Selecting Water Profiles in Bru'n Water

Mashing
1

Hello Everyone,

I’m gradually easing into using Bru’n Water and have a few questions I’m hoping some of you can answer:

  1. Which water profiles would I select for the following brews?

Bitters
Kolsch
Cali Common
Cream Ale
Helles
Bocks
Dubbels
Stouts
Scotch Ales
Porters

These are the styles I generally brew (sorry there are so many) and I’m a bit overwhelmed by the variety of options in the Water Profile menu.

  1. Which kinds of salts would make sense to keep on hand for these styles? I have some gypsum and calcium chloride that I’ve been using in a general fashion, but the Bru’n Water layout would suggest that I probably need to expand my options.

  2. Once the appropriate water profile is selected, is it as simple as coming up with additions that would match my water profile (I use 100% RO) to the levels in the selected profile?

  3. Any words of caution for someone just getting started with this?

Thanks in advance!

2

  1. I use color and flavor profiles in Brunwater…for instance, hoppy brown. The spreadsheet tells you what color range your recipe is in.

  2. Gypsum and calcium chloride should do most of it. You might want some pickling ime for adjusting for dark beers and lactic or phosphoric acid for adjusting for light colored beers.

  3. Yep!

  4. Use as little as possible. IMO, the best adjustment ia the least you can do to get what you want.

3

Those water profiles are beginning points for your brewing experience and judgement. All those color-based profiles were created with a focus on providing a minimal or minor mineral contribution in many cases. The other thing to remember is that the bicarbonate concentration is only a starting point. That value should be adjusted up or down to produce the mash pH that you want to target.

The selection of whether the water profile should accentuate bitterness, maltiness, or neither (balanced) should be based on your perception or a guideline’s perception (ie: BJCP) of what that beer flavor focus is. The water can only help get your beer there. The recipe and brewing are the major influences on how that beer’s perception results. Along this same line, recognize that the water can also hinder the desired beer flavor perceptions if the profile is way out of line.

4

Thank you both!