Increasing Alkalinity for darker beers

[Colin Cummings]

Anybody use straight RO water and add salts to boost alkalinity for darker beers (porter and stout especially)?  If so, have you used pickling (or slaked) lime?  How did it work?

Cheers,

Colin Cummings
Amarillo, TX

[Brian Schneider]

But those are the kinds of beers Amarillo water is good for!

Розніца паміж урадам і злачынцаў з'яўляецца семантычны.

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[Colin Cummings]

Agreed, but Amarillo tap water has really high sodium and chlorides, and the only way to reduce them is to dilute with RO or distilled water.

Cheers,

Colin Cummings
Amarillo, TX

[Michael Williams]

Are you finding trouble with your beers?  Even with that being high I haven't found much of a difference in flavor when using distilled water and then adding salts vs using Amarillo water for darker beers. 

Michael Williams 

[Colin Cummings]

My last porter turned out quite nice on 100% Amarillo water, but my next stout will have fairly high IBUs and I'm concerned about harsh flavors, which I have noticed on lighter beers (ESB and red/brown ales).

Cheers,

Colin Cummings
Amarillo, TX

[bill...@yhcbrewworks.com]

Collin

Amarillo water is good brewing water as long as you get rid of the chlorine and chloramines.They as a rule give beer a old band aid flavor. let your water stand overnight boil it add metabisulfite or whatever just get the chlorine out  I use an activated charcoal filter and don't seem to have problems. If you use RO water ad a tsp of gypsum per 5 gallons and a tsp of acid blend for 5 gallons and that usualy makes pretty good brewing water. I also like a tsp of epsom salts in my water, it gives the yeast sulfites to make the healthy.

Drink deeply and enjoy!

Bill Hardy

CEO/President

Yellow House Canyon Brew Works LLC

P. O. Box 1281  Lubbock, Texas 79408

806-744-1917

806-549-0709 cell

bill...@yhcbrewworks.com

[Colin Cummings]

Bill,

I agree to a point about the quality of the water, except that both chlorides (NOT chlorine) and Sodium are above 100 ppm - Na is around 130 ppm and Chlorides are around 170 ppm!  Any brewer will tell you that those are too high, and the only way to know them back is reverse osmosis.

According to Amarillo's head chemist, there are no chloramines in the water supply, but there is chlorine.  And also according to him, it would take weeks for the chlorine in the water to dissipate/evaporate in an open container.  Adding metabisulfite (potassium preferred, NOT sodium) is the way to get it out.

So Amarillo water WOULD BE great if it weren't for the damn sodium and chlorides.  In fact, the well water coming from the CRMWA well fields IS great water, but when it sits in the reservoir in NE Amarillo, it collects 50 years worth of sodium and chloride.

Cheers,

Colin Cummings
Amarillo, TX

[Colin Cummings]

I'll add that using calcium sulfate (gypsum) to lower the mash pH of Amarillo's water for a pale and highly hopped beer will increase the odds that the bitterness will be harsh and unpleasant.  Refer to Palmer's How to Brew http://howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-1.html.  His basics of mash pH chemistry are helpful, and note his comments under "chloride" about sulfate and chloride together.

This is sort of moot though in regards to my stout I plan to make.  For a really dark beer I think I'll probably either use straight tap water or dilute 25% or so with RO.

Cheers,

Colin Cummings
Amarillo, TX

[bill...@yhcbrewworks.com]

Colin,

Usually I use charcoal filtered water on anything darker than an amber without adding anything to it. The ro water is about all I add salts to. We were taught a good rule of thumb for pH in your mash is around 5.2 on any beer, but whatever works is best. Seems like every brewery in Germany has it's own underground lake, lol. They didn't like it when I ask about aquifers. The important thing is to have fun and enjoy what your doing.

[Colin Cummings]

Bill,

My experience so far with 100% tap water has shown that (A) a dark, balanced beer (robust porter, English stout) will turn out fine and malty, (B) copper / amber balanced beers (ESB for example) are hit or miss depending on IBUs, and (C) a relatively dark (garnet to brown) hoppy beer will turn out with somewhat harsh or acrid bitterness (unpleasant aftertaste mostly).  For all hoppy beers I plan to dilute a bit, for all darker malty ones as you menion, I think I'm good with straight tap water

Cheers,

Colin Cummings
Amarillo, TX