 | Adjusting Your Water |
Inside this issue:
Next Month
| Final Plans for Shamrock Open
| Report On National Homebrew Day-May 3
| Carboy Night at Harrison's in Cary
| |
Carboy Night at Harrison's Bar & Grill
President Mike Wallace has announced plans for Carboy to celebrate at Harrison's Bar & Grill every first Tuesday of each month. What's the celebration? We receive Tomcat Ales for only $2.00/pint and 1/2 off all appetizers on the menu. It's a great opportunity for Carboy members to have a social outing with club members with no business to be conducted.
We actually started this in January. Because I failed to include the details in the January Fermenter, many of our members were unaware unless they subscribed to Trubnet. We meet from 5:00 until you're ready to go home. Some latecomers arrive as late as 7:00 PM but the crowd begins to build and peak from about 5:30-7:00 PM.
Final Report
Carboy and Trub successfully judged 90 beers that were entered into the Hail to Ale COC on Feb 1 at BB&Y. The winner from the Boston Wort was Shekar and Paula Nimkar with a beautiful American Amber.
Judging at the BOS table were Scott Olgesby from Trub, John Mitchell from Carolina Brewmasters in Charlotte and Mike Wallace from Carboy. Thanks to all the Carboy members who assisted with the judging, stewarding and organizing of the event.
In only 1 1/2 years our young club has grown in judging expertise and is now very well respected throughout the country as a quality location for homebrew competitions.
Each of the following is a prime reason for the brewer to conduct a boil of the wort except:
Learn the Nuts & Bolts of Beer Judging with Steve Murphrey
Beer judging is fun! It can also be intimidating the first time you do it. (Is that like sex?) In order to remove some of the mystique of judging in a sanctioned competition and to recruit some new judges for Shamrock, I'm holding a Beer Judging Education session at my house. It will be a hands-on how-to-judge "class". We'll judge some of the left over beers from the Hail to Ale. The entire process will be covered while using the official AHA forms.
The idea is to help us learn how to judge, get some practice, and to increase the number of capable judges in our area. Everyone is invited regardless of experience level. The class will be structured for those with little or no judging experience. The only prerequisite is that you like beer. Please respond by Thursday, February 27th so that materials can be available.
Email me at murphrey@us.ibm.com or call 779-4482. I live at 4001 Old Sturbridge Rd off 1010 Highway between Holly Springs Rd and Lake Wheeler Rd. A map will be available at Wednesday's meeting.
Chuck & Karen Swoboda
For the period March 7, 1996 through January 28, 1997 our chart of accounts shows that we had revenues of $2,815.63-primarily from dues and 1996 Shamrock Open entry fees. Our expenditures total $2413.14-our largest expenditure areas are newsletters, the Shamrock Open, and T-shirts. Our current balance is $402.49.
Please join in a toast of gratitude to Chuck and Karen Swoboda for keeping track of the club account in a stellar fashion!
The acrospire is:
April 26th
The US Open will be held on April 26th in Charlotte. The US Open will be the second leg of the race for the NC BOY 1997 Award. I would like for as many as possible to have some beer ready to enter in this contest. Check out their website at
dezines.com@your.service/cbm for more details. Ed gaston is the event organizer and he can be reached at 704-510-1121. I'll try to have forms available at the March Carboy meeting.
Keith Royster:
Carolina Brewmaster
Keith Royster from Charlotte who publishes the website for the Carolina Brewmasters and is a frequent poster on the HBD has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkins's disease. He is currently taking his first chemotherapy treatments. Keith has been an active brewer and member of the Charlotte club for several years.
Although you may not know Keith personally, you know him as a brewer. A lover of gadgets and his self-constructed RIMS system, Keith has always carried an enthusiastic support for all homebrewers. You may email Keith at KRoyster@mro.ehnr.state.nc.us
Ten Things that sound dirty but aren't
(No, George Danz didn't write these)
10-After kegging, I like to roll it around on the ground.
9-Want to help aerate my wort?
8-Do you think I should rack off my trub?
7-I want to split your secondaries
6-Have you seen my racking cane?
5-I like to pitch at least a qt each time.
4-I can't say I've ever experienced yeast bite.
3-I like it with a creamy, rock head!
2-What do you think about using a blow-off tube?
1-Would you like to try a double decoction?
With our fiscal year quickly drawing to a close, this is a short but important first call for Carboy officers for 1997-98. President Mike Wallace is currently polling current officers to survey their interest in serving a second term. Our by-laws do not speak to officers serving multiple terms in office.
If you would like to serve Carboy in some capacity as an officer or as the head of a committee to offer a program for our members, please let Mike Wallace know.
Our plan of action will be to elect new officers for 1997-98 in May at the monthly meeting. This will allow adequate time for the new officers to meet in June and be ready to begin the new year on July 1, 1997. Your involvement in our club is crucial. Let your officers know what programs or additions to our calendar, you would like to see or assist with.
When measuring the PH of your wort, it measures 6.0 prior to the boil. You should:
By Mike Lewandowski and Mike Wallace
Charlie Papazian says that if your water is good enough to drink, then it will make good homebrew. But, let's face it- good is not GREAT. If you want to make GREAT beer, you already seek out the best malt and hops, and carefully grow liquid yeast cultures. Why not take the extra step, and improve your water?
Water chemistry may seem daunting to many homebrewers. Many of us have struggled through the water chapters in Miller's, Fix's, and other homebrewing books, only to fall to the floor screaming, "Why can't someone just tell me what to do with MY water?!?!?!"
Relax. We will. This article will tell you in a very simple manner how to treat Cary, Apex, and Raleigh municipal water to recreate the water used to produce the world's great beers. Fortunately, the water we start with is perfect for easy brewing!
Another objective of this article is to make water analyses understandable. Many homebrewing books and articles suggest contacting your local water department to find out how suitable your water is for brewing. The information that the water company provides is often confusing. This article is intended to shed some light on an otherwise murky subject.
Water influences the beer you make. For example, the concentration of calcium can impact how well the mash enzymes convert starches to sugars. This article should help make these chemical processes a little less mysterious.
The characteristics of a water source can even influence the development of a classic beer style. One historical example of this process comes to mind. English-Style Pale Ales developed in Burton, an area known for water high in calcium sulfate (gypsum). The high calcium content of the water helps create the body and balance found in this style. The sulfate provides a slight sulfate "bite," and aids the extraction of bitter resins from the hops. Brewers in Yorkshire County later tried to compete against the pale ales produced in high gypsum areas like Burton. The Yorkshire water contains high levels of calcium carbonate (chalk or limestone.) The calcium carbonate tends to add harsh notes to the hops, so beer produced in these areas is light on the hops. Without a strong hop flavor, the brown ales produced in places like Newcastle and Tadcaster have a strong malt flavor and character without excessive hop flavors. Thus, the water characteristics indigenous to a region have influenced the development of many unique beer styles.
One of the biggest challenges in homebrewing is replicating your favorite style of beer. In order for your brew to be authentic, you'll need to select the proper malt, yeast, hops, and water. No, that isn't a mistake, you need to properly select your brewing water. If you're like most homebrewers, you take your water directly from the tap. That makes an excellent start, but to brew authentically, you'll need to adjust your water to match that of the desired style.
Before we get too far into the discussion, a small "warning" is in order. If you are an extract brewer, the effect of your brewing water on the final product is much less significant than if you were an all-grain brewer. Of course, it won't hurt to adjust your water for use with extracts, it's just that the effects will be much less noticeable.
Water analyses typically list a number of parameters, which describe the concentration of various dissolved ions in either parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L). There is one water chemistry secret that you should keep in mind: ppm's are the EXACT SAME THING as mg/L's. When a mineral dissolves, it separates into whatever ions are present. For example, when calcium carbonate (also known as chalk or limestone) dissolves, it breaks up into the calcium ion and the carbonate ion. If you were to then analyze the sample of dissolved calcium carbonate, you would find no calcium carbonate (remember, it broke up into its constituent ions), some calcium ions, and some carbonate ions. To summarize, when you dissolve a substance in water (or wort, for that matter) it becomes it's constituent ions. So, if you want to add an ion, all you have to do is pick the proper mineral, but more on that later.
When you read your water analysis, you may notice a parameter called "total hardness." What does that mean? Simply put, it is just the combined concentration of the dissolved calcium and magnesium. That's all. Now, when you see a total hardness concentration, you can think, "Ahh, so THAT'S how much calcium and magnesium is in this water."
But why call that "hardness?" I'm glad you asked. For that, we need a brief history lesson. Before fancy cleaners and detergents were invented, people washed with soap. Dissolved calcium and magnesium react with soap and make it very hard to form a good lather. The term "hardness" originated because it is very hard to wash with hard water. At what point is a water considered hard? There is some disagreement as to exactly what numbers to use, but generally anything below 75 mg/l is considered "soft", anything between 75 and 150 mg/l is considered "moderately hard", and between 150 mg/l and 300 mg/l is considered "hard", and anything over 300 mg/l is considered "very hard." Here in the Cary, Apex, and Raleigh area, the total hardness ranges from approximately 25 mg/l to 40 mg/l, depending on where you are. This can definitely be described as soft water.
As you may have guessed, each dissolved ion influences the characteristics of the finished product. The following list summarizes the impact of each ion on beer quality:
| *Calcium helps keep the pH of your mash in the optimal range of 5.0-5.5
(see the November 1996 issue of the Fermenter). Calcium helps precipitate
proteins from the boil, and aids yeast growth during fermentation.| *Magnesium acts in a similar manner to calcium, however too much magnesium
(over 100 mg/L) may produce a bitter taste. | *Sodium enhances the flavor of beer, however too much sodium creates
a "harsh" taste. | *Bicarbonate and carbonate raise the pH of your mash. | *Sulfate produces a dry taste, and enhances hop flavors.
| |
So, you are convinced! Adjusting water ions is something you'd like to try! Relax, it's easier than you think! First, one obvious question comes to mind: "What do I need to adjust? All of my water, just my sparge water, what?!?!?!" The answer is simple, it's up to you. You can make perfectly good beer without adjusting a single ion. Of course, your mash will be more efficient if you adjust your water. Naturally, if you are trying very hard to recreate a style of beer, it is a good idea to duplicate the water found in the region where the style developed.
If you are interested in adjusting the mineral content of your water, definitely adjust your mash water. This will ensure that exactly the right components are available for the mash enzymes. Adjusting the sparge water and any topping water aren't really necessary, but if you are striving for perfectly recreating a style, you may want to consider it.
So what do you have to do to adjust your water? Simple, just find the style you want to create on the table below. The table will indicate how much of each mineral should be added to treat each gallon of water. Each mineral is available from homebrew supply stores. If you decide to use another source, make sure the mineral is listed as U.S.P. (pharmacy grade). This guarantees that the mineral is free of any potentially dangerous impurities.
Adding the minerals is also a simple matter. Just heat one or two cups of water until it gets warm. You don't need a full boil, but a boil won't hurt anything. Now, take the mineral listed in the table and stir it in the warm water until it dissolves. It may take a minute or two of vigorous stirring. Just pour the mixture into your water, and you are done! With these few simple actions you are on the way to brewing and enjoying better beer. Pat yourself on the back for being such a good chemist and reward yourself with a homebrew!
| STYLE |
WATER TREATMENT FOR 1 GALLON |
| Pale Ale | 0.25 tsp MgSO4, 0.33 tsp CaSO4 |
| Mild | 0.08 tsp NaCl |
| Brown Ale | 0.08 tsp NaCl |
| Scottish Ale | none, our water is close enough |
| Porter | 0.11 tsp CaCO3 |
| Sweet Stout | 0.05 tsp MgSO4, 0.33 tsp CaCO3 |
| Dry Stout | 0.05 tsp MgSO4, 0.33 tsp CaCO3 |
| Pilsener | none, our water is close enough |
| Light Lager | 0.08 tsp CaSO4 |
| Dark Lager | 0.08 tsp CaSO4 |
| Munich dark | 0.2 tsp CaCO3 |
| Maerzen | 0.05 tsp NaCl, 0.1 tsp CaSO4 |
| Bock | 0.06 tsp NaCl, 0.16 tsp CaCO3 |
| Doppelbock | 0.06 tsp NaCl,0.16 tsp CaCO3 |
| Alt | 0.04 tsp CaSO4 |
| Weizen | 0.05 tsp CaSO4 |
| Dortm | under 0.07 tsp NaCl,0.17 tsp CaSO4 |
| Bitter | 0.24 tsp CaSO4 |
MgSO4= magnesium sulfate= epsom salts
CaSO4= calcium sulfate= gypsum
NaCl= sodium chloride= table salt (DO NOT use iodized salt!)
CaCO3= calcium carbonate= chalk
CaCl3= calcium chloride
Note:
All mineral quantities are given for adjusting a 1 gallon batch. If you are correcting more water, increase you mineral additions proportionally (e.g., 5 gallons of water needed for a batch of Alt will require 0.2 tsp of CaSO4). All quantities are shown in level teaspoons.
References:
Jon Rodin and Glenn Colon-Bonet, "Beer from Water: Modify Minerals to Match Beer Styles," Zymurgy Winter 1991
American Water Works Association, Water Quality and Treatment: A Handbook of Community Water Supplies, ed. Frederick W. Pontius (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1990) Warren Viessman, Jr. and Mark J. Hammer, Water Supply and Pollution Control (New York: Harper and Row, 1985) Dave Miller, Brewing the World's Great Beers: A Step-by-Step Guide (Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, Inc., 1993) Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson's Beer Companion: The World's Great Beer Styles, Gastronomy, and Traditions (Philadelphia: Running Press, 1993) Charlie Papazian, The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing (New York: Avon Books, 1991) Charlie Papazian, The Homebrewer's Companion (New York: Avon Books, 1994)
(No, it's not about water chemistry)
Thom Tomlinson is on the advisory board of which major brewing magazine.
April 5th
A few minor changes have taken place in the Shamrock Open for 1997. Mike Wallace will be the organizer with Steve Murphrey as the judge coordinator. Bill MacKenzie will work with receiving the entries while Donna Murphrey will work with Richard Todd to provide the database work needed for the competition. Jim Navecky is organizing the prizes and beer donations from local and national breweries.
Deadline for entries is April 1 but we would hope that all local brewers would get their beers to Bill at the meeting in March. If you would like to judge in this event, please contact Steve Murphrey and if you can assist as a steward, please contact Jim Navecky.
Local entries may also be dropped off at BrewBetter Supply and American Brewmaster. Again, entries must be in by April 1.
Entry fees are $6 for first entry, $5 for second entry and $4 for all other entries. Since this is the first leg of the NC BOY Award, we want as many Carboy brewers to enter beers as possible. Last year's winner, Keith Houck from Trub along with Mark Bailey from Carolina Brewmasters will certainly be strong contenders again this year.
Because entries are due for the COC in mid-March, we must select our entry to this COC at our February meeting. Please bring at least 3 bottles of your entry and make sure you have 3 more good condition bottles at home in case your entry is selected.
Styles involve are:
13-German Dark Lagers
| (a) Munich Dunkel
| (b) Schwartzbier
| |
14-German Light Lagers
| (a) Munich Helles
| (b) Dortmunder
| |
15-Classic Pilsener
| (a) German style Pilsener
| (b) Bohemian style Pilsener
| (c) American style Pilsener
| |
16-American Lager
| (a) American Lager
| (b) Am style Light Lager
| (c) Am Ale/Am cream Ale
| (d) Am style Premium Lager
| (e) Am Dark Lager
| |
Style 15(c) is a new AHA style for 1997. It has been promoted on HBD and by other advocates of this now deceased beer style. No known commercial beers are currently brewed to this style but it was very popular prior to Prohibition. With the conditioning time needed to successfully brew any of these styles, it is too late to brew one now. Hopefully, we'll have a few examples to sample at Wednesday night's meeting.
Please take the time before Wednesday's meeting to review the style descriptions on these beers so that we can correctly select a club entry that will do reasonably well in the COC in March.
Roman Davis-Director
For brewers who are members of the BJCP, it now appears that you will not have to vote on a BJCP Director for the Southeast. I spoke recently with Russ Wigglesworth in CA and it appears that Roman Davis who has served in this position for the past two years was the only nominee from our region.
Roman is a National BJCP judge and has been actively involved in promoting beer, judging, and his homebrew club, Carolina Brewmasters, in Charlotte for several years. BJCP members from Carboy and Trub made the nomination for Roman and got the needed signatures to CA by February 1.
Congratulations to Roman not only for this continuation as a leader in BJCP but Roman has also recently become a 'Dad" for the third time. Already dubbed as
"Hophead Hayden", Hayden and his mom are at home and doing well. It won't be long and young Hayden will be brewing quality beers just like his dad.
Dave Miller has written several brewing books and articles and is a former member of the St Louis Brews Homebrew Club. What Carboy member is also a former member of this same club while Dave was in St Louis.
(Oh, so you don't know all these guys? Then come to our next meeting and learn more about your fellow members!)
Editorial Comment
Within the past 3 years, we have seen an expansive microbrewing market and a huge growth in homebrewers in the US. How can any reasonable person be concerned about a move to restrict your access to your favorite beverage. We often take our right to homebrew too lightly. Remember it was only in 1978 that Americans regained this right on a federal level. However, understand that fully 20 states still either directly prohibit or have very vague laws concerning your homebrewing rights. Luckily, North Carolina is very clear on this issue. We have the right to brew up to 100 gal (200 if 2 adults in home) per year as long as you are 21 and never/ever attempt to sell your homebrew.
You may share your beer with any friends and guests that you desire as long as they are 21. You may do this in most locations except those specifically prohibited like a commercial business with off-premises licenses. In some states that allow you to homebrew, there is no provision for taking the beer away from your home. No homebrew competitions are legally available.
Next issue, I will try to expand on some of the issues that relate to our brewing rights. Ask yourself this question. Can you legally brew a beer that is more than 6% aol?
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