7 replies to this topic

[Brim2theDregs]

Good news from Wards. I can brew pilsners with my water! Bad news… it requires additions for nearly everything else! It’s super soft and It looks like additions are in order even for a 10.2 SRM pale ale (which is what I’m brewing tonight).Well, I think I’ve got my head wrapped around it enough to try adjusting my water. Here’s my line of reasoning – First add some gypsum to kick the sulfates up into range and add some Ca. If I add too much though, it really whacks out my CL/SO4 ratio. Second, add chalk to get Ca the rest of the way up past the minimum 50ppm. Third, I throw in some Epsom Salts to boost Mg up to 10 or 11 cause I think yeasties are spinal tap fans (chuck_d knows what I’m talking about!)Fourth, I don't think I want to add salt, but the gypsum addition throws my CL/SO4 ratio out of whack so I add non-iodized salt to get that back into range.What do you guys think? All this water chemistry has me feeling insane in the membrane and the lack of communication has brought me to Malfunction Junction.Brewing tonight!

[MtnBrewer]

First add some gypsum to kick the sulfates up into range and add some Ca. If I add too much though, it really whacks out my CL/SO4 ratio. Second, add chalk to get Ca the rest of the way up past the minimum 50ppm.

Just remember that adding chalk increases Ca but it also increases carbonates. So the net effect of adding chalk is to raise RA, not lower it.

[Brim2theDregs]

Right on Mtn. I want to raise RA by adding Ca. but also to get into the 50ppm range, right?Would it be better to add more Gypsum than Chalk? If added more Gypsum then I would also have to add more NaCl to balance the Cl/SO4 ratio.Which is the better choice for a 10SRM APA?

[MtnBrewer]

Right on Mtn. I want to raise RA by adding Ca. but also to get into the 50ppm range, right?

No, you add Ca (gypsum or CaCl₂) to lower RA. Chalk raises it. To brew pale beers with soft water, you need to lower RA, which in turn lowers pH.

Would it be better to add more Gypsum than Chalk? If added more Gypsum then I would also have to add more NaCl to balance the Cl/SO4 ratio.Which is the better choice for a 10SRM APA?

I would not be adding chalk to an APA at all. I would just add gypsum but if you're concerned about too much sulfate, then make up the difference with CaCl₂.

[Brim2theDregs]

No, you add Ca (gypsum or CaCl₂) to lower RA. Chalk raises it. To brew pale beers with soft water, you need to lower RA, which in turn lowers pH.I would not be adding chalk to an APA at all. I would just add gypsum but if you're concerned about too much sulfate, then make up the difference with CaCl₂.

My RA is 20 without any additions, which is good for 7-12 SRM. The only reason I wanted to add chalk is to get into the recommended range of 50-150ppm Ca. Should I not worry about that?

[MtnBrewer]

My RA is 20 without any additions, which is good for 7-12 SRM. The only reason I wanted to add chalk is to get into the recommended range of 50-150ppm Ca. Should I not worry about that?

You should worry about that but you shouldn't use chalk in a hoppy beer.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

You should worry about that but you shouldn't use chalk in a hoppy beer.

Sometimes I use a little bit of chalk in a hoppy beer so that I can add some gypsum without throwing my RA way off. My water will already hit an appropriate RA for most pales but if I don't add gypsum I don't have nearly enough calcium. When adding gypsum I often have to add something to bring my RA back up (chalk or baking soda). My water is pretty soft as well but not as soft as the OPs.

[Brim2theDregs]

Sometimes I use a little bit of chalk in a hoppy beer so that I can add some gypsum without throwing my RA way off. My water will already hit an appropriate RA for most pales but if I don't add gypsum I don't have nearly enough calcium. When adding gypsum I often have to add something to bring my RA back up (chalk or baking soda). My water is pretty soft as well but not as soft as the OPs.

Unfortunately, I don't have net access at home so I was on my own after 5pm eastern. I couldn't find any CaCl₂ loally in time for the brew so I cut the chalk addition back to 1g. It's comforting to hear that someone adds chalk to a hoppy beer. My RA was 18 and the Cl/SO₄ ratio was .61. All the mineral addition numbers were within range except Ca which was a little low at 32ppm, but hey, that's better than the 8ppm that I have been brewing with!The hydro sample tasted excellent! Amazing how much a little bit of chalk really made the sweet malt flavor pop (crystal and victory) - I see what you mean MtnBrewer. The hop bite was still strong as well, thanks in no small part to the sulfates in the gypsum and Epsom salts no doubt.I'm just scratching the surface on brew water chemistry, but I can already see that it's worth the effort to take a look at your water. If you are on the fence, just go ahead and send that 8 ounces off to Ward Labs.I have read books and tweaked spreadsheets but I find that I learn the most from lurking through forum posts. Thanks again guys.