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Water Profiles and Salt additions

gl1800cat

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Sorry if this has been discussed before, but here goes.
I just got a water test done and input the result to create a water profile.
So then I pulled up an existing recipe (Pilsner) and picked my water profile and then picked "Match a Target Profile".
It came back with .44g of Epsom Salt in the sparge water.
My question is where is it getting the volume of sparge water?  Obviously there will be a difference in salt additions between a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon batch.
It doesn't seem to matter if I toggle "Hold Sparge Salts Until Boil".  Again the volume in the boil will be more than what sparge water I am using.
I guess the same concern applies to the strike water ...

Thanks in advance
 
OK, some clarification on your information might be helpful.

What was your water profile?
What was the profile you wanted to match?
When you picked match a target profile, was this within the recipe or in the water profile tool?  I would assume this is within a recipe, since you reference 'hold sparge salts until boil'

If you did the match within the recipe, then the program automatically uses the water requirements for that recipe.  It will split the salt additions based upon the water used for mash and sparge steps as dictated by the mash profile.  It would not make any difference in this case if you hold the water salts until the boil, since they will be added in any case.  It does not affect the calculation, only the order of addition. 

If you did not add your water to the recipe as an ingredient, then it would not use your starting water profile as the base to build up to the target profile. 

There are a number of other things I might suggest, but without a basis on what you actually did it would be just guess work.

 
Thanks for the reply!
I attached a screen shot of my water profile.

1. I picked the Pilsen, Czech as my Target Profile to match.
2.  Across the top, there is DESIGN, STARTER, WATER ... I clicked on the water tab.  From there I Used the "Match a Target Profile" to the right of the middle section.
3.  I'm still not clear where the water volumes come from.  I usually don't get to concerned with strike water volume as I go my sight; although I probably should be measuring for consistency.  I'd like to see water values change that make sense while at the same time, the salt additions change.

I am open to any suggestions you have.






 
The water volumes come from the calculations within the recipe.  If you click on your vols tab, you will see the split of water collected between the mash and sparge.  It is understandable that there is not a lot of mineral salts being added since the Pilsen water is very soft.  Your native water profile is already higher in Ca, Mg, Cl, Na, and Bicarbonate and is slightly low on SO4.  Given this the program is prioritizing the SO4 over the Mg concentration and adding just a small bit of Mg to get the SO4 to match target.  Since the amount is low and the program is using the salt addition for flavor balance (SO4 concentration) only, it adds it to the sparge and not the mash.

If you were brewing a 10 gallon batch, then the water calculation in the recipe would be higher and your mineral additions would be higher.

In all honesty, my water is pretty similar to yours though a bit higher in Cl and Na loading.  I don't add anything to my water when brewing a Czech Pils and being naturally high in Chloride and Sodium my beer comes out nice and rounded. 

Basically, you picked a style which would call for very little additions based upon your base water and so the program has very little water agents to add and it plugged them into the sparge.
 
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