Water Chemistry and Setting up The Mash

I am brewing beer this week! This week, I show you how I put what I've learned about water chemistry into practice by walking you through step by step how I set up my mashes.
This video will show you with small clips most of the visual details of what it looks like for me (Mike) when I set up my mash for a brew session.
I use the software to help me calculate my grain bill and hop schedule. Then I use the Brew 'n Water spreadsheet to take that info and help guide my decisions about calcium levels and acid additions to hit the right mash pH.
It's a quick ten minute video more or less, but I think that this will help show how I reduce all that water chemistry stuff into practice setting up a real mash.
Brewing in real space not just on spreadsheets!!!
CHEERS
Check out our blog at:
www.brew-dudes.com

[@jamesroyds5069]

Thanks for showing your process. Enjoying homebrewing and everyone's take on it.

[@BrewDudes]

Thanks for watching! -Cheers! -Mike

[@michaelsabottka2956]

Great video, simple and straight forward. I always add a gallon of boiling water to my mash tun to preheat it as i heat up my HLT, i find it provides a nice buffer and gives you time to dilly dally(throw the ball for the dog who has become impatient) and not be in such a rush.

[@BrewDudes]

I do that in winter time. Otherwise my strike water to mash temp differential is pretty huge and I worry about killing enzyme while mixing in the first have then the second. Cheers! -Mike

[@BEERNBBQBYLARRY]

Nice walkthrough.

[@BrewDudes]

Thanks!

[@SteveT__001]

I use this method but I have been struggling to hit the target mash pH. Now thanks to this video I realise it is because I have been adding the acid to the total water before decanting off, so the sparge water has some of the acid which needs to be in the mash. Cheers

[@BrewDudes]

Cheers!

[@CanadianBrewingChannel]

I stopped batch sparging 2 years ago and never looked back! I now prefer fly sparging. I do it all with gravity. Its the only way I can do 10 gallons with my system. Thanks for the video Mike!

[@BrewDudes]

I am curious about why 10 gallons was difficult on your system. I used to batch sparge 10 gallons and it was fine. What was your issue? I recently looked at a 10 gallon gravity system from morebeer. So my interest pertains to that. CHEERS! -Mike

[@CanadianBrewingChannel]

@@BrewDudes When I was brewing a beer that needed 24 pounds of grain for 10 gallons it would not fit in my mash tun when I would add the sparge water. I just found it easier to fly sparge.

[@dorthe9573]

Thanks for the video 👍🏻😊 I have recirculating brewsystems but I just want to go back to a cooler. So easy and with all the well modified malts we have available today, you don’t really need all the mash steps anymore. Not for most beers anyway. It’s all about keeping it simple 😊

[@BrewDudes]

You bet! - John

[@KaranSheth]

Yes pls, for the batch sparge video! Would be interesting to see.

[@BrewDudes]

Check! -Mike

[@kennygraley824]

Heck yeah... I’d like to see the batch sparge process! Thanks for showing the process you use to adjust ur water. Cheers

[@BrewDudes]

Noted! -Mike

[@ordinaryhuman2511]

I really dig your videos. Have you brew dudes ever considered making 30m/1hr long podcasts?

[@BrewDudes]

Yes, we have considered it. We may do something a little bit differently since this is really homebrew-related. It might be nice to do a podcast that is more beer n' life related. -John

[@ordinaryhuman2511]

Brew Dudes that’s awesome. A lot of us like to listen to the big name homebrew podcasts already (experimental brewing, basic brewing, brulosophy). I’m willing to bet you guys will hit a larger audience with it.

[@WexZG95]

LET'S GET IT DONE! great video.

[@BrewDudes]

Yeah, I don't know why that comment came out of my mouth.... Oh well Cheers! -Mike

[@WexZG95]

@@BrewDudes Mike, that line is born for some action movie! :D cheers

[@ericbeardo]

I'm interested in your focus on calcium pertaining to mash ph. What role does it play? When you use Brun water do you put your full volume of mash+sparge water in the mash water volume box and adjust total volume to the target mineral content? Also, love Kostritzer. Been buying it in those 4 packs of cans recently. Interesting brewery history. I dont know if Shiner distributes there, but their Black Lager is a schwarzbier that is worth checking out as well. Cheers!

[@BrewDudes]

I'll think about doing a brun water video specifically. The short answer is I do some extra math outside of the sheet to scale up to my 12 gallon HLT volume of water. I haven't determined yet if the sheet works properly for the way I am doing it. Meaning mashing with 4.5 gallons but treating the whole 12 gallons. I am being wasteful too because I don't even use the full 12 gallons by end of brew day. And the function of the calcium chemically is that it reacts with compounds in the malt to release Hydrogen ions. H+ ions are what you are measuring in pH. The 'p' in pH actually is a mathmatical designation that indicated the log of a value is being expressed. In the case of pH its the log of the H+ concentration. More calcium leads to more H+ release for the sake of this discussion. -Mike

[@OldNorsebrewery]

This is the exact procedure I always do on my system. Except I underlet from HLT to mash tun. 34/70 is a very clean lager yeast and my favorite go to lager yeast. Cheers

[@BrewDudes]

When you underlet do you get less doughballs? I have wondered about that. My current tubing is just long enough to reach the top of the MLT. Underletting would make it a little easier with the kit I have going now. CHEERS! -Mike

[@OldNorsebrewery]

@@BrewDudes I transfer slow when I underlet so no dougballs at all. Cheers

[@TheGavranatar]

What percentage is your lactic acid? I recently bought some at 80% and am wondering if a plastic syringe is safe to use to administer it. Cheers

[@BrewDudes]

mine is 88% its totally fine. Its not really a very strong acid. You can even taste a touch of it an be fine. I didn't tell you to do that though. I'm just saying I've done it by accident. Cheers! -Mike

[@TheGavranatar]

@@BrewDudes haha. Well if the brewdudes said so. I just need someone for my wife to blame. yeah i think people use it to treat acne too. Keep up the vids! All the best from ireland.

[@canadianbrewer]

Thanks Mike.

[@BrewDudes]

Cheers!

[@TheBMurph43]

Yes please continue

[@BrewDudes]

Seems like a popular request so I'll see what I can do. -Mike

[@98pharaoh]

Nice vid, thanks. Just wondering how you determined your base water profile - did you pay for a water test or start with RO water?

[@BrewDudes]

We paid for a water test a few years ago. - John

[@tman9338]

Love to see batch sparge with your setup! Any idea what % of efficiency you can get with high gravity(8%) IPA? Struggling to get higher OG with similar setup with 10 gal batches. Get 1.057 pre boil OG

[@BrewDudes]

I have added some new equipment lately to my rig so maybe its time to do that batch sparge video. My efficiency in general is 70%. I goes down into the hight 60s when I try and go higher. I don't really chase efficiency, just use more grain to compensate. There is also no shame adding some DME or sugar to the kettle to get there IMO. Many of the best brewers the world over have done that for years especially the Belgian Brewers. Cheers! -Mike

[@tman9338]

Brew Dudes ahhhh so how big is your grain Bill (lbs) for a high gravity IPA using 10 gal mash tun cooler? What I’m really trying to understand is the negative effect of too thick a mash??? Any corrective ideas??? Typical grain bills are 28-30 lbs in 10 gal mash tun and I’m filling the water to the top.

[@JohnnyReverse]

you can use beersmith 3 to calculate water profiles now, its super easy as long as you have your water chemistry down.

[@OldNorsebrewery]

I´ve tried beersmith, but I don´t like to do 3000 steps just to be able to print out a recipe. Kudos to thoose people that have patience to fiddlefuck with it

[@BrewDudes]

But I am not interested in water profiles. I am interested in mash pH calulations. I purchases BS3 right before this brew and was disappointed to find that was the case. He has a pH adjustment tool but not a pH prediction tool based on water chemistry... unless I missed it. Cheers! -Mike

[@BrewDudes]

I'll second this view. Beersmith v1 was a way better tool for people just looking for a way to document the recipe used, when it was brewed and how it came out. Too many people want software to tell them what to do. Beersmith1 was a supplement to the brewer who knew how to brew but wanted a tool to support documentation and formulation. -Mike

[@WreckedBrewery]

Very interesting that you add all your salts to the HLT. I've seen adding salts done in few different ways. Makes you wonder which way is best, or if it even matters, in which case just do what works for you. I'm still fairly new to the whole water chem thing. I too like to simply things for myself, so I've been adding all my salts and acids to the mash. It seems to work out. I also follow BeerSmith 3 for my recipes and Bru N Water for the salt additions and pH assumptions. I haven't used camden tablets, but I do use an RV type water filter for incoming water to the system. I'm interested to know any differences in my practices vs yours. Love your videos, they are very educational and makes us think. Thank you for sharing your process. Cheers!

[@BrewDudes]

From a chemistry stand point there is no difference to when the salts are added really. CaCl2 and Gypsum are readily soluble so if you weigh them into your grain bucket and stir it all in... its the same thing really in my mind. SHouldn't have an impact. I haven't tried some side by sides yet to see if the campden is doing anything for me. John uses an RV filter to deal with chlorine in the water when he brews. Glad you appreciate the vids! -Mike

[@oldschoolman1444]

I pretty much do the same but like to do a recirculation mash and fly sparge.

[@BrewDudes]

I used to do constant recirc but lost too much temp. I might go back to it in the future. -Mike

[@tman9338]

Difference between Pilsner malt and 2 row ( for IPA’s ) ?? I have sack of 2 row

[@BrewDudes]

I hate the term 2-row despite the fact that I tend to use it. Pilsner, Pale Malt, Pale Ale Malt, Munich, Vienna... almost all base malt is 2-row; so as a term in a recipe its quite meaningless. That being said; when people say 2-row (including myself) it refers to simple malted barley. Usually American Malted Barley with a color of 1.5-2L on average. Cheers! -Mike

[@tman9338]

Brew Dudes Luv your guys videos. Your down to earth explanations are pushing me to try bigger batches without wasting a lot of $$ on fancy equipment. Biggest rush for me is high quality craft beer on a budget. Give most of it away and it still beat paying premium craft beer prices

[@distlledbrewedreviewed]

Very interesting my friend. Cheers!

[@BrewDudes]

Thanks for the comment! CHEERS! -Mike

[@paulbilodeau8569]

I can’t wrap my head around vrewibg salts. Are you using a calculator to figure out what to add?

[@BrewDudes]

Yes, check out this calculator - www.brewersfriend.com/water-chemistry/ - John

[@thomasfrank1227]

Thanks

[@BrewDudes]

Thank you.

[@austin2842]

One campden tablet doses 20 gallons.

[@BrewDudes]

Yeah. I am overdoing it for sure. I'll be going back to 1 tab. It was part of an experiment really to see if there was a flavor threshold at 2 tabs. Cheers! -Mike

[@jonnyblad]

So...lets say your going to do a big Russian Imperial Stout and you're starting with RO water...what would you add to the water? Calcium chloride and gypsum?

[@Progfan2010]

I suggest you check Palmer's water adjustment app. It has the parameters for any style. Plus the actual tool to adjust your water

[@BrewDudes]

Same as always. I'd adjust with a calcium salt to hit the right mash pH. Only then, after that, I'd worry about what the salt profile effect of flavor I wanted. For a stout of any kind I'd either balance the two or go 2:1 in favor of chloride. It really would depend on how the beer comes out, then I'd brew it again and plan for a change. I never assume I'll guess right on the first time through. CHEERS! -Mike

[@jonnyblad]

@@BrewDudes thanks for the reply!

[@somnambulantsquirrel2295]

Great video as always. Why did you use lactic acid instead of phosphoric. I have both and am trying to figure out when to use which.

[@BrewDudes]

Because I have it on hand. There is no difference in flavor at the level of 1-3mls per 4.5 gallons of strike water. I will probably buy phosphoric acid when I am out of Lactic. But realistically it hasn't impacted the flavor one bit. I've tasted the water post acid but pre-dough in too. Cheers! -Mike

[@percyvere529psg]

Hi can you tell me your original ph before you added your chemicals thanks

[@BrewDudes]

My water pH is reported to be 7.4. I don't explicitly check it before I brew. That number is what's was reported on the test sample I sent out and it's also in line with what the town reports annually. I don't test it because, for the most part, the pH of the starting water is meaningless. It's the water composition that's important. Hope that helps. Cheers! -Mike

[@percyvere529psg]

@@BrewDudes that fantastic thanks very much love your vids I’m just getting all my equipment together for ag brewing only done kits before love ipa so looking forward to trying my hand at this incredible hobby with ag thanks again from the Jurassic coast uk 😊👍

[@mrwereprawn]

Why use calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate together? One lifting and the other lowering PH. Seems counter productive. Not trying to be a smartarse , just wondering if there's a method to the madness.

[@BrewDudes]

Calcium Chloride and Calcium Sulfate was used. No Carbonate. -Mike

[@mrwereprawn]

@@BrewDudes Ahh...my bad.

[@apenutz987]

I am interested in everthing you are willing to show me. Lol

[@BrewDudes]

Nice! Cheers! -Mike

[@rayrios1127]

Rule of thumb for me is that you usually lose 10-15 degrees when adding grain to my strike water

[@BrewDudes]

True. - John

[@hatherlow]

you just need to add a nylon bag......nirvana

[@BrewDudes]

Sure.