science experiment ) but not a practical way to improve your craft brewing for the most of us .

[armedcor]

Was thinking this stuff
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/Mash_Stabilizer_Tech_Sheet.pdf

There's been massive debates on HBT how ph5.2 is a bit of a swizz. I think it's all on AJ's massive water thread.

[Leann ull]

I've never used it as I'm in a soft water area so I don't know.
Must be something in it tho to regulate pH as surely otherwise no one would buy it?

[northernnick]

IMHO , Adding salts at homebrew batch size is an absolute waste of energy . It's basically taking something that can improve efficiencies at mass production scales and attempting to
shoehorn it into small bucket .

From everything I've read online, higher Sulphate content lends itself more to the bitterness we get in IPA's. Watching videos and reading brulospher/reddit things online, water treatment does seem to affect beers for the better.

Where does effiency come into it? I get a steady 75% with BIAB and I'm pretty happy with that.