[denny]

Like you, sometimes I get the pink and sometimes I don't.  I haven't changed equipment or water.  I've stopped worrying about it.

[Horseflesh]

Thanks Denny! That is probably the best plan but not knowing why is gonna drive me nuts for a little while.

[denny]

Thanks Denny! That is probably the best plan but not knowing why is gonna drive me nuts for a little while.

Oh, yeah, it did me, too...for a while!  After I'd used the water like that for a couple batches with no impact on the beer I decided I had better things to worry about.

[Robert]

If your beer's not purple, why worry?  If your beer is purple, add glitter and roll with it.

[Horseflesh]

One of the reasons I was worried was I thought my last beer (a very light hef) did show a slight coloration difference. It seemed a bit... muddy somehow. But that could be a misapprehension as I was confused by the pink foam and probably predisposed to find new problems. No one else has seemed to report color differences in the final product so... I am gonna try to take Denny's advice and chill.

[Robert]

Yep, I've never had the funny color, but the consensus seems to be it's iron or manganese that is being bound and held back in the mash by the BTB.  So better to have it there than going forward into the beer.  Paranoia is one of the worst ingredients in beer!

[erockrph]

Yep, I've never had the funny color, but the consensus seems to be it's iron or manganese that is being bound and held back in the mash by the BTB.  So better to have it there than going forward into the beer.  Paranoia is one of the worst ingredients in beer!

Since I started this topic I've started experimenting with various fountain pen inks. One of which is "iron gall" - made from a mixture of iron and gallotannin. While the color I saw in my kettlewas decidedly more purple than the ink I've used, from what I understand purple-black is a traditional color for this type of ink. The ink I've used is a deep blue that fades to blue-black over time (i.e., upon oxidation). The shade of color is similar to what I saw in my kettle, although the hue is a bit different. The chemistry of this ink is very likely similar to the chelation reactions happening in the kettle.

[JT]

Crikey.  Call me a square, but I've been sticking with basic brewing salts and some additional care and attention on the cold side.