Hefe Water Profile

[KillswitcH]

Hello!

I have been studying up on changing your water profile and i'm going to do some alterations on my next brew for a Hefeweizen. I want to make a 5 gal batch (6.8 total water) and this is my profile:
https://i.imgur.com/zFSi0Ew.png

My question is, what do I put in for the water profile calculator? What Target Profile should I load? I'm guessing the Water Chemistry - Ion Levels is what I put in for that personal water report?

Thank you!

 

[Yooper]

With a bicarbonate level of 277, it’s not about putting anything in your water, it’s that you want to remove that very high alkalinity. With that starting water, you will want to first use enough acid to drop the alkalinity so much that it may be best to start with distilled or reverse osmosis water from the store. You’ll want darn near RO water when brewing a hefeweizen, soft water, with very little mineralization. If you start with RO water, you could add a little calcium chloride to get your calcium to 50 or so, and your chloride about 50 ppm as well. You would want a mash pH of 5.3-5.4 or so.

 

[KillswitcH]

With a bicarbonate level of 277, it’s not about putting anything in your water, it’s that you want to remove that very high alkalinity. With that starting water, you will want to first use enough acid to drop the alkalinity so much that it may be best to start with distilled or reverse osmosis water from the store. You’ll want darn near RO water when brewing a hefeweizen, soft water, with very little mineralization. If you start with RO water, you could add a little calcium chloride to get your calcium to 50 or so, and your chloride about 50 ppm as well. You would want a mash pH of 5.3-5.4 or so.

Thanks for the reply! I don't know what Bicarbonate is but I was hoping to use my local water. I could definitely get distilled water though, I just wouldn't know what water profile to use to know what to buy and what ppm to put into a 5 gal batch.

 

[Nosybear]

Thanks for the reply! I don't know what Bicarbonate is but I was hoping to use my local water. I could definitely get distilled water though, I just wouldn't know what water profile to use to know what to buy and what ppm to put into a 5 gal batch.

Bicarbonate is hydrogen carbonate. Baking soda. Except through RO filtration or distillation, you can't take it out of the water except by boiling. You could pre-boil the water and let it cool - some of the bicarbonate would then precipitate out as calcium carbonate and "soften" the water. You'd need to boil all of the water you'll use in the beer pretty vigorously, you want to drive out all of the carbon dioxide. Then rack what you need off of the white precipitate. It's a tried-and-true method of decarbonating water, provided you have enough calcium. It won't get all of the carbonate but it could soften the water enough to make a hefeweizen.

 

[Nosybear]

I looked it up. If your water is alkaline enough, boiling a half-hour and letting the water stand over night will remove all but 20 ppm Calcium and 60 ppm HCO3. It's worth a try....

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the reply! I don't know what Bicarbonate is but I was hoping to use my local water. I could definitely get distilled water though, I just wouldn't know what water profile to use to know what to buy and what ppm to put into a 5 gal batch.

If you are stating with 6.5 gallons of reverse osmosis or distilled water, you could use 4 grams of calcium chloride to get a nice basic water for a German beer.

 

[Donoroto]

Hefeweitzen is by far my favorite beer. My local tap water is nearly devoid of minerals, so I add some gypsum (1g), calcium chloride (4g) and magnesium sulfate (3g) to bring the water profile where I want it. I can't say if the recipe builder has a profile for a hefeweitzen, but I suspect it does not.

This is what I am aiming for:
Ca 50
Mg 10
Na 0 (ends up at about 20 though, not enough to matter)
Cl 95
SO4 65
RA -25

 

[KillswitcH]

If you are stating with 6.5 gallons of reverse osmosis or distilled water, you could use 4 grams of calcium chloride to get a nice basic water for a German beer.

I read that distilled water isn't good for you unless you add salts/min to it. I think that's what i'll try but I hope 4g of calcium chloride will make it less of a mineral leaching water.

 

[Nosybear]

I read that distilled water isn't good for you unless you add salts/min to it. I think that's what i'll try but I hope 4g of calcium chloride will make it less of a mineral leaching water.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Distilled water won't leach minerals from your bones and afteryou add extract to it, it's full of minerals. Distilled water tastes strange but it won't hurt you.

 

[KillswitcH]

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Distilled water won't leach minerals from your bones and afteryou add extract to it, it's full of minerals. Distilled water tastes strange but it won't hurt you.

Exactly, some say it's fine and other say it's not. Who knows what to believe now adays. But, what if I just use purified drinking water and mess with the ph? Or just go distilled and do what Mr. Yooper said and just put 4g of calcium chloride in there?

 

[Donoroto]

Ms. Yooper's advice is impeccable. As is the idea of using bottled water. Or tap water. Or (in some cases) river water.

It all ends up as beer, usually more than just drinkable.

 

[KillswitcH]

Ms. Yooper's advice is impeccable. As is the idea of using bottled water. Or tap water. Or (in some cases) river water.

It all ends up as beer, usually more than just drinkable.

Accidental sexism. Also the main thing I hate about this hobby is every question has multiple subjective answers.

 

[Nosybear]

Exactly, some say it's fine and other say it's not. Who knows what to believe now adays. But, what if I just use purified drinking water and mess with the ph? Or just go distilled and do what Mr. Yooper said and just put 4g of calcium chloride in there?

Ms. Yooper can generally be relied on for good info. Her way will work. "Purified" drinking water is just RO water - you can buy it at grocery stores, here it's sold under the name "Glacier." In fact, if you don't feel comfortable working with water, it's hard to beat the simple, practical advice of distilled or RO water and a teaspoon of calcium chloride.

 

[Nosybear]

Accidental sexism. Also the main thing I hate about this hobby is every question has multiple subjective answers.

That's kind of what makes it fun.... I enjoy the fact that there are multiple ways to do just about anything. I also love pointing out that the water will have less to do with the outcome of a Hefe than a ferulic acid rest and proper fermentation temperature control as long as the water isn't too extreme. It's a complex hobby, every decision affects something else. Welcome to the rabbit hole!

 

[KillswitcH]

Ok, I think I figure 1:1 ratio for tap:distilled water. Or more like 3:3.8 (6.8gal). That would cut the bicarb down to around 150ish? That might sink the ph too low so I'd have to put some calcium carb in there but not sure how much.

 

[Nosybear]

Ok, I think I figure 1:1 ratio for tap:distilled water. Or more like 3:3.8 (6.8gal). That would cut the bicarb down to around 150ish? That might sink the ph too low so I'd have to put some calcium carb in there but not sure how much.

Calcium carbonate is generally considered useless in the mash. It's insoluble and results in micro-crystals of apatite. Think gushers. Use sodium bicarbonate instead. At mash pH, nearly all the carbonate is in the bicarbonate form anyway.

 

[KillswitcH]

Calcium carbonate is generally considered useless in the mash. It's insoluble and results in micro-crystals of apatite. Think gushers. Use sodium bicarbonate instead. At mash pH, nearly all the carbonate is in the bicarbonate form anyway.

Funny I'm doing a Hefe years later and found this thread again. I now use RO water and for the hefe adding 3.06g Calcium Chloride 2.44g of Gypsum 1.93 Epsom and .35 Salt. I appreciate you mentioning the ferulic acid rest because I've never heard of it and I will give it a go. Seems to just be getting the strike water at 104-122f and mash for 15min then pump to 152.

 

[Donoroto]

Funny I'm doing a Hefe years later and found this thread again. I now use RO water and for the hefe adding 3.06g Calcium Chloride 2.44g of Gypsum 1.93 Epsom and .35 Salt. I appreciate you mentioning the ferulic acid rest because I've never heard of it and I will give it a go. Seems to just be getting the strike water at 104-122f and mash for 15min then pump to 152.

Yep, pretty much. I do 3 steps: 105, 144 and 152. 122 for 15-20 minutes will not hurt.

Look up the term 'decoction'. Easier than it sounds too.