Chloride to Sulfate Ratio for Hefe

VikeMan · 07-05-2011, 07:04 PM

I'm planning what will be my first hefeweizen since I started 'building' my brewing water. Question for experienced water tweakers...I assume the Chloride/Sulfate balance should lean to the malty (chloride) side, but how far would you tilt it? TIA!

---VikeMan

**ajdelange** · 07-05-2011, 07:46 PM

Ratio really has very little to do with it. For most German beers the sulfate should be as low as possible and the chloride where it needs to be to give the beer that sense of round, malty sweetness. As much chloride as goes in with the calcium is plenty.

VikeMan · 07-05-2011, 08:04 PM

Thanks. When you say 'as low as possible', would that include 0?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajdelange

Ratio really has very little to do with it. For most German beers the sulfate should be as low as possible and the chloride where it needs to be to give the beer that sense of round, malty sweetness. As much chloride as goes in with the calcium is plenty.

BigEd · 07-05-2011, 08:39 PM

Zero would be OK. This is where the over-reliance by homebrewers to things like the "chloride/sulphate" ratio can lead to confusion. A ratio implies that there must be a quantity of each component present and that, IMO, is not always the case. ajdelange's post above is spot on.

**ajdelange** · 07-05-2011, 09:34 PM

Zero is pretty hard to hit unless you are using DI water but yes, 0 is fine but so are a few mg/L.

Bear in mind that there are others out there whose views on this differ.