Corvallis Mike
Apprentice
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2018
- Messages
- 3
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My tap water is pretty good for brewing, pH 7.4, Ca - 5 ppm, Mg - 2 ppm, Na -18 ppm, SO4 - 12 ppm, Alkalinity -30 ppm and Hardness - 20 ppm. No Iron or Nitrates. The city does add small amounts of chloramines.
My basic light beer water is 10 gallons of the above tap water that I treat with 1/2 of a Campden tablet, 3 grams of CaSO4 and 3 grams of CACl2. The treated water pH remains at 7.4
Using a grain bill of 12 - 14 lbs of 2 Row (90% US-2.0 SRM and 10% UK 2 Row-3.0 SRM or Vienna-3.0 SRM) and 6 ounces of Acid Malt gives me a 5.3 Mash pH.
I was talking with a local Brew Pub Brew Master who recommended that I eliminate the Campden and just trickle run my 10 gallons of tap water through an activated charcoal filter cartridge. I did that but, when I checked the filtered water pH, it was 9.3. I know that the Mash will lower pH but am concerned about starting with water at such an alkaline pH.
Should I just forget the charcoal filtration and stick with the Campden?
My basic light beer water is 10 gallons of the above tap water that I treat with 1/2 of a Campden tablet, 3 grams of CaSO4 and 3 grams of CACl2. The treated water pH remains at 7.4
Using a grain bill of 12 - 14 lbs of 2 Row (90% US-2.0 SRM and 10% UK 2 Row-3.0 SRM or Vienna-3.0 SRM) and 6 ounces of Acid Malt gives me a 5.3 Mash pH.
I was talking with a local Brew Pub Brew Master who recommended that I eliminate the Campden and just trickle run my 10 gallons of tap water through an activated charcoal filter cartridge. I did that but, when I checked the filtered water pH, it was 9.3. I know that the Mash will lower pH but am concerned about starting with water at such an alkaline pH.
Should I just forget the charcoal filtration and stick with the Campden?