First brew with water report, what do I need?

Mashing
1

On Sunday I may have time to brew my first AG batch after receiving my water report. It’s the deer hunting opener this weekend and if my 12 year old bags a deer on Saturday, I will be free on Sunday. Here’s my water report:

PH-7.9
total disolved solids-231
Electrical conductivity- 4.3/4.3

PPM
Sodium, NA 5
Potassium,k <1
Calcium, CA 53
Magnesium, Ca 17
Total Hardness. CACO3 203
Nitrate,NO3-N <0.1
Sulfate, SO4-S 10
Chloride, Cl 15
Carbonate, CO3 <1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 197
Total Alkalinity 161
Total Phosphorus, P 0.88
Total Iron, Fe 0.21

I am considering one of three beers: an extra pale ale, a stout, a black IPA.

Based on answers I got from a post on my water report, my water will not allow me to brew an SRM under 20 which I am guessing the Pale Ale would fall into.

If I buy distilled water, What would I need to add in terms of salts. I placed an order today for calcium chloride, lactic acid, gypsum, Calcium carbonate. They will not be here by Sunday.

If I brew the stout or black IPA, would I need to add anything using my well water? I use Denny’s batch sparge method, which to my understanding reduces the need to control the PH.

2

It’s perfect water to brew that stout or black IPA without adding anything.

Never use distilled water to brew with use RO water or spring water I use spring water for my pale ales and any other light beers that I brew.

As hard as that water is you could use a bottle of lactic acid before it will bring the PH down I speak from experience.

3

[quote=“chuck”]It’s perfect water to brew that stout or black IPA without adding anything.

Never use distilled water to brew with use RO water or spring water I use spring water for my pale ales and any other light beers that I brew.

As hard as that water is you could use a bottle of lactic acid before it will bring the PH down I speak from experience.[/quote]

If I brew the pale ale, would I need to add salts to the RO? Would I use all RO or dilute my well water???

I will be downloading a water program soon, just to busy this weekend.

4

According to bru n water profile for pale ales it lists bicarbonate levels at 180ppm. According to other places I have read pale ale levels are between 50 and 150ppm. If you put your numbers into bru n water you will have to probably add some calcium and maybe some lactic acid somewhere to lower your ph depending on you dilution level. If you want your level of bicarbonates to lets say 50ppm you would need like a 80 20 dilution meaning 80 percent ro. I like bru nwater personally. You can input you profile and play around with the numbers and dilution levels.

5

When you add your grains the pH is going to change, you want your grain and water pH to be around 5.1-5.4 pH units. This will also change during mashing. Start measuring your pH with your grain and water together then adjust, no need to adjust the water first, who knows what the grains will do!

6

If you input your water profile into ez water or bru n water you can predict your mash ph and make adjustments to your water beforhand.

7

Your also inputing the grains that you plan on using to predict the ph acording to your inputed water profile.