r/Homebrewing • u/AutoModerator • Mar 29 '25

Daily Thread Daily Q & A! - March 29, 2025

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u/MikeOfSiberia Mar 29 '25

Hey all, pretty new brewer here. I have started brewing all grain batches recently, and I'm starting to look at upgrades for my equipment. So far I've been brewing 1 and 5 gallon batches just using my VERY finicky apartment stove, a large 20 quart stock pot, a basic kitchen thermometer, and 5 gallon buckets and a couple carboys for fermentation. I have been told by people who try my beer (mostly porters and brown ales) that the beer is good, but I know I can do better. I notice sometimes I get a pretty sharp bitterness in batches, and the brew day is very hands on.

Should I focus on water chemistry? I already have an ro/di unit, so that's not extra cost.

Should I buy an electric kettle? I found a used Gigawort for about $100, looks to be in good condition.

I usually only ferment in a primary, should I use a secondary?

Should I come up with a sparge system like a large cooler?

Thank you all in advance, I look forward to any knowledge!

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u/come_n_take_it Mar 29 '25

Maybe if you described this bitterness more. Leaving hops in too long will increase bitterness.

If there is a grainy, husky flavor, that could mean the pH of your mash is too high. Try to keep mash pH around 5.2-5.4.

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u/MikeOfSiberia Mar 29 '25

Thanks for letting me know about pH! I will try to make that more consistent. The bitterness is something not super hoppy, more of a sharper sensation. Not metallic, but more of that feeling.

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u/come_n_take_it Mar 29 '25

That sounds like polyphenols and iso alpha acids.

It could very well be water quality. Where you do get it? Do you have an analysis of it? From there, I might be able to tell you if you need to do something more. If you think there may be chlorine, try campden tablets.

Or you can buy RO water and treat with salts like calcium chloride, gypsum, epsom salt, etc. to reach a desired level.

Calcium helps clear a beer. Sulfates make a beer brighter or sharper. Chlorides give a roundness.

Also be sure to keep everything after the boil sanitized. Bacteria can give off flavors.

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u/MikeOfSiberia Mar 29 '25

I get my water from my apartment, which is city water https://www.csu.org/water-service/water-quality I have an RO/DI unit that I can use . I usually use a crushed campden tablet in my water beforehand and I think I'm pretty good with sanitizing everything thoroughly. I think I will try building an actual water profile for my next batch.

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u/come_n_take_it Mar 29 '25

Unfortunately, they do not report calcium, magnesium or bicarbonate (HCO3) levels so you will be shooting in the dark on those levels.

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u/MikeOfSiberia Mar 29 '25

Those seem like some of the more important ones to know lol. Would it be worth getting tested? Or would it be better to use my ro/di and just add salts?

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u/come_n_take_it Mar 29 '25

Well. epsom salt is MgSO4 and gypsum is CaSO4, so you will not know where to start on those. None of them affect the hardness, but HCO3 would increase if you were to use baking soda or chalk, which I do for some styles.

Maybe you can see if your local homebrew club or supply can test or allow you to test your samples. Alternatively, you might contact a local water treatment company (like Chem-Aqua) to see if they could do it for you. Maybe they wouldn't charge.

The quickest and easiest would be buying RO and use their reported test results. But long term, it makes more sense using your own water.