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Author Topic: Adding gypsum  (Read 5625 times)

Offline Pi

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Adding gypsum
« on: October 24, 2015, 07:27:09 pm »
Has anyone tried adding gypsum dry, directly to their grain prior to dough in?
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2015, 07:36:07 pm »
No, I add mine to the strike water as it heats, to get it uniformly dissolved - Martin's advice and he's known to be pretty sharp. 
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2015, 07:36:23 pm »
Not me. I add when my water is above 100F and stir. Out of curiosity, why would you want to add it to the grain?

Offline Pi

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2015, 07:44:25 pm »
Just curious. Wondering if it was any different than adding to the strike. It's late.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #4 on: October 24, 2015, 07:46:47 pm »
It's just that you'll get even distribution of it by dissolving it in water. Good luck.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2015, 07:56:06 pm »
Just curious. Wondering if it was any different than adding to the strike. It's late.
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Offline narcout

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2015, 08:26:13 pm »
Has anyone tried adding gypsum dry, directly to their grain prior to dough in?

Yes, I used to do that regularly, and it works fine.

These days I add my minerals to the strike water, but I can't say I've noticed any difference.
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Offline mabrungard

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2015, 01:12:26 pm »
There is really only one good way to assure that your minerals are evenly and well distributed in your mash...add them to your brewing water before adding the grains and mix them up. If you mix the typical brewing minerals in your water for a minute or so, they WILL fully dissolve. I've heard too many impatient brewers complain that they add minerals to their water and they just sit at the bottom of the container. Don't be foolish, while these minerals are fully soluble, it is NOT an instantaneous reaction. It does take a minute and it does help to mix the water during that minute.

The only mineral that doesn't dissolve very well is chalk and there is little that can be done to change that. For that reason, don't use chalk in brewing.
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2015, 07:46:41 am »

There is really only one good way to assure that your minerals are evenly and well distributed in your mash...add them to your brewing water before adding the grains and mix them up. If you mix the typical brewing minerals in your water for a minute or so, they WILL fully dissolve. I've heard too many impatient brewers complain that they add minerals to their water and they just sit at the bottom of the container. Don't be foolish, while these minerals are fully soluble, it is NOT an instantaneous reaction. It does take a minute and it does help to mix the water during that minute.

The only mineral that doesn't dissolve very well is chalk and there is little that can be done to change that. For that reason, don't use chalk in brewing.
Martin- is there any difference or impact adding the salts to strike water before heating  vs. a few minutes before target temp reached?


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Offline mabrungard

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2015, 01:24:01 pm »
No difference if its just salts being added. They are similarly soluble at low or high water temps. The only issue arises with respect to acid additions.

Heating water can partially decarbonate it and reduce its alkalinity. Therefore, if you calculated your acid addition based on the raw water alkalinity and waited to add the acid to hot water, you may end up slightly overdosing the acid. One option to avoid that problem is to calculate your acid addition based on the alkalinity of the heated water. Good luck guessing that new alkalinity. That's why I recommend adding acid to water before heating.
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Offline 69franx

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2015, 02:10:21 pm »
Great info again Martin. Think I've seen you post along those lines before. I know I had 1 batch where I forgot my acid and added after heating and pH was then way off. Thought it was my meter, now I know it might have been this instead
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Offline Stevie

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2015, 02:13:16 pm »
Martin, how is this affected when using RO?

Offline a10t2

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2015, 02:23:20 pm »
The only mineral that doesn't dissolve very well is chalk and there is little that can be done to change that. For that reason, don't use chalk in brewing.

I thought chalk was readily soluble at mash pH? I seem to see the expected pH effect when I add it during mash-in.
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2015, 03:19:01 pm »
My understanding was that chalk needs CO2 to become soluble in water. Otherwise the chalk just settles out. Maybe Martin will chime in on this.
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Offline mabrungard

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Re: Adding gypsum
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2015, 07:40:53 pm »
Martin, how is this affected when using RO?

I should have mentioned this, but the lower your water's alkalinity, the lower the effect of the heating on decarbonation. In other words, if you are using RO or distilled water, you probably don't really need to worry about that effect, but if your water has huge alkalinity, you definitely do. 
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