Water Volume and treatments

[Casey Quinif]

Hey guys, A couple questions as I'm getting ready for brew day.

I'm using the northern brewer megapot 8 gallon kettle for this recipe that I copied and I'm using BIAB method.

1. I'm having trouble figuring out my mash water volume from the brew steps.

2. I'm using distilled water and I'm trying to figure out my steps to determine how much/when to add Gypsum, Lactic acid, and campden tablets.

Link to recipe: https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/990428/steph-s-orange-wheat

 

[Hot P!$$]

I found it hard to hit the right volume and gravity with BIAB at first. Make sure you keep copious notes and you will get there. It also helps to have a spare vessel with water at strike temp to do a dunk sparge with if you find yourself with low wort pre boil.

 

[Hawkbox]

If you're using distilled you can basically toss the salts in more or less any time during the process. I stir them in with the mash early on but I know of people putting them in the boil, etc... kind of whatever floats your goat.

 

[Yooper]

Hey guys, A couple questions as I'm getting ready for brew day.

I'm using the northern brewer megapot 8 gallon kettle for this recipe that I copied and I'm using BIAB method.

1. I'm having trouble figuring out my mash water volume from the brew steps.

2. I'm using distilled water and I'm trying to figure out my steps to determine how much/when to add Gypsum, Lactic acid, and campden tablets.

Link to recipe: https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/990428/steph-s-orange-wheat

Add the campden (1 per every gallons of brewing water) when you get your water ready. The salts and acid go into the mash in almost all cases.

 

[Craigerrr]

If you're using distilled you can basically toss the salts in more or less any time during the process. I stir them in with the mash early on but I know of people putting them in the boil, etc... kind of whatever floats your goat.

Salts in the boil? Um, to my knowledge if you are using salts, they are needed in the mash.

 

[Hawkbox]

That's how I do it, but I've had people tell me they do otherwise.

 

[^Tony^]

I use BIAB with RO water and I toss the salts into the kettle before I starting heating the water. I read somewhere that cool/cold water is better than hot with dissolving some of the minerals (gypsum I think). Anyway; works for me.

The water chemistry calculator on BF is ok. Lot's of people also use Bru'n Water. The salt additions depend on what kind of water you start with and what kind of beer you want to end with.

 

[philjohnwilliams]

Why the campden tablets if you are using distilled water?

 

[Nosybear]

Why the campden tablets if you are using distilled water?

Adding sodium? There's no other reason I could think of.