Jim's Beer Kit

The above "Stout defects" described a little more concisely! The low extract efficiency was most likely due to me using out-of-date malted grain (I'm a scrooge). The low attenuation of sugars was most likely due to me using the beer design software's approach to "recoverable dead-space" incorrectly ...

The "defective Stout" turned out well down on extract (1.049 when 1.055 was targeted) and the yeast's attenuation of sugars a lowly 55% (according to "Beersmith"). "Beersmith" calculates the ABV as 3.7%. As a valid data point this disaster goes straight in the bin (not literally, it's very drinkable...

Why suggest a new Mashing methodology after all these years? Well ... it's not been "all these years" for most. About twenty years ago "RO" water started to become available to the general public. Before that there was a few brewers, like me, who "enjoyed" very low TDS water. But we weren't very wat...

About three weeks since I last posted, but I've been keeping up the work to change the way of calculating water treatment. To summarise: I was plagued by very low mashing pHs; pHs under 5.0 weren't unusual and I'd be trying to find out "why" for months ... years even! Eventually I've been homing in ...

To make my previous "step-by-step" instructions (Mon 16th June) clearer ('cos I'm getting confused with the alterations to the earlier instructions of May 28th - 31st). The dark grain and alkalinity salts (bicarb) can be held back until after the main mash is deemed sufficiently finished (45-60 minu...

For some reason (probably historic?) all calculators are tied into "ppm" and other concentrations. That is an interesting question, now you get me thinking about it... Perhaps the reason is ... I'm not ignoring this! Just sidestepping it to give me more time to assimilate it (my mind is as sharp as...

I went looking for ideas on another forum. A lot of what follows is reposted from that forum: I'd concluded I was approaching it the wrong way around … dealing with the acidity created by extra Calcium additions, then dealing with dark grain. Finishing all mashing without the extra Calcium additions...

Wowie,wowie! I've got to play with this! My spreadsheet hasn't been aired much since someone decided to mention it on The Home Brew Forum to bad-mouth it (totally unrelated to what the thread was about) and I was kicked off the forum for complaining to the Administrator/Mods about it! Presenting ......

And ... :-$ . I've got to stop. I promised in the very first post of this thread that I wouldn't rant. My previous thread on the subject (Part I?) descended into a one-man rant-fest. I don't mind "ppm" if used carefully. But as a reminder of why I'm doing this: For other readers: ppm in this context...

... This can be observed by loading the Grain Bill input that you have shown and then setting all Water Input Concentrations to 0 (plus no adjustment additions) so that the Estimated Mash pH is predicting that for distilled water. Now if the water volume is varied between 11.3 and 16.95l the pH wil...

nallum wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 04, 2025 9:11 am

[... Better advice will be given by those who do.

Got it, I'll see what I can do ...

...

Oh, oh. Can't help me-self can I ... I'm dead.

But, if I run away quickly, he may not catch me? Bye ...

Hi OldN1ck, welcome to the forum! I've seen your "Introduce Yourself" post and have been gaining some ideas to make a nuisance of myself (well, it's what I do!). Thanks for the tip concerning Bru'n Water. I'm aware there will be "boundaries", but I don't know where they are. So, I'm just stabbing in...

... I moan about AW because of the hardness ... Grr. You don't mean "hardness" (though why anyone would mean outdated flippin' Hardness is beyond me), you mean (carbonate) "alkalinity". Now there's a risk of people asking "what's the difference"? As penance, you answer them. :twisted: I'm having a ...

The main mash step is complete and "Water Additions" in Bru'n Water entirely emptied ready for next mash step thanks to having shifted the main mash mineral additions to the "Water Report Input". Go to the "Grain Bill Input" page and temporarily answer "No" to the "Remove Roast Malts from the Main M...

This next bit really defines the "normalization" in this case. "Normalization" defines different things in different environments and is not a specific operation ... Normalization - Wikipedia ... in particular, " 'Normalization' refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular". Pleas...