Mini Mash water

[Hutch42]

Right now I do extract but want to make a mini mash. I buy distilled water for extract brewing if I go to mini mash what kind of water will I need and will I just need it for the mash part and use distilled water for the extract part?

[bsegroves]

Distilled or spring water should work fine.

[Old_Skool]

In general using distilled water is not the best idea as its is void of trace elements/minerals that can really help the brewing process and final flavor(s). If your local water is really bad than I would go with spring water. Have you tried boiling several gallons of your tap water and then letting it sit over nite ? Might be ok then.

As to mini-mashing or stove-top mashing - Jamil has a nice section on that in Brewing Classic Styles. Which is a great book if you are progressing along in your brewing.

Good Luck

[krizwit]

Distilled and RO water is not good for mashing.

Check out Palmers section on water in How to Brew. If you go to the website you can download a spreadsheet that will show you how to adjust your water based on your water profile and beer color.

For the most part, you would be fine just using your tap water(dechlorinated) for the minimash and then using distilled if you wish for the rest of the water.

[Fundman1]

Since the original mineral content of water remains through extraction and is still in that sticky goo that we use to brew, I've heard that distilled water is good to use for extract brewing. That way you don't get mineral content from the extract and the water you add. If that's true, wouldn't it make sense to use some combination of distilled water and spring/tap water when doing a mini-mash where you're using some extracts and some grains?

[anday6]

A balance for mini mashing would be to use tap water with all it's minerals for your mash water to have a proper pH. Then top up with RO/distilled to work with your extract. That should help you get the best of both worlds.

[Fugglupagus]

Distilled and RO water is not good for mashing.

. . . or steeping.

+1 on How to Brew as well. My feeble understanding largely comes from there:

When you add grain to water, the grain tends to acidify the water (drops the PH). If the PH drops too low, you may extract undesirable shit (tannins) from the grain. The mineral content in water counteracts (buffers) acidification and makes the PH more stable. If you soak grain in distilled or RO water that contains no minerals, there won't be anything to prevent the PH from dropping too low, and you may end up with off flavors in your brewski.

As to mini-mashing or stove-top mashing - Jamil has a nice section on that in Brewing Classic Styles. Which is a great book if you are progressing along in your brewing.

It's in an appendix. It recommends a water to grain ratio that should produce a safe PH level in your mini-mash. Can't remember it at the moment . . . .

A balance for mini mashing would be to use tap water with all it's minerals for your mash water to have a proper pH. Then top up with RO/distilled to work with your extract. That should help you get the best of both worlds.

+1

[mabrungard]

Mini mashes and mashes require the same water. That water depends on the requirements of the mash. If mashing a more acidic grist, then its possible that some alkalinity might be wanted. Mashing with straight RO or distilled water is not a good idea. It leaves the beer lifeless and the yeast and fermentation performance may be lacking. Adding calcium to the RO or distilled water is a good first step toward good brewing water. At a minimum, 40 ppm calcium is needed. Bumping that to 50 ppm may be better. Going higher than that is unnecessary and should only be contemplated if you want to bump up other anions like chloride or sulfate.

Using tap water should be a brewer's first consideration, but that requires that they figure out what their water profile is. If the water has modest mineralization and tastes good, then its possible that it would suit mashing. The main thing to watch for is excessive alkalinity. That can adversely affect the mash and the finished beer flavor if its at concentrations too high for the mash grist. You can learn more about why and how to modify brewing water with Bru'n Water software.