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The first thing you need to do before you start messing with salt additions is to get a base mineral profile of the water you’ll use for your beer.
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It’s up to you! What’s Your Brewing Water Source? The ins and outs of the brewing water can be simplified to allow you to experiment with your own finished beers. Ironically, this seemingly simple natural element is the most complex. Just ask the guys from Brülosophy! They’ve been running experiments and determined that water chemistry really matters.Īnd let’s face it, beer is 90% to 95% water. From water profiles to brewing salts, mastering this essential ingredient can take your beers to the next level.īrewing water chemistry significantly impacts your beer’s flavor and mouthfeel.
Mash water chemistry calculator license#
Balanced styles: 1/2 tsp calcium chloride and 1/2 tsp of calcium sulfate per 5 gallonsĬreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows sharing, adapting, and remixing.If you want to make significantly better beer, you need to focus on your brewing water chemistry.Hoppy styles: 1 tsp of calcium sulfate per 5 gallons.Most beers: 1 tsp of calcium chloride per 5 gallons.Keep in mind that this water starts with zero minerals and is adjusted to pH 5.5. Gordon Strong uses this teaspoon-based approach with reverse osmosis water (Strong, 2020 March-April, BYO, p. 8 (more chloride) enhance maltiness and over 1.5 (more sulfate) emphasize bitterness. In brief, ratios of 0.8 to 1.5 are considered balanced. Calcium carbonate should be avoided for lightly colored beer styles.īrad Smith has a nice description of the sulfate-chloride ratio based on John Palmer's research. It may be useful when added directly to the mash of dark beers like porters and stouts to counteract the acidity of dark malts. Calcium carbonate does not readily dissolve into neutral pH water.
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The other possible salts are less essential. High carbonate/bicarbonate levels can pose problems for the mash pH of pale beers.įor most beer styles it is best to begin by adjusting the calcium sulfate and calcium chloride additions. The carbonate/bicarbonate levels are important for determining the mash pH. Calcium levels of at least 30 to 50 ppm are needed for the mash sugar conversion process and for yeast health. The calcium and carbonate/bicarbonate levels are arguably the most important. Bicarbonate/carbonate (HCO 3 -1 and CO 3 2-): 0 to 300 depending on the beer style.The following are some minimum/maximum recommendations (Green (2017) BYO, May-June, p. Use this calculator if you prefer ease-of-use over precision. The use teaspoon measurements is quick and easy, but somewhat crude. This calculator is for adjusting the mineral concentrations of brewing water. Results: *** Waiting for results *** Notes Enter the salt additions in teaspoons: Calcium sulfate (AKA gypsum) Calcium chloride Magnesium sulfate (AKA epsom salt) Sodium chloride (AKA table salt) Calcium carbonate (AKA chalk) Sodium bicarbonate (AKA baking soda) Enter the starting water concentrations in parts per million (ppm):Ĭalcium (Ca 2+) Magnesium (Mg 2+) Sodium (Na +) Sulfate (SO 4) Chloride (Cl -) Carbonate (CO 3)ģ. Enter the water volume in gallons: gallonsĢ. Purpose: This is a quick but rough calculator to adjust the chemistry of brewing water.ġ. Top-Down Brew: EZ But Crude Water Calculator 🍺 Top-down Brew: EZ But Crude Water Calculator
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