[Slackjawls]

For those of you sparging with RO water, I'm wondering if you have encountered this situation in the Bru'n Water spreadsheet, and what your process is.

The Bru'n Water default value for RO water starting alkalinity is 13.  When you hover over the dot a message box opens and says there is no need to acidify sparge water with a starting alkalinity of less than 25.

But the sparge water acidification sheet still recommends acid and mineral adjustments to sparge water with the default RO water profile.

Do you think you get good results sparging with straight RO water or do you follow the recommendations on the sparge water acidification sheet?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[The Beerery]

RO water does not need acidification for sparging.

[Slackjawls]

I figured it was safe not to acidify but do you think there is any benefit to flavor or mouth feel by making the recommended adjustments?

[mabrungard]

If you examine that amount of acid recommended for the RO sparging water, you'll see that its a really small quantity. Just consider it a rounding error or increase the target water pH a bit higher and it should go away.

In any case, you don't need to acidify RO sparging water since its alkalinity is already low enough.

[dls5492]

I do fly sparging  with ro water. My understanding is that the ph of the sparge water needs to be less than 6. It takes very little acid to get there. So, are you saying that I don't need to do that now?

[JT]

Your RO sparge water is going to just assimilate to whatever your mash pH is.  There is very little or no "resistance" in RO or distilled waters to maintain their own pH.

[mabrungard]

I do fly sparging  with ro water. My understanding is that the ph of the sparge water needs to be less than 6. It takes very little acid to get there. So, are you saying that I don't need to do that now?

As indicated above, water with nearly zero buffering will easily assume the pH of the mash. The pH of very low alkalinity sparging water (like RO or distilled) does not need to be below 6.

[dls5492]

I do fly sparging  with ro water. My understanding is that the ph of the sparge water needs to be less than 6. It takes very little acid to get there. So, are you saying that I don't need to do that now?

As indicated above, water with nearly zero buffering will easily assume the pH of the mash. The pH of very low alkalinity sparging water (like RO or distilled) does not need to be below 6.

Thank you.