BeerTools Discussion Forum

The pH is (apparently, its the water company's analysis) 7.64 normally. Question is, if I boil, how will I know how much Ca/Mg I have lost? Whats the chemistry of the phosphatic (phosphoric) acid reaction? That would seem to be more predictable, as long as the by products aren't problematic in thems...

I recently got hold of an analysis of my tap water, as I wanted to brew a pilsner and have read that this can be important. It looked OK: Ca:115 Mg:22 Na:51 Cl:80 SO4:82 and then the killer HCO3: 348! Everything I have read says this is BAD - and then gives some imprecise advice like "boil it&q...

I also had bad efficiency in my first few attempts at (full) mashing. Turned out to be the sparge, i.e. not getting all the sugar out of the grains. Drain it slowly, use nice hot water to sparge with. To double-check conversion is complete, a drop of iodine in a sample of the wort should NOT turn bl...

My theory is that seeing as the main purpose of transferring is to allow the beer to have a place to rest without it sitting on a bed of decomposing dead yeast, it should be done once most of the fermentation activity has died down, so you don't just get a new, thick yeast bed. That said, it must be...

Something I've started to wonder - when a recipe states a 1-minute boil for the aroma hops, what does this mean? Do you put the hops in, wait one minute, and pull them out again (!@#$..forgot to use a bag!)? Or, do you leave them in until you have cooled and run the wort off into the fermenter? This...

Just to make sure I've understood in the lager case:
Ferment at (say) 50 degrees for a week
Raise to 60 for 2 days
Then finally down to 1-2 degrees and lager for 3 weeks or whatever.

That right?

I get an OK head on my beer - but it could be even better! I have read that addition of flaked barley to the mash can improve head retention. Has anyone tried this, did it work, and how much should one add? I use mostly Maris Otter Pale Malt and Crystal malt otherwise.

A well-heaped teaspoon for 20 litres wort. I also
give it one to two weeks in the secondary, and its
pretty clear before I prime (200g dextrose) and bottle. So I would guess that its mostly yeast that collects on the base of the bottles. It would be nice if it stayed there during the pour!

Any tips on how to make yeast pack down in the base
of the bottle, so you can pour without wasting that
last bit? I use Wyeast London Ale 1028, are there
similar strains that behave better - or am I just
not waiting long enough. 2 months should be OK,
surely?