OVHA Chat

When do you test your mash? If the pH is off, not much you can do for that batch right? Or can you still mix in salts?


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I make any additions (and on a lot of beers I have none or very little) before I mash in.
I can do a lot of adjustment mostly by blending water with 1 or 2 salt additions.

If your mash is settling in between 5.2 to 5.5 then don't worry about adjusting the alkalinity or pH.
I try to keep my sparge water 5.8 or under and stop the flow from the mash to the kettle at 1.008 gravity.

If your not getting any husk astringency or other problems from the spare water then you don't need to adjust it (Gordon Strong)

Be careful making adjustments after you mashed in, it's not recommended.

As you make different batches you will see where you pH settles in, using the grains you are.
You can get a close Idea of what you mash would be like using an Excel worksheet I found, EZ_Water, available online free.

Start keeping good notes and DON'T over do it.. IF your beers have been good to this point you don't need to make big (or any) changes, until you do a little reading up on brewing waters.

Thanks for the info!!


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Now go make beer!

Hey Don, Have you sent any water samples off lately??

Don wrote:

Don wrote:Here is this falls / winter Newburgh water report from Ward Labs.
Sample taken 12/10/14

PH 7.6
TDS 337
Sodium, Na 21
Potassium, K 3
Calcium, Ca 71
Magnesium, 17
Total Hardness, CaCO3 248
Sulfur, SO4-S 24
Sulfate, 72 * see note.
Chloride, Cl 30
Bicarbonate, HCO3 207
Total Alkalinity CaCO3 170
Total Phosphorus, P 0.02

* If your water report gives Sulfate as Sulfur (SO4-S) such as a Ward Lab's report, multiply by that by 3 to get SO4.

Almost forgot about this..

Don

Last December, I'm now on a fixed income I can only afford this once a year

Just wondering.. It doesn't look like it has changed all that much over all the tests posted.

Been brewing lately?

Today did a Breakfast Stout
Have all grains and yeast for my next 4 batches
Two Hearted IPA
Red
Old Ale
and Robust Coffee Porter

Getting ready to grow up my yeast for the IPA, and
Using the Red's yeast (1084 Irish Ale) for the Old Ale and Porter so I have to keep my schedule.

If no one is making the AHA Barley Wine I will work that in.

Don't think anybody has committed yet

No one has committed yet, Don. Would you like me to sign you up? It is a challenging beer that a master brewer like yourself should have no issues with.

Yes i'll make it.

Good deal... Now all the spots are filled