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Pilsen Water profile

ihikeut

Grandmaster Brewer
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First pilsner I am going brew. Have read  many water profiles about pilsen low mineral water, and can come close to that profile by diluting 75% with distilled water. When researching the original pilsner beer, it was made from base malt only. My recipe is 57% Pilsen 28% Munich 14% Vienna. Trying to decide if I should only dilute it 50% because of the other grain malts.

Trying to find out if other brewers have had good success with that soft of water or what problems .
 
Use this: http://www.ezwatercalculator.com/  In the end you want a room-temp pH around 5.5.  The biggest driver to hold pH up is HC03.  Calcium helps to pull it down.  Acid rests, and direct acid additions (lactic, phosphoric, etc) also help pull it down.

I wouldn't try to replicate the Pilsen profile, but rather would aim for having at least 50 ppm of Calcium, minimal HC03, and a balanced Chlolide / Sulfate ratio.  A little bit of sodium can be a good thing, if you don't have any naturally.  Remember, brewers have been messing with their water for a long time, even when they didn't know that's what they were doing. 

The Munich and Vienna will help a small amount in helping to pull down the pH, but not a whole lot.  I made a Kolsch this summer with a very similar grain-bill.  My final profile for that beer was:

120 ppm Ca
17 ppm Mg
20 ppm Na
Cl/SO4 = 1.1
HC03 = 45 ppm

In addition I used 3 ml of 88% Lactic Acid, for a final Mash pH of 5.53.
 
Thanks Tom_Hampton for the information and the web site. I have look at ezwatercalcultor before but have not crunch any numbers with it,  till now. With a 50% dilution and a little Gypsum, Epsom Salt, Calcium Chloride, Canning Salt and Lactic Acid came up with this profile.

68 ppm Ca
13 ppm Mg
27 ppm Na
96 ppm CI
77 ppm SO4
Cl/SO4 .83
HC03 = 64 ppm
Mash room temp PH 5.50
(Ezwatercalculator doesn't adjust for the canning salt)

I would let you know how it turns out, but with a lager in the fridge or 4 more week. It will be several Months
 
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